When I came to Harmony Place I was very ill and at rock bottom. I had no self-esteem and felt absolutely hopeless about my future. I had recently been released from overdosing due to a bipolar mixed episode and my meds were still not where they needed to be. I was dealing with an extreme ptsd flare that was stirred up by all of these things. Mark and Lori are some of the most empathic people I have ever met. They employ therapists who genuinely want to help people recover and live healthy lives. Their focus is on helping people heal and learn to, not overcome their pasts by "surviving" or "getting over it", but by embracing the hurt parts of ourselves. To help these parts have a voice and find out what needs are not being met. Why are we engaging in unhealthy and unsafe coping mechanisms? They are there for a reason and they are serving a purpose, what is it and how can that need be met in a safer and healthier way? Their process groups were so powerful. Sitting in a room full of people and telling your story, hearing other people's stories. Knowing you are not alone. It's something that is hard to explain until you experience it for yourselves. Sometimes we would even take a particularly difficult memory someone wanted to work through and the group would support that person, people would volunteer to take on roles in the memory and we would act it out together as it happened, and the person would get to acknowledge what wasn't OK and how that child self felt and what they really needed to hear from the adults in their life. We cried together, we laughed together, we grew together. It was hard work, it was scary work, it was vulnerable, but we were not alone! I have gained wonderful friends, skills, and a lot of perspective. If you're willing to put yourself out there and work through that pain you will begin a journey to healing. Mark and Lori do a lot for the therapeutic community as well. They offer frequent workshops/webinars, often free of charge, and they offer a free alumni group for those of us who attended Harmony Place as patients. They donate their own time to do these things. I cannot speak to the negative reviews on here. Every person has their own journey and I don't know what place these people were in our what they hoped to get out of the program. I will tell you that it's not a miracle, it's not going to fix everything in your life. You have to accept your mental health diagnoses, or physical dependencies. You have to choose to take your meds, work with your care team, make a commitment to try different coping skills, and (if you are in recovery) abstain from substances. You have to take ownership of your life and what path you want it to take and you have to put in the work. No one else can do it for you. Harmony Place is somewhere you can go where you don't have to do these things alone, and I will be forever thankful to Mark, Lori, my therapist Sam, and the other patients and alumni who have been there alongside me for part of my journey. read more

I would NOT waste your time or energy with this "institute of Psychotherapy." Especially if you are interested in doing their "Inpatient program" / IOP, while living in one the housing units they provide for patients needing intensive, trauma treatment. I have first hand knowledge, as I sent a family member there and their experience with them was incredibly poor and only caused this person more trauma. One of the several roommates they were matched with, literally went crazy in the house and made threats against the lives of everyone there (This person went misdiagnosed - not only by the institute's "Doctors" but also by Dr. Schwartz's brother's facility - located in LA?). Failure seems to run in the family. You never know what you get with these people; I was told that many of the therapists there were insensitive and bland. You also do not know who will be involved in their group sessions or IOP; I sent my family member there for complex trauma and PTSD related issues and this person ended up in a group with violent people, thieves, drug dealers, addicts, etc. (Not saying that these types do not need help. They do. But perhaps not mixed in with complex trauma survivors). Research these people before you even think of committing. Not only did they have a major lawsuit filed against them for malpractice, but they've moved from one Missouri center to another program and now to this one (and Lord only knows what else, inbetween). While I wish all who go here the best, it wouldn't be anything I would ever consider for a loved one of mine. Goodluck guys! read more

I followed Dr. Mark Schwartz and Lori Galperin all the way from Saint Louis to Monterey for treatment because I wanted the best treatment I could possibly have and I trusted them. They helped me initially with trauma and an eating disorder at Castlewood Treatment Center around twenty years ago. Through IFS, EMDR, groups and sessions with my counselors, I was able to heal and gain insight to my behaviors and understand why I did the things I did and made the decisions I made. Only then was I able to use the tools they taught me and lead a functional life without being stuck in therapy for ever! I have connected with Dr. Schwartz on several occasions throughout my life when things came up and needed a refresher, so we have a lot of history together! He has so much experience and knowledge in many areas! I most recently flew to Monterey with my partner to attend couples therapy. Mark and Lori worked with us intensively everyday, even adding an extra session in on the weekend just before we left to make sure we were okay and received what we needed before we went home (watch out, they do give homework, though)! The entire staff was amazingly supportive as well! From figuring things out with our insurance to personal tour guides, we felt supported in every way. And what a beautiful environment sitting right on the bay! You can see the ocean as you are in therapy! You could not find a more healing place for treatment or a more compassionate, experienced group of individuals anywhere! Thank you Mark, Lori and Harmony Place! read more

How do I begin to describe Harmony Place and the amazing staff? My first interaction was with Jessica on the phone. She was so kind, informative and sincere. I felt so welcomed and reassured that I was at the right place at the right time. When I finally met her in person at Harmony place she was as amazing on the phone as she was in person. Ariel, who is the front desk orchestrater of Harmony Place is organized, kind and to the point. I was very apprehensive of group therapy, I thought who wants to hear all my shit? Isn't that the therapist's job to listen and give advice? I learned so much from the other peers in my group, I realized how similar we all are. I could relate to people with chemical dependency food, sex and alcohol addiction. I learned so much about myself from the amazing staff at Harmony Place as well as my fellow clients . I had Mark as my counselor, he is simply the best!!!! Kind, "f" intelligent, caring and just a great person. He has a therapy dog, his 4 legged partner who help me through some hard sessions. Just having Spanoza near me and letting me pet him during the hardest sessions of my life was a huge help! Lori is absolutely amazing, also intelligent, and whole heartedly a great therapist. I had the great pleasure of getting to sit in on Michelle's group sessions as well. I had the privilege of many of Josh's group sessions and they were great too. I met and learned from so many great people @ Harmony Place. People that I would never have met if I hadn't gone to HP. read more

