some negative reviews of this program call upon experiences you'd find at any standard residential, but this is not a standard residential, it's far far worse. main issue (in my opinion) was not the basic human rights violations (routine strip searches, lack of privacy, ect) because those things can be, at times, justified for keeping patients safe. to me the main issue was the people running the place, because everyone there seemed completely clueless as to how to treat mental health, minus the eating disorder therapist (who came in once a week or so). in my opinion any experienced mental health professional would likely spend only ten minutes here until they wise up and leave. this isn't the type of place you can fix from the inside. I don't think i learned anything here aside from resilience. which, you likely already have lots of if your being sent to treatment at all. the therapists at this program do not work with individuals, they control patients. this isn't uncommon, control is necessary when maintaining order, but there was a complete lack of respect and kindness towards patients. it seemed like the point of therapy was solely to maintain this control, not to help anyone. having all of your life for months at a time be completely out of your control sucks no matter what, but the way the people who ran this place seemed to sadistically dangle basic human rights in front of you disgusts me. their tactics of instilling fear in us didn't work either, degeneracy of all sorts flourished. maybe if the residents were shown respect they would have respected the people in charge of them enough not to huff nail polish, run away, get in fights, ect. ect....... There were many instances where i questioned if my therapist was licensed. unfortunately my individual therapist was also in charge of my family therapy and irreparably damaged my relationship with my mother. When he didn't like how i was behaving (admittedly, he knew i was lying to him in order to leave this place, but can you really blame me?) he blackmailed me with information i had shared in other individual sessions, some of those sessions not even with him. where's the integrity? There are mental hospitals i've stayed at that have been far more pleasant and helpful. if your being sent here, be smart, say what you need to to get out and you'll be okay. Don't try to run and keep a low profile if you can. If you're considering sending a child here, just don't. there are far better options. all in all, this place just doesn't work. it hurts people. i do not recommend. read more

Honestly if your looking to send your kid who needs help for there mental health this is not the place. I was at DMAP for two months, I had switched to here from an ed program expecting my eating to be properly taken care of but instead not even a single therapy group or individual session was this focused on. Of course I had some other mental health things going on but none of them were addressed. While being here I was taken off of my normal routine medication and only allowed one of them, completely messing up my mood regulation. During the stay here I was placed with an amazing roommate but the sanitation of the rooms were absolutely disgusting. Room checks were supposed to be done daily but many mornings they were skipped. When they weren't your clothes were thrown out on top of your dresser or completely rearranged. I'm a neat freak when it comes to things so this deeply upset me. The groups run by staff,therapist or even kids were always repetitive and not filled with the knowledge we needed to better ourselves and truly feel that we were normal teenagers who needed some extra help. Many times a day peers of mine would get into verbal altercations. The kids were not monitored enough leading to the point were one female went into the bathroom with a male to give a blowjob to him. Even after that they both gloated on it and the next day she was moved to a different program. There was another situation similar to this but instead the male was non consenting and another female snuck into the bathroom and watched him shower. Another incident that occurred here was that of total chaos. It seemed every time one person would set off and be triggered another peer would follow after. In particular one night 10 out of the 16 kids were in a heavy mental crisis and only two staff were on the floor that night. It got to the point that me AS A PATIENT had to step in and help the staff. I had to stop multiple kids from pulling their hair out, hanging themselves, scratching themselves, attempting to awol, and trying to choke themselves. One girls lips were turning blue and no one was aware. Another person was attempting to burn themselves in the stove which runs 24/7 and one staff had to stay with them. Even during this whole situation it last 30 MINUTES until the cops showed up, and even then only ONE OUT OF THE TEN GIRLS in crisis was taken with them and it was a girl who didn't attempt any of the things listed above. The two people in charge of this site were Joi and Kendra. Joi would gaslight you and completely ignore your feelings claiming you had no clue of what you needed and ignored your feelings. Kendra was rarely on the floor and I only saw her show up during one out of the 10 crisis that accrued. Many of the therapists were not trained and were of no help. My therapist in particular would lie straight to my face and tell my parents a different thing then what she told me. Almost attempting to turn us from eachother. Several times during my stay she asked me if I even wanted to live with them and said she could help me move if I needed. During the time here I felt as if I was getting worse ever turn you made you had to watch your back, and that is absolutely draining. On top of that during my last few nights there a girl and boy awol together and came back 5 HOURS after being gone, the girl came back with a geek bar and a blade. They stripped searched her and didn't even find any of these things. I was able to turn in the geek bar but she kept her razor and in the end cut herself multiple times on her legs and no one even cared. The boy was moved the next day but she stayed 2 or 3 days later. Due to that she found out about me turning in the geek bar and then targeted me during a group therapy and caused a fight. After the fight she was then moved and I wasn't even allowed to contact my parents till the directors did. The cops were not called and my parents were finally called 2 hours after the fact. The staff did not watch the girl before she left so my room was trashed my clothes thrown everywhere, makeup destroyed, and many other things stolen and damaged. I never got any of these things reported to the police. Every night since I arrived there they were short staffed with 1-2 staff on the floor. Many of the staff were missed treated by their bosses. In conclusion I don't think this place is very healing and never will be. At this point I'm not sure why they are even open and they haven't been sued. So please as a parent truly look for a place in your child's best interest not just any a place that will take insurance because some places truly just want money and don't care for the wellbeing and improvement of your child's health. read more

