“Trust Your Gut”

We considered a number of places for our daughter and left the final decision to her. We thought Red Mountain was a good fit because it was the “most like real life” of the options that were available. We thought it would be a smoother transition from a wilderness-type program to the “real world.” At the same time, we liked that it was grounded in meditation and mindfulness.

The entire program worked very well for her, but her therapy stands out as uniquely valuable. In addition, getting a job was helpful in moving her out of her comfort zone. She found it also worked well to have one or two roommates, instead of being in a larger living situation, and she appreciated the fact that Red Mountain is co-ed. She did a lot of yoga, which helped her to slow down and get out of her head. She has maintained this practice since graduation.

Our experience as parents was excellent. We had a parent liaison who helped us to understand the experience, and we never felt out of the loop. Whenever we expressed concerns, we felt heard by the staff.

We had weekly calls with the therapist and also with our daughter, which was essential to us in feeling that we understood how she was progressing.

Sedona is a beautiful place and is quite healing in itself. However, the program is so good that it could probably be successful if it were replicated elsewhere. The students spend a great deal of time outdoors and that is good for them psychologically.

After graduation, our daughter returned to college and she has one year to go before graduation. She is doing very well.
We would advise other families considering Red Mountain to speak with someone who has graduated or who is there now. Young people in particular are going to talk differently to one another, and this will raise the level of trust in the advice you’re getting.

Ultimately, you have to trust your gut, the Red Mountain process, and the Red Mountain staff members!