Really good and caring therapists, but corporate feel and horrible money handling. There are Foundations recovery centers all around the country, all sharing a very well developed curriculum. I like that they really try to stay on the cutting edge of psychology and self improvement more than places that have develop curriculum in house could ever do. And all the therapists have masters degrees which is very reassuring knowing that you are getting someone with real training. It's a mix of young kids in their early 20's who are still on their parents insurance, and well off people who have good work insurance. It tends to be an upscale clientelle. My main objection was that the financial arrangements were opaque and communication was extremely poor around money. I had three different employees giving me different messages about what I would owe, and the only one who actually knew what was going on, the director, was inaccessible to me most of the time. So much false information floating around and so little regard for accuracy. One time they accidentally charged my insurance for a visit with someone I had never seen. I notified them and their reaction was that there was nothing for them to do since the insurance paid it in full so I wouldn't be out of pocket. This attitude of whatever gets the money to come in, regardless of accuracy, seems endemic in this corporate recovery world. Like any medical office, you sign something saying basically that you are responsible for whatever they want to charge you, so nightmares of accumulating $1000/day debt accidentally were a real stumbling block to my recovery. They say that it's extremely rare for the urinalysis to get billed to patients, but it happened to me, getting bills for hundreds of dollars for each urinalysis. Foundations did help me apply for financial aid which covered it; they directed me to do some questionable ethics in my application to qualify. In the end, I ended up only paying for what my insurance covered, and I was happy that they didn't bill me for what happened after the insurance stopped paying. I have a lot of sympathy for how much uncertainty they deal with from the insurance companies. My takeaway from this experience was that I will never again submit myself to something like this where I agree to pay whatever they charge me. As I say, the therapy really is top notch here. But in retrospect I think I might have benefited more by going to a more down and dirty program like Ohloff house or Alta Bates; I need people to kick my ass a bit and this is one thing that Foundations doesn't do. If you relapse they welcome you back as if nothing happened. I think they are genuine about thinking it's better for people to be in therapy than not, but it's clear it's also a financial tool for them. Alta Bates will make people go to inpatient if they relapse, which might have been a motivation for me to stay straight. As it is, I relapsed during and after Foundations treatment, and I'm not going back. I now am looking at doing an out of state inpatient treatment, but my experience with Foundations has soured me on corporate recovery, even though it can be great therapy. read more

This program has been a horrible but insightful experience. I will start off by talking about what is good about this program, and it is one thing: the facilitators. Everything else was disastrous, I have to agree with most if not all, of the 1 star reviews on this page. 1. All of the participants were not given accurate information on how foundations schedule groups, flexibility is not an option, and this is not communicated clearly EVEN if you have a medical appointment. This adds a multiple layer of stress, not being given any opportunities to improve your health. 2. This site has lost its licenses TWICE, which should be very concerning. The lack of transparency within this company and with its patients is baffling 3. There are no psychiatrists or doctors on site to refill or prescribe new medications. Many of the group participants went without vital meds that they received from residential. 4. There is no real structure. In the second half of the day, it seems that there is no curriculum, and you are mostly sitting through 3 hours of much of anything. 5. Lastly, Mark is cruel, and I hope foundations receive a class action lawsuit and are shut down for good. Truly, one of the worst experiences I have ever had. If you are a women of color and or queer I would also skip this place entirely, you will not be heard or valued. Listen to the other reviews, and for the love of god skip this program it is not worth your time or money!!! read more

Beware! Insanely unprofessional they should be shut down. No one answers during business hours. Then someone named Adam calls and asks you all sorts of personal private medical information over the phone. Then there's no follow up whatsoever. I waited for some paperwork, instructions, an email, text -- nada! Turns out the office phone is Adam's cell! Yes, they expect you to send my private and person medical information to their cell? And they never actually say this, so even if I'm ok with the lax privacy, they expect me to somehow know that they call me from a cell phone and I need to text my medical card back to that number? I can't even explain how unprofessional this place is. They don't know how to treat people and they are supposed to be therapeutic. Stay away! read more

I feel like as a woman of color my concerns with diversity were not listened to at all. I routinely watched nonbinary people getting misgendered. One therapist, David, routinely showed racial preference towards white men in the sessions in choosing who was to speak and I got silenced and ignored as a woman of color. When I brought up my racial concerns to another member of the staff they were brushed off and dismissed as something that couldn't be changed. This morning I was feeling happy before going to IOP and now I am really unhappy, so it was not therapeutic for me at all. There were some really great therapists there you should try to see privately like Benji. read more

I found my experience here to be life changing. Everyone really cares. I finally have my life back.