This is by far the WORST residential i've ever heard of. The staff and extremely rude and disrespectful. They disregard everything you say to them and they are just overall extremely careless. This place was very disappointing and i wouldn't wish this place on my worst enemy. The rooms are gross. The cleaners don't wash the walls in the bedrooms or bathrooms. There are boogers all over the walls from like years ago. They don't shield or protect the kids from anything that could be triggering. Fights often broke out and kids would get hurt. The office director, Joi Johnson would make racist and discriminatory comments among the adolescents making them feel powerless or undermined. Every single "process group" would result in a war basically. All of the staff are extremely disrespectful, except for Aly R, Leslie, Amara, Ashley, mariah, and krystal. Everyone else should pretty much be fired in my opinion. The directors don't know how to run a mental health facility especially one for adolescents. Over all just really disappointed with the care i received over the course of my stay at discovery mood. 0/10 Recommend. read more

It's been 5 years since I left this place, and I still feel the same. I still relive my horrible days in here and the terrible people I was around. The boys always sexuallizing me. The staff ignoring any complaints. The "level up system" that everyone lied their way through. I still think about some of the few good people I met and wonder how they are, because after this, I hope they are still here. I went here when "destoni" from Dr Phil did to give a reference of time and she tried multiple times to destroy my clothes and fight me for looking at her lol. This place sucks. I still have nightmares. I still dream about running away and coming home, and I'm so happy I am now. read more

I would not recommend this place to anyone.. this location is on a Main Street and they don't even lock their doors ! My 11 year old daughter was able to leave the premises not once but twice !! First time she was missing a few hours the other a few hours as well! Sheriffs had to be called etc! Also, this location in no way shape or form helped my daughter or our family , unfortunately this is one more location that serves adolescents that is ill equipped and basically a day care ( poor one at that, being that they couldn't even get that right) . Also, good luck being able to reach your child as they NEVER answer the phones ! DONT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE!!!!!! read more

all honestly this is the best place ever . if you struggle with any type of disorder they will help you. yes people say they "yell" at you but all they do is raise their voice if you are to loud in the living room or in general. i love all the therapist are so welcoming . they get along with the kids so quick. this place is the place to get better !! all the staff treat us with boundaries and respect us like we are their kids. all the kids are so sweet. another thing ... the kids leaving the property. as a 16 yr old that went there and experienced a lot of kids hoping gates and running out of the gates or running outside into the road... the staff do their best to protect those kids. they can only do so much. their is only so much to do until they call the police. but thank you for helping me discovery read more

well first of all!!!! i was a patient there when i was 14. there was another patient there that tried to kill everyone!!!! also the therapist was not the bestest because she did not know a few very important disorders so.. that was not good. she was very nice though. there are also too many rules. seating charts during groups and meal time, early room time almost every day, not being allowed on outings unless you get enough points, ect. very annoying. read more

What a scam. They say all the right things for you to think that they are the right program for your child. That they can handle mental and behavioral issues. All this program cares about is billing your insurance and making money. Dont waste you time, effort and money and find some place that actually care and willing to help! read more

Our daughter was in the residential facility, then PHP and IOP. Staff at both her locations have been attentive and responsive both to her and to us as her parents. The administration has also been excellent when we have needed to communicate with them. It's been a rough year, but my daughter feels seen and heard and is using the coping techniques and skills she has learned. read more

This is a locked facility. I saw the locked gates myself and after sharing my concern that my daughter will probably try to escape, was reassured that the gates would be locked and I have nothing to worry about. read more

I have a repeating issue here with the director avoiding ever responding to emails pertaining to multiple administrative problems with this facility. Some staff are frequently rude/disrespectful to clients (Natalie), or purposefully keeping inaccurate records interfering with therapeutic phone calls (Kim, Kendra), and officially raising concerns seems to improve absolutely nothing (and will include being hung up on when seeking timely remedy), even when offering proof EVERY TIME. Clients are harshly limited in phone time with loved ones, regularly 0-10 minutes total allowed in a day despite welcome packet saying it's supposed to increase. Non-compliant with Community Care Licensing and legal flow of medical records, interferes with client and parent civil rights, makes statements about what they "can't" do while still doing very shady maneuvers secretly anyway. Many staff members avoid responsibility and pass it to someone else, phones are not managed properly much at all (lots of looping to general vm), increasing anxiety/stress tremendously. Extremely suspicious overall! PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE. The only reason my child is there for more than a month now is because the current custodial guardian abused my child to the point of attempting suicide and nearly being successful, days before my birthday, because of being convinced that we would not be allowed to ever be reunited. I saved and sent them a screenshot of today's phone records, and how many times I have to call (or press 0 at the vm and wait for more ringing) just to get someone, only talked to my child from 12:58-13:00, and yet they recorded it incorrectly as "12:58-13:06". Was hung up on by Kim at 15:56. Emailed the director yesterday and today about this happening, and have zero faith it will be resolved before it's too late again. read more