i was fortunate to have a wonderful therapy at harmony which is why i give them 2 stars. the small groups that the directors were not part of where fantastic for me as well also leading to 2 stars. the larger groups with the directors causes me problems in part due to the way statistics would be thrown about and what sounded like scientific facts and evidence of things. i would take notes and go home and look things up and realize frequently only half the information had been presented in ways that to me seemed to imply something different than what the research actually stated and it felt and still feels like the main director was being manipulative in order to make himself look like more of an authority on various topics than he actually is or if like he is less intelligent than he thinks and has a poor memory for the research he sites in groups. all in all i found the directors seemed to be damaging to me however with help from other mental health professionals i have healed from the harm caused by harmony and with the help of the therapist i had there especially i have managed to heal a great deal. unfortunately he no longer works there. in fact none of the people I benefited from interactions with work there anymore. read more

Harmony place is a safe environment that allows you to be able to be the best version of your self. As a first timer to any type of therapy I was pleasantly surprised how well the therapists and the staff get you settled in on your first day, and follow up throughout your progress. I found that the combination of group and one on one therapy really is helpful to accelerate your recovery. My therapist Josh was engaging and friendly along with the other therapists: Michelle, Lee, Noah, Megan, Mark and Lori. I really appreciated their approach and found some thing to gain from each and everyone of them. Jessica, the admission director at harmony place along with Mana and Garrett were extremely helpull with the intake process and throughout my time at Harmony. I would highly recommend this therapy facility to anyone in need. The difference from when I first started to how I feel now is monumental. One of the best choices I've ever made in my life for sure! Thanks Harmony place . read more

I have been in treatment here for some time and the difference is nothing short of life changing. You're going to experience all the hesitations that everyone before you has felt, "I'm uncomfortable doing group therapy. I don't deserve treatment, I'm not that bad. No one can help me, I don't want to give up my addiction." I could tell about the staff and how skilled and phenomenal they are. And they are all of those things. But the magic of harmony is in the people you share your theraputic journey with. Hearing other people's stories and experiencing validation, feeling less alone, and to be given the space to safely express and share will do more for you than once a week in a therapist office ever will. If you are contemplating what to do, and that fearful part of you is what has you reading reviews, at the minimum call them. Talk to them and take that first step in being vulnerable. You won't regret getting yourself the treatment and the love you deserve. read more

How can I express my dissatisfaction with the owner of Harmony Place, Mark Schwartz, without having my opinion censored by Yelp? I know you want to promote businesses, but there has to be integrity in balancing negative reviews with positive ones. Mark Schwartz has a tainted history as a mental health worker. He has received citations and fines from the licensing board in CA and censure that required surrendering his license in MO. I can provide documentation proving this. Considering therapy is a significant life decision that requires research before becoming a patient with any treatment organization. If some people have had a good experience at Harmony Place, I am happy for them. However, this does not change the damage done to me. My experience should be considered by others seeking mental health treatment at Harmony Place. read more

When I arrived at Harmony Place I was broken and an empty shell of myself, I had no hope and no will to live. I really didn't know what to do or how to fix my issues. I was just discharged today, and I can honestly say that I am a completely different person than what I was when I started. The knowledge and experience of the therapists are of the highest quality, and even though they will challenge you to improve yourself, they sincerely care about you not just as a patient but as a human being. I finally feel alive and more like myself because of the help I received from the staff. I've grown to trust all of them and I know they are doing good work out here, it's been a great experience for me. These guys are the best you can get. read more

I want to express my gratitude to the professional staff at Harmony Place Monterey for helping me in my darkest days. I was finally able to work through what I was holding on to for too long and I attribute that to the staff and groups that I participated in. The groups were very consistent in addressing everything I was holding in. I had to write, read, share and get feedback whether I liked facing the feedback or not. All of the therapist run different groups and they always showed up on time. I felt they were genuinely interested in the well being of myself and others that were participating. If your scared like I was and looking for help please pick up and call Harmony Place. It was the best decision I made in a long time. read more

I am in the AA fellowship however I had somethings deep in my soul that I just couldn't put my finger on so I figured I would give harmony place a shot I was amazed with the structure there. The group settings really opened my mind and hart it let me put my guard down and be with people like me. All the staff was so kind my therapist Josh found in me what was going on inside me I had suffered a lot of trauma in my life and bringing it to the surface and dealing with it was a game changer for me. Having a open mind and giving it all I had on my part made it possible to change some things. I have some tools that I can use for the rest of my life. Thank you Harmony place. read more

Excellent & effective treatment experience! The groups were awesome and probing, followed up by individual therapy that complimented the group work. I had no idea how important the trauma work was to my sobriety and emotional well-being. I was totally in the dark. Dr. Schwartz and Lori Galperin have put together a solid program that covers areas most programs don't address. If you have been to other programs and are still challenged like I was, I would recommend you try Harmony Place, Monterey. read more

I came to Harmony Place Monterey with severe depression. The entire staff was excellent and very caring. Specifically, Dr. Mark Schwartz was extremely competent, caring and compassionate! I was finally able to do deeper work on my childhood trauma. Since then, I have been remarkably better and made significant changes in my life! I highly recommend the knowledgeable staff at Harmony Place! read more

This place is frightening. People were sketch. Felt like there was brainwashing going on. I never ran away from a place so fast in my life.