I was a patient at Journey Hillside in June of 2020 for alcoholism, and again in February/March of 2023 for addiction to my prescription medication. Both experiences were beyond incredible. I had long-term sobriety after my first stay at Journey, but when I realized I had fallen into a new addiction which caused a relapse, I knew exactly where to go to get the help I needed. It is a safe, loving, rehabilitating place that I adore and cherish with my whole heart.
During my first stay at Journey, I knew nothing about alcoholism, let alone recovery. I was afraid to go to treatment, because I imagined a place that might be like a physiatrics unit. When I finally arrived, however, I realized my expectations were completely wrong. Settled into the hills of Tarzana, the facility is small, only six beds, and is in a beautiful house that feels like a home. The treatment is individualized and personal, and it feels like a family. Most of the staff is in recovery themselves, and I had so many wonderful and life-changing conversations with even the techs there. Of course, the therapy is some of the best I have ever received.
The therapist on staff is one of the kindest, most empathetic men I have ever met, and he truly cares about you and your recovery. You receive several individualized sessions weekly, and they were integral to me understanding how my mental health played a role in my addiction. Each invidiual session felt more like a dialogue, like both of you were working together to discover yourself and how to grow and heal. The therapist also gives you the tools you need when you leave journey, to keep your mental health in check and help see its connection to addiction. I have never received better therapy than in Journey, and I owe my life to the therapist on staff.
The case manager is also an extraordinary person. Funny, engaging, smart and beyond responsible, all my outside needs, from making sure I kept my job to applying for leave where I was still paid, where taken care of professionally and promptly. He also works to help you understand your addiction and how you can best treat it from day to day, and his work in the cutting edge field of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was especially outstanding. The staff uses ACT, along with CBT and DBT, to help you understand your own thoughts, feelings and actions, and how you might reassess your relationship with them.
The supporting staff is also incredible. Every tech is also in recovery and some even help to lead group sessions. The conversations I had with them were critical to understanding myself and my addiction. They are incredibly friendly and open, and I felt comfortable asking questions about their own journeys in recovery. (A shout out to the chef and the incredible, healthy, and beyond delicious food she makes! It's seriously like eating a meal at a fancy restaurant for lunch and dinner every day.) They also know to have fun, they work incredibly hard to keep the experiences familial and intimate, and by the end I had extraordinary love and respect for my fellow residents, the staff, and the clinical team.
Journey gives you the option of various 12 step groups, and offers to take you to in-person AA meetings nightly. I was able to get over some of my shyness and really make connections with people, and even during my first stay at Journey during the height of COVID, I found a sponsor I still have to this day. Journey also allows you time on weekends and at night to process what you're learning in group and in individual therapy, and the weekly excursions and outings were extraordinary, and included trips to Malibu, mini golf, hiking and even an escape room our therapist joined us in. (Spoiler: we got out in time!)
Most importantly though, Journey, especially this second time, helped me discover the key to my sobriety I had been missing: an unconditional love for myself. I know how how to navigate my emotions, help understand what's rational, but also accept and love myself as I am, while also still wanting to work to heal. I live in accordance to my values, which Journey helped me establish, and I find this is such a peaceful and healing way to live life. Again, I owe my life to Journey two times over, and you will not find a more incredible, heart-warming, effective, and safe experience than here.
All my love to them. Thanks for saving my life. read more