I can not suggest Discovery residential in Whittier as a place to send a child with Type-1 diabetes. However, particular staff members are outstanding! They are the only program I could find that claims to know how to care for children with diabetes. They do not. Out of 30 days, three weeks were stressful. We had to buy an iPod the second 1/2 week in because their PDM was not working well. It takes too much time to regulate the PDM they purchased by changing over from your child's personal devices. They would not let him use his phone even if we removed his apps and kept the phone close to him. My son was woken up many nights and told to drink 4-8 oz of juice and have a sandwich when his glucose levels were acceptable. Then in the morning, he would be at 300+ sometimes in the 400. The night staff is Not educated enough to take care of these children. They would not listen to him, knowing he could take care of his diabetic needs and has done so for years. Type-1 children need a better environment that truly understands their situation. Having a cloudy head from high or low glucose levels will not help them heal/deal with depression or any other problems they may have. It is an added worry that is not necessary. As an added note my son was bullied. It was adressed somewhat. The damage done did waste more time. read more

This place is Horrible. They're is no support. No help no anything. I was there for 30 days and I got beaten up and bullied by some girl I went straight to staff and to my counselor and all they did was punish me and reward the girl who hit me and bullied me. The girl gave me a black eye and the staff just watched her punch me. This place should be put down. And the staff here should be in prison. I'm lucky that I'm still alive after what I've been through. read more

This place is the greatest it helped me out a lot i was there from 12-20-19 to 1-20-20 and i loved the staff there checking in was very helpful and the therapist are really cool. shoutout Johnathan Alyssa hugo and shay there the best staff and there really cool:) read more

This was the first treatment place I went to. I was about 13. I didn't love it but which teenager likes being in a facility? It helped for a period of time after I got out but I chose poor decisions again for a while so it's not on them. It's not the best I've been to but there was no mistreatment and the staff were very kind. read more

Sending my daughter here was a horrible decision that I regret badly. We had limited ability to research the facility due to Covid. We could not go inside. The website makes it seem way better then it is. The location is not nice at all, very industrial. I was standing in the parking lot and a disheveled person walked by on the side wake and motioned to me then flashed the palm of his hand to reveal small white packages??? The staff is rude and come across as very uncaring and burnt out. They are probably not treated fair by their employer and don't want to be there. The kids seem like a burden to them and that they just want to put in their hours and get out of there. My daughter absolutely hated it and began to experience an anxiety attack. She asked her nurse for her medication that is prescribed just for these types of elevated episodes, and the nurse told her to wait for the shift change in 15 minutes, that she was almost off. There is nothing healing about this place do not go there. read more

All of the reviews for this place suck so I'm gonna just leave my opinion. I was at CFD a month ago and I had spent a total of two months there. I had the best therapist I'd ever met, who helped me more than I can even express. The staff there were so unbelievably helpful and understanding and had such a large impact on my growth and treatment in positive ways. Some of the people I met there I'm still friends with and they're so interesting and kind. It's hard to feel misunderstood there because even though everyone has been through different things a lot of people have the same feelings. CFD helped me a lot and I'm extremely thankful and grateful. read more

This is the first review I have written EVER and am writing this for every parent that is considering CFD. I researched this facility that Kaiser referred us to and didn't see great reviews and was terrified to send my 15 yo daughter. I am so thankful for CFD staff! Truly saved my family. My daughter spent 6 weeks here and the best family counseling we received EVER was from Bob. My daughter suffers from anxiety, depression and is also just a rebellious teen that craves the fun of doing stupid things that are beginning to ruin her life. Thank you CFD for helping her put into perspective that life choices have consequences and rewards. We are continuing our family counseling with Kaiser however, the best we've had came from CFD. Don't be afraid....This place saved us. read more