No. Just no. This wasn't for me. The group sessions were okay, my therapist could have cared less and the psychiatrist was down right cold and rude. Not to mention she missed out on a diagnosis that actually mitigated my issues with *proper* medication. The wrong medications made my life hell. There was also the cost outside of insurance that was never made clear to me. It was pretty predatory to sign documents when I was at a low, but it had to be done at light speed before anyone I trusted could look over it. If you think you have a mental illness I would suggest exploring other options, as this will not be addressed. I have been left traumatized by my experience with foundations. read more

Life Changing. I am in my 11th week here at foundations and even though I had some sobriety when I got there I guess I didn't realize how badly I actually needed this place. The three hour, three times a week groups are informative and I LOVE the yoga Thursday. What I get the most out of thought is working with My therapist Danielle, as well as my one on ones occasionally with the yoga teacher. They are supportive as well as highly skilled. They have great listening skills and you will feel heard and understood. read more

This place is an incredible sham. First and most importantly: like the majority of rehabs in the US, Foundations doesn't rely too much on modern approaches for treating AUD, but rather outdated dogma perpetuated by AA, an organization that was founded in 1935, when brain study was in its infancy. They might say they're "dual diagnostic," but their go-to prescription is attending meetings. Don't get me wrong, meetings work for some people (about 5% of problem drinkers realistically). If that's you, great. Do it. But don't expect much more from Foundations except a yoga room, art therapy, and a team of therapists hounding your insurance company for more treatment days. You will meet cool people. It's just a fact that people who abuse substances are cool, smart and fun. So, that's a plus. You will not learn about new science-based methods for treating the disease. Harm reduction is slandered. It's an abstinence program - all or nothing - and if you get caught relapsing too many times, their treatment plan is expulsion from the program. I'm not a doctor, but if you want a cheaper, more effective way to gain some control, get a prescription for Naltrexone, attend a SMART meeting or two, and look up the Sinclair Method. read more

As somebody who's attended the program since April, I am confident to say this place is SOLELY concerned with money. They have an OK staff, but this place is extremely corporate, and the #1 goal will always be profit. The program is about $1,500 a day and this is what you get: Average accommodations a 30 minute walk away from Bart/Muni. Genetically modified sugar filled snacks that are scarcely restocked. I met some quality clients, but within my time at Foundations I came to realize the exploitation model that has developed for addicts. Lured in by a "cure", there are massages, acupuncture, group and individual therapy, but it doesn't get to the behavioral, sociological or neurological reasons that are at the core of addiction. If you've experienced any kind of trauma, don't expect to process it here. This program is SPECIFICALLY TAILORED FOR WHITE MALES. IF YOU ARE A POC DON'T EXPECT TO GET ANY KIND OF EMPATHY OR EXPECT ANYONE TO CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU EXPERIENCE. They do a great job accommodating LGBTQ people and even have special groups dedicated to supporting them, but there are no safe spaces to process the oppression that women and minorities experience daily. (a huge reason why I struggle with addiction) If you are searching for a for a vacation or some down time from work in a very inconvenient location then by all means this is the place for you, but if you're looking for true recovery I don't recommend this place. I met clients there who had been back 3-4 times so how effective could their methods be? A big part of recovery is supposed to be helping those still suffering...something like paying it forward......i guess that only applies to the very white and VERY wealthy at Foundations. Fun Story: I was kicked out of the program because I experienced a huge depressive episode around the 4th of July (very difficult holiday for me because my ancestors were still being tortured/ huge party day) and this "dual diagnosis" program thought the best remedy was to give me the boot! PLEASE SPARE YOURSELF THE TRAUMA AND FIND SOMEWHERE THAT TRULY CARES ABOUT RECOVERY FOR ALL PEOPLE. read more

I entered Foundations SF day treatment after graduating an actual residential rehab. My time at that facility was wonderful and this was an enormous step down. My perception is that at its core, Foundations favors new age-religious trends, massage therapies and even psuedo-psychic techniques of "manifestation" over practical, real-world solutions. I couldn't help but feel that this was a place to fleece rich people who want to avoid the real, hard work of recovery, sponsorship and daily NA/AA meetings. I was frustrated with this bizarre little bubble. To each their own method, I guess. And that's why I gave it an extra star instead of the one I initially intended. However, what I perceive as hokum may very well speak to other people and help them on their path of recovery. I gave it a good, solid chance over a few weeks time and found that the program didn't meet my high standards of authenticity and integrity. This may have merely been a disorganized time for them. It should also be of note that the program manager seems to have departed before I entered this program. There are some stand-out staff members who were quite helpful. Even so, this was not the place for me and, from what I've gathered, not the best place for those seeking traditional recovery - the kind of treatment that sticks after the money is spent and the time there is over. Just because one program didn't work out doesn't mean I have to do this alone. I am enthusiastically pursuing other options at the moment. I'm working closely with a therapist, making one or more daily group meetings, working the steps with my sponsor and I have been pleased with those results. I'm approaching 50 days of sobriety and couldn't be happier about that. Foundations was just a very expensive wrong turn. Sometimes it takes those to get back on the right path. Thanks, peace and happy recovery, J.C. (Correction to Yelp: Foundations San Francisco is located in San Francisco, not Brentwood.) read more

The level of professionalism at this IOP is outstanding. The treatment team really works to meet the clients where they are at on their road to recovery. The location is also ideal with a serene view of the bay. read more