i was a patient here when i was 16 years old and my experience changed me forever. after my second day i was very homesick and wanted to call my mother to come get me but they would not let me make a phone call. this made me feel worse because i felt trapped so i stayed any way because i had no choice. the overall food and activities were nice except for my therapist Elise (i think that was her name) who was no help and in me and my moms opinion just straight up evil. she told my mom the same thing that i wasn't allowed to see or talk to her until i "acted right." most of the staff were nice but certain ones would constantly threaten us that the front doors are open but if we thought of running away the police would pick us up and throw us back in the psych ward with no questions asked. for weeks i wanted to go home because i felt unsafe due to other kids behaviors. over my time there i watched other kids beat each other, sexually interact at night, and throw tantrums breaking items like plates or punching holes in the walls. in those weeks i was there i saw the police and ambulances arrive 3 times to handle rough situations. after a while i couldn't take it anymore so one morning i walked out and left on my own with only a chap stick in my pants pocket and a hoodie. i walked with one of the newer staff members who had no idea what to do till we got to a street corner when she then told me if i went any further she would call the cops. then i ran as quick as i could to get away. i was roaming around the streets all day till i found one of the parks i was familiar with because we had went to visit it on our daily trips. i waited till the sun went down wondering what to do because i had no phone on me and i was hungry also it was getting dark so i asked a stranger to borrow his cellphone to contact my mother. she answered and assured me she was already on her way because CFD notified her 4 hours after i was missing so she was already coming to look for me on her own since they could not find me. even after she picked me up they kept calling until she told them she had me and they wanted her to drop me back off so the cops could take me away, she told them to go to hell. a week later we went back to pick up my things and they supposedly "lost"' some of my makeup and clothes so they were missing. im 19 now about to be 20 and after leaving that place i still had the same issues i went in there with if not worse because i was always paranoid for my safety. it took me months to feel normal again after disabling their crazy rules from my brain. i wanted to write this review years later because honestly this place was a big part in my recovery and im sure this place has helped others but for me, it broke me down and i had to build myself back up so in a way im grateful i was put in that place. it showed me i needed to change my ways so i never end up in a horrible place like that again. when i was there i was a high school drop out with major depression anxiety and no motivation for ANYTHING, now i have a high school diploma, license, my own car, im on my second year of college and i haven't had a manic episode in 2 years. 4 years ago if someone were to have told me what i am right now i would've laughed in their face and try to convince them that i'd be the same disobedient miserable little girl forever but i'm not... i finally found my peace. if your looking to send your kids here i wouldn't recommend it unless you'd like to scare them straight. there were tons of other outpatient programs i did that i enjoyed way better that truly helped me get where i am today :) read more

Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program - Counseling & Mental Health Near Me - Whittier, California

This is a wonderful facility for children who need therapeutic assistance. It is not beautifully appointed and not in the best area of town, but what goes on inside works. My child has been there for over three weeks, and our therapist has done such amazing work with her. Bob is excellent. And while not all the employees are favored by my daughter, many are! They do practice a bit of tough love here, and that was what my daughter needed to snap out of her depression and bad behavior. One month will not work miracles, but it's just the start that we needed to get her on the right path to recovery. Thank you Center for Discovery!! read more

My daughter spent 6 weeks at the Discover Mood & Anxiety program in Whittier. It was very difficult trying to decide on a location for our 15 year old daughter. A lot of people were suggesting we find a location out of state because the programs in California rated so low. I have been beyond impressed with the Whittier location from day one. The location itself is very well kept up. The bedroom's for the kids are great and the kitchen and common area's are clean/cozy and well taken care of. The staff has just been overwhelmingly amazing! From the counselor's, the nurse, floor staff, school education staff, and Psychiatrist they have all gone above and beyond to make our child feel welcomed and safe to work through her many issues. Her progress has been an amazing transformation. My daughter has Bi-Polar I with Psychotic features, social anxiety, and was suicidal. They have a great group sessions on Saturday for the parents with amazing and highly credentialed speakers that helped us through this difficult time. The kids get to go on all kinds of outings during the week like going to the beach, the park, Build A Bear, Bowling/Arcade, taking care of horses, and nail salon. This really helped our daughter as well as she went through the process of healing to have some normal activities outside the facility to do. My daughter went AWOL after just 4 days of being there [didn't want to deal with her issues so running seemed better to her]. They took care of this so quickly, got her back to the facility quick/safe and had her on 24 hour watch until she calmed down. She finally did get to "work" and had done amazing! I cannot recommend this facility enough. Your kiddo will be in amazing hands as they begin their journey of healing. read more

All I experienced was a lot of drama and craziness. It was too over crowded and you never got the help that you needed. Three days after my discharge (kicked out by insurance) I overdosed. I know this could have been absolutely avoided if I got proper help. But something good came out of my overdose. I was sent to CFD Chino. I was super worried due to my awful experience at Whittier. But luckily I had a totally different experience and have been successful in my recovery. CHOOSE CHINO! read more

i have decided to make another review in hopes that parents won't send their kids here. PLEASE find a better place and do research. my mother was so devastated that she just chose a place that my therapist at the time told her. keep in mind- the therapist i had didn't like me and threatened to send me out of state all the time (i told my mother that many times but she was in denial). so continuing on with my experience at CFD: i was followed around constantly even when i just wanted to read a book. this experience didn't happen to me but one of the girls got violated in her sleep by another girl. the staff did nothing about it and kept them in the same room together. luckily, i didn't have to share a room until my last week there. we weren't allowed to make phone calls, and the letters i received from friends and family were always checked. even though my family and close friends were my safe people. i felt miserable. the fact that we couldn't even go OUTSIDE unless we were good is heartbreaking. vitamin D is known to help, so going outside would be a good idea right? wrong. it's only if you've behaved. we sat around most of the day eating unhealthy food and watching movies. if i didn't finish the meal they would yell at me and watch me until i did eat it. i was anorexic at the time and being presented with only junk food was hard for me. (once i got out i relapsed knowing how much weight i've gained since the dietitian didn't know how to properly handle eating disorders). music was one of the few coping skills that worked for me but i had to EARN the right to listen to music. they even checked my playlist even though in the van they would play whatever music they wanted to. i'm not sure if i mentioned that on my first night of me being admitted i cried on the floor and the lady watching me was giving me false hope saying, "don't worry we'll get you out by tomorrow." it still shatters my heart knowing that this place is still open and people are still being admitted there. the way that i healed from the trauma FROM CFD was a lot of therapy and outdoor activities. different things work for different people of course, but from what i've heard, CFD is not it. given the fact that i left more traumatized and mentally gone was a red flag. tons of gaslighting, rumors, self harm, and overall gloominess. you would think it would be a safe place and it's deceiving how inviting the inside looks. really rethink about finding a new place if your child is struggling. i'm 20 now and i still get bad flashbacks from CFD and i don't think they'll go away anytime soon. read more

This place really helped me when I was there. I would definitely recommend this treatment center to everyone I know. They were very kind and made me feel more loved than my family. They all helped me through a lot of my problems when I needed the help most. They are also very forgiving which I think is a great aspect of this place when it comes to dealing with adolescents. read more

I cannot express what a great experience I had with the Center for Discovery in Whittier. I am a single father and my 15 year old daughter was not responding to any of the treatment options I had tried with her. Nothing would help her deep depression and anxiety. Finally after multiple hospitalizations I was referred to CFD. Initially it was a nightmare. My daughter hated it and was miserable. After two weeks she had settled in and for the first time in her life made some real friendships. After a month when she was ready to come back home she was actually sad to leave. CFD is very tough on the kids. It'll be hard. But they can help. I won't tell you they are perfect or that every staff member cares as much as the next, but overall it is a great place. If you are considering CFD for your teen; feel free to private message me with any questions you may have. Best of luck to all and thank you Heather Marshall and CFD! read more

The decision to send our daughter to a residential treatment center was far and away the most difficult thing my wife or I have ever had to do. Our daughter had been hospitalized multiple times as a danger to herself and we knew she needed something more than just a short hospitalization. At the same time, we did not want to send her to any sort of out of state, "long term" facility. What made it even more difficult was that there seemed to be very few facilities that focused exclusively on Mental Health for teens in California. Center for Discovery was recommended to us, but other than their website, there wasn't a lot of good information out there on the facility. We moved forward, to some degree feeling we had no other choice. We are extremely glad we did. From the first point of contact we found them very professional and very responsive. My wife dealt with their finance people who helped navigate the insurance process and I flew down to tour both the Whittier faciltiy and the smaller Long Beach facifity. The people there were very sincere and helpful and I could see for myself the staffing levels and the programs in action. I was very apprensive, but my site visit helped me to feel we were doing the right thing. Our daughter was very resistant to the whole idea and it really took some time before she recongnized that she needed to be there. She had a wonderful individual therapist during her stay there and made strong connections with some of the other residents through the group interaction. She felt she was treated very well in the 30 days she was there, the programs were very well organized and structured. A program like this is not a "cure-all", my daughter still has struggles with anxiety and depression, but the time she spent at Center for Discovery has helped her come so far in her treatment and she has grown in ways that a few months ago we would have never dreamed possible. It is obvioulsy too soon to tell what the future holds, but we are very hopeful that she has a long and bright future ahead of her. read more

I liked this place I really don't understand why people are giving such bad reviews. It helped a lot and the only reason why someone would be forced to discharge was if they were disrupting the groups and stuff like that also if your constantly leaving and doing things for no reason. I witness these people but in reality all these people were are those who were spoiled and had to get more attention by ending up in these places and faking suicide attempts. These people tell us this and think it is funny when people here are really getting help but other than those people it was good and don't think it's their fault your child got kicked out because it maybe your fault. The staff here are really nice and they actually care and if you think it's everyone else's fault your wrong. They can't kick someone out for no reason there is always a reason. read more

I was a client here. It was so focused on the drama rather than treatment. There usually wasn't enough staff on the floor, so that made it hard for kids who needed to check-in with staff. Most of the staff who were on the floor were working there to get more experience, not because they were trained and that was their end-goal career. Many staff (not all) played favorites. A lot of staff encouraged us to talk about drama in process group (which is supposed to be a group to process trauma, etc. and get feedback from peers and staff) process group was a stressor for a lot of clients and it caused the drama to often get worse. My first process group was about spin-the-bottle drama. It wasn't until the drama got so bad that 4 kids AWOLed and a few others (including myself) stopped participating in treatment till the staff finally heard us out and stopped talking about drama in process group AS MUCH. It still happened, but most process groups were helpful and full of insight because there was no drama mentioned. Hmm intresting right?! Most of my time there was very chaotic and kept getting worse, mostly because staff weren't de-escalating situations so we could focus on treatment. I understand that a house with a bunch of mentally unstable teenagers is bound to have drama, but I'm pretty sure the drama didn't have to get to the point that it did. Many clients didn't feel comfortable checking in with most staff because they often missed the point of what we were trying to check-in about, they also weren't that good at validating feelings. This isn't to say that ALL staff were like this, but there were a fair amount of staff. Over-night staff often fell asleep, which allowed clients to sneak in to other clients rooms and that would just create more drama. I know everyone has different experiences, but I genuinely believe that I am worse now than when I was admitted. I have been through hospitalizations and outpatient programs where I feel like I had learned so much more at. Please note that I came in with an open mind to treatment, I participated at first and then the drama started building up more and more everyday. I remember that staff had come up to me when I was in my room, and had heard the things that a peer had said to me. She said she "got a little mad on your (my) behalf". Did she redirect the the client? no. Did she say this before I had a breakdown in my room? no. This is just one example out of many. This review isn't to say that everything about this place sucked. I had good one on one and family sessions with my therapist, and there were helpful groups. I felt that the drama was the main focus in the house, and it cause myself and others to not be able to give 100% attention to our treatment. Again this is just my experience, you can take it or leave it. For me personally I wish that I had never gone here. All the stress caused me to act out under pressure until I didn't even now who I was any more. I came out with more self harm marks and more suicidal ideation than when I came in. I am still struggling to readjust to my home and family. I personally wouldn't EVER wish to come back to discovery mood and anxiety in whittier. I wouldn't send my kid there if I was a parent. This is just based on my own experience. read more

My 16 year old daughter spent a month and a half at Center for Discovery in Whittier. She had severe depression and anxiety. This was a difficult decision and we are glad we made it. We had a very good experience with the center. We communicated regularly with her therapist either by mail or phone, we had weekly or bi-weekly family therapy on skype as we leave in far from Whittier ( Northern California). We communicated by email with the Doctor and we visited during the WE. When teen make progress they get as pass and we can take them out for the afternoon. This helps a lot before going back home. We had an extremely positive experience. The support for parents was extremely valuable. Although we still have a long road ahead we really though her time at CFD was very beneficial. read more

Center For Discovery was a great experience and honestly was amazing I am so grateful for this program and being able to have a second chance. All the staff here are very encouraging, direct, and very helpful in the treatment process. The FIT program at Center For Discovery is an amazing program and I am so grateful for all the encouraging staff that run it, it is really life changing because it has a lot more to do with just athletics and getting into to shape its fitness intertwined with therapy. Overall I am just so grateful for this whole experience and for the staff that really helped through my treatment and were so kind and just listened to me including Brittany, Sasky, and Jenn. Thank you so much. read more

I have had my daughter here twice and she got a lot out of the experience both times. She is suffering from PTSD from trauma, anxiety, depression, cutting, suicidal ideation, low-self esteem, abandonment, etc. The healing process takes changes with the entire family and the family therapy sessions helped us open up and learn that our behaviors could improve. Our communication skills, family plan and timeouts have all helped every member of our family to stop yelling and deal with the issues instead of walking away from them. The process is hard and the reviews on Yelp are a reflection of the journey, not the result. Many bad days will happen before real change takes place. Hard decisions have to be made and CFD brings those up to be addressed. I have hated the process and loved the results, but our journey is not over. It will takes years and that is a fact many can not accept. The human mind can not be "fixed" in a 40 day program. You can only expect to win a small battle and expect lots more therapy for many years. read more

When I was sixteen, my mental condition had landed me in the hospital several times for suicidal thinking, self-harming tendencies, and anorexic and bulimic behaviors. After the hospital staff suggested CFD, my mother very quickly jumped on board and arranged for me to be treated here. (Note: I stayed for over three months; longer than anyone else at the time, due to my single mother staying in rehab herself. I saw kids come, and I watched them go.) I can't stress enough, years later, how resentful I am every single day of my life of the time I had to waste here. Upon intake, kids are given a packet to fill out. My problem with this packet? A list of rules that was significantly LITERALLY longer than Alcatraz's 53 point list. Including rules ridiculous as no physical contact (including high fives and patty-cake style games because that's how deprived of stimulation your seventeen-year-old will be, considering there will obviously be no access to computer, tv, phone, the outdoors, or even most books anyone over 10 would be interested in). There were also a variety of rules not printed, such as the fact that kids are required to constantly vocalize through use of the restroom, and must have their excrements checked afterwards. If that's not uncomfortable enough, boys and girls must strip to their underwear and be checked twice a day head to toe and everything underneath and in between for contraband items and for any signs of self harm. (I knew people who resorted to cutting the undersides of their feet, in their scalps, between their toes, and in the pubic areas to avoid notice during checks, so if your son or daughter doesn't want to be here, CFD can't help.) Luckily, I was compliant with a heavy amount of these rules and wasn't put through such torture as I'd seen fellow kids go through. Compliance seemed key, no matter how understandable or reasonable it was to ask or act otherwise, and so I obeyed. others who didn't usually took a few weeks to "break," being punished or stripped of privileges until they, too, were somehow both enthusiastically and listlessly obedient. They use a reward/phase system to encourage kids to heal, granting more privileges for those who have "done better" with the program. If you're lucky, you get to see approved visitors (family members also need to be approved) once a week for visiting hours. If you're lucky, you may speak briefly with approved contacts over the phone. Additionally, I've seen kids come back from the psychiatrist's office in tears. He told one thirteen year old girl with disordered eating habits, "Aren't you a little thick to be anorexic? I mean I'm just not sure if I believe you. I don't want to treat something for attention." The therapeutic staff isn't far behind, as I've seen/heard of little intervention with toxic and abusive behavior, no matter if from the child or the parent during family sessions. Not to mention the way they use children's weak points and insecurities as "learning" examples in front of the whole house. Overall, the staff was invalidating and sometimes even contributed to the bullying that these kids endured. Criticism was often not at all constructive. Some were so miserable here, I've watched as they've sprinted out the doors into the street. I've watched as another girl smashed a cup against the wall and used the shards to slash her arms the whole way up. To this day, I don't know if she's dead or alive. But these are the memories I took from here. The memories of that girl bleeding on the ground. Of not seeing or speaking to anyone I loved for three months. Of all of us kids being encouraged to complain about each other in front of everyone in so-called therapeutic "process group." Of all of the things, tips, and tricks I learned about being more subtle, sneaky, and effective for my disorders (learning how to cut without getting caught, how to skip meals without being noticed, how to purge more effectively, how to lie more convincingly). These were our takeaways. Not a better future. In fact, my time here ensured a ruined future. It cost me my high school graduation. It cost me potential experience in my classes. my social life. my professional life. It cost me many performances with my choirs and theater program. And down the road, this has cost me the opportunity to attend a good college. It's cost me professional opportunities. It's cost me my reputation. And above all, it's cost me the ability to genuinely connect with my peers and others around me. I can't talk about what life was like in high school. Or even what my life is like even now because of it. So parents please, please, please, consider that this may not be the answer to your "troubled teenager." you might get a lot more out of listening to them and loving them at home than sending them here for thousands and thousands of dollars that will leave your bank account or their college funds hemorrhaging down for no good payoff. read more

Our son was leaving the hospital and needed additional treatment for severe depression and we did not know where to turn. The recommendation was to find placement in a residential treatment center for 3 to 9 months. We were overwhelmed by the immediacy and urgency of the situation, trying to research programs in and out of state, and battling with the insurance company. Unfortunately, we chose the Center for Discovery in Whittier because it was closeby so we could visit, our insurance partially covered the cost, and the 30 days would buy us time to find a longer term program if needed. To this day my son still has flashbacks of the horrible treatment he received by the staff at this facility, and his father and I will forever regret sending him there. He was abused by an older teen while supposedly under "24 hour staff supervision" and a police report was supposedly filed. Staff at this facility showed the adolescent residents a complete lack of empathy, often abusing power and control, and telling the teens they should lie to their parents in family session and say that they're getting better or elso they would be sent away to 2-year long programs. For the exhorbitant fees they charge, you'd think that they would not only most imnportantly have decent staff, but also a decent facility. The pathetic little basketball hoop in the parking lot was bent. Luckily, after this horrible place, our son went to the Anasazi Program in Arizona, which was truly a healing place, and he still talks about his good memories of Anasazi. If you need to send your teen into a therapeutic recovery program, it can be heartwrenching. I recommend avoiding Center for Discovery and the physical, emotional and financial pain it will cause you and your family. read more

I usually don't write reviews, but I decided too because this place is horrible. My daughter came to center for discovery for help with depression, suicide thoughts, cutting and general behavioral problems. She had several hospitalizations at multiple hospitals and we finally tried this place after being recommended by our doctor. Do not put your child in this place...they won't do anything for your family (at least they didn't for our family). Floor staff there enabled our daughters cutting and depressive behaviors and it seemed they only wanted to be her friend. Talking to her on the phone while she was there, it seemed as if the staff was bowing to her every desire. Our daughters has issues with authority and I get she is a teenager so that is normal, but she actually was worse coming out of this place. I spoke with her therapist about staff enabling her behaviors, he said he would talk to them. He never did and her behaviors continued to go unchecked. She would scream, yell at us and even threw a book at us in the therapy room and her therapist allowed it. Her therapist never addressed this behavior with her or us. When my husband very respectfully explained that yes we made mistakes as parents and we are trying to do our part to get this family better, her therapist cut him off! Her therapist even blamed and shamed us right in front of her, while allowing her to take zero accountability for her behaviors. Her behaviors were actually 2x worse at the end of 4 weeks. This place and her therapist talks about setting limits and boundaries. but the staff don't. Please do not go here...your child will only get worse! read more

I don't feel comfortable going into complete detail about my son and the experience he had at the center, but what I can say is that we had a great experience with the staff and therapist while he was in treatment. Our son was completely lost and in a very dark place at home. He was cutting every day and telling us he didn't want to live anymore. We didn't know what else to do. Our therapist recommended coming to the center for more extensive help. All I can say is that our son is in a much better place in his life after his experience at the center. Thank you for all the people who helped us. read more

We had a very positive experience with Center for Discovery in Whittier. Our daughter was admitted for a month for depression and anxiety. We loved our counselor and the staff. All were nice. Our daughter got a lot out of the experience and loved the facility. We are from out of state...so finding a program for her was challenging. We were relieved to find CFD. More programs are available for parents who live in CA. Such a great resource! Would recommend. read more

Our daughter suffered from sever depression amongst several other sever things. Not knowing what to do or where to find her the help she needed. She was placed in two other facilities with no improvement and in fact left her unable to cope with life. Within 7 days we had her placed at Centers of Discovery. The staff was always very helpful and very supportive. The therapy and the counciling that my daughter received every day helped her grow as a indivudal and helped her find herself and to become a beautiful young woman. The kids also learn so much from peer to peer interactions in group settings. There are two sides to this facility: mental health and substance abuse. My daughter was on the mental health side. We personally saw on more than one occasion, the quality supervision and the logs that are documented who, what, where and when the kids were doing every 5 minutes! The care that they took with our daughter was invaluable. She was in the facility for 48 days. We would not hesitate to send our daughter back to this excellent facility if it was needed. Oh and it was covered 100% by our insurance company! read more

We had our son in an acute care hospital and the social worker recommended the Center for Discovery. Before our son was discharged, my wife and I met with the staff and toured the facility. We were impressed by the staff and how the program was structured. Our son was there 6 weeks. It was a game changer and now we feel our son left with a good base of skills that he has continued to use. We now feel our son can leave a normal type life and not have to worry that he may need to live in a group home setting as an adult. We can't say enough for the help and support we received from the entire staff at the Center for Discovery. When we were considering the facility we did some reviews on line. Some weren't overly positive, but most were and we feel that it was a very positive experience for our son and our family. Even our son now admits that he learned some great skills and that his time at Center for Discovery turned his life around. read more

My teen who suffers from depression and anxiety had been in therapy for over a year and a half, and on prescriptions drugs for depression. My daughter was admitted here as a recommendation from her psychiatrist after a suicidal attempt and 72 hour hold at another facility. She was reluctant to stay here at first, but after a week she settled in and my spouse and I noticed positive changes. There are many therapeutic exercises on and off campus including equine therapy and fitness, social/ group activities, DBT and leadership development. Family therapy is also offered weekly while your child is a resident. We were fortunate enough to have our insurance approve us for the day program after the residential treatment days ran out over the course of one month. Throughout my teen's stay, we saw a teen who was initially unmotivated and had given up on life to a young adult with goals and the willingness to achieve and work towards something greater. We are so grateful to the entire caring staff, resident counselors and especially my teen's assigned therapist Bob Sperring who is truly an angel in disguise and has helped transform my teen and given us all we something we did not have before- hope. read more

I am writing this review hoping to help someone that may be experiencing some of the most difficult times with their child. My 13 yr old daughter has gone thru a two year battle with depression, and not knowing just how to help her thru this situation she did a month at Center for Discovery(the one in Long Beach for self harm and depression,all girls). This was the scariest time for our family, she had just been let out of a Beautiful residential program in Malibu, that we will be paying for a very long time. 50k a month and the insurance cancelled her after 16 days and sent her home, saying she was ok. Insurance was paying 60%. She was sent home, with no discharge plan and very confused. So immediately wanting to harm herself and not feeling like anyone could help her we searched for more help. I found CFD because Dr Phil sends many referrals there and flew down to check it out. I must say I was shocked at the "no frills" type of place this was and very scared to leave my daughter, since this place was polar opposite the one in Malibu. I had a difficult time with the rules, not being able to talk to her daily and her being watched 24/7, but as the program continued I realized just how great it was. My daughter said that was the best choice we made sending her there. She said she recieved wonderful one on one counseling and we actually skyped with her to do counseling 2x week as we live 10 hrs away. This was something the other place had promised but never did. This program was also covered by our insurance almost 100% (BLue Cross) Our daughter left there, A new person, armed with the propper "tools" to help her cope. She is doing so much better and we are so thankful for CFD and their tough love type of program. I would definately recommend this to any parent who is struggling with a way to help their child thru depression and self harm . Julie P read more