Went 3 WEEKS without medications for severe cat allergies (about 10 cats everywhere on property) because "my mom wouldn't allow it" never contacted my mom when I was told SEVERAL times they had, that's just one of hundreds of things wrong with this place, a huge waste of money and only wasted my time and caused me trauma, 10 grand a month to do their yard work read more

There are few things more challenging, more painful than not knowing how to help your child. We are so grateful that our journey led us to the team at Kolob Canyon RTC. Our daughter spent 18 months there and she will unabashedly share that it was the worst experience and best experience of her life. (Hashtag dialects! ) Let me be clear; this is a FAMILY experience. What we learned as parents during her time at Kolob is arguably more important than what she learned. Do not expect your child to heal if you are not prepared to acknowledge your part in your child's suffering and to relearn how to respond to your child's needs. Even the most well meaning parents are unwittingly reinforcing patterns, overfunctioning, validating and accidentally exacerbating a thousand other unhealthy habits. I considered myself a well-read, engaged, GOOD parent. But I wasn't parenting in a way that actually helped my child. Kolob's milieu is focused on safety, growth, reflection, and accountability. Our daughter entered the program at the end of her rope and graduated a healthy, resilient young adult ready to begin her life. We entered the program as terrified, exhausted parents and graduated as an empowered, prepared, better-informed team. To be clear, one does not drop their child off in Utah then pick them up 'fixed' a year later. Our daughter came home ready and prepared to continue her therapeutic journey that may very well be lifelong. We welcomed her home ready to continue our family journey with a continued commitment to family- and individual therapy, to regular, honest communication, to holding each other accountable and a perpetual openness to feedback and growth. No RTC is a panacea but rather an opportunity to hit the reset button, to safely begin the course toward a meaningful, fulfilling life. It's an expensive button to be sure. But worth every penny. There's a lot of talk about 'trauma' experienced in treatment centers. THIS IS UNAVOIDABLE. But there is a serious difference between trauma *experienced* in treatment vs. trauma *inflicted* in treatment. Our daughter definitely experienced trauma while at Kolob. She spent her 16th birthday in another state. We moved to a different state while she was at Kolob, bought a new house without her input. Most kiddos spend a holiday there without their families. Our daughter witnessed the breakdowns/breakthroughs of other residents. In group therapy she heard first account experiences of unthinkable pain. She faced her darkest emotions head on, dredged up her own intensely painful memories while there. This is all traumatic. All these traumas were experienced in a safe, structured environment surrounded by competent, committed, capable staff. This is VERY different than *inflicted* trauma. M worked hard at Kolob. She rose in the dark of bitterly cold winter mornings, lugged buckets of water for horses, shoveled hay, mucked stalls. She did dishes, cleaned bathrooms, helped prepare meals, washed her clothes. She also kayaked, skied, painted, camped, hiked, volunteered, traveled, laughed, and played a thousand games of wii Dance, Dance Revolution. Seriously. A thousand. Kolob functions under the simple premise that effective behaviors get us what we want, ineffective behaviors don't. We are responsible for identifying which is which and we are entirely in control of which we choose. Every single check, balance, reflection, activity, consequence, reward drew a clear, concise, consistent line back to this principal. And it is a principal our family applies to our life every single day. I said at the beginning, there are few things harder than considering residential treatment for one's child. The *hardest* thing, however, would be burying a child, which is exactly what our family, all the families we met and love from Kolob, would have endured without it. read more

Our daughter is currently receiving care at Kolob. We could NOT be happier with the treatment our family is receiving. Our daughter is finding peace and personal insight, making life long friends, and learning to trust again. My husband and I are SO well supported by the staff and are in constant communication with our daughter's therapist, Ruth. The connection between Ruth and our daughter is undeniable. She has made more progress in a month at Kolob than she did the entire previous year in outpatient therapy and group therapy. My husband and I participate in virtual family therapy with our kiddo weekly. When extra time is necessary, our therapist accommodates. It is CLEAR that our family's well-being is at the heart of Kolob's mission. The additional resources available to us include a family support group, numerous live, small group webinars offering tangible, data driven therapies and philosophies, and a large library of recorded webinars. We feel very well supported and are learning so much. The girls do work hard. They care for the horses, regardless of weather, care for themselves and their spaces. They learn responsibility and personal efficacy. The students take weekly day trips to practice their DBT skills in real time with their therapists. Once a month, the embark on a multi-day/night excursion. This is an experiential treatment facility! The girls rebuild their self-worth by learning for these successes, and that they are dependable and valuable. This is a critical part of the experience. The facilities at Kolob are commensurate with the price tag. Our daughter is comfortable, well fed, and deeply cared for. She is safe and beginning to thrive. Kolob was recommended to us by the incredible team at The Menninger Clinic. Menninger is consistently ranked in the top five behavioral health hospitals in the country. Kolob was their first choice for our kiddo. As for cost, Kolob does not take insurance BUT they have a separate division that submits claims directly to insurance for out of network reimbursement. The process has been so simple and we have yet to need to speak directly to our insurance carrier. The reimbursement checks just started to show up in our mailbox about 45 days into the process. read more

I will say this. The story I am going to tell you is from MY experience at Kolob. My recall, and my emotions from going there. I never really liked kolob. Is it a beautiful place, with beautiful animals, and beautiful scenery. Yes and that was one of the things that got me through my time there. Do the staff wish to help out and want you to get better. Im 50/50 on that. Opining a place like that shows that they wish to help. However I was not listened to many times while I was there, one including a sever medical issue that turned into me needing to get surgery once I left. Now I don't fully blame them for that it took me two years to get doctors to see that something was wrong and too do something about it. However the lack of trust and lack of beliefe in me shook me to my core. Hearing my own therapist in ear shot range state that "girls like her lie, dont think too much of it" then walking up to me smiling like nothing happened. Really hurt. Finding out that my therapist lied about my school not wanting me back, severly hurt (I graduated from that school with a 3.5 GPA) Having teachers punish me because they didnt think my school work was my work. That hurt. Being put on drugs that made me tierd and sleepy then being punished for not being able to stay awake. That hurt. They want to help, but I do not believe they are trained enough to properly do so. They are unable to precieve when someone is telling the truth vs lying. Now did they catch me on some lies, yes they did and I took the punishment without backlashing. But I also fought back with all my might when I was punished for doing nothing wrong. Evaluating for someone is extreamly damaging to who they are, and perscribing mind altering drugs is also something I'm highly against. My worries were not heard. You HAD to be on some form of drug and if you refuaed or tried to hide the fact you were not taking them. You will get punished. I created my own reality while I was there to escape the reality that I was in, it was too much for me to have. Being forced to have a religion, yes I was told I had to have a higher power to help me. Ive never believed in a higher power. I can't. Having something take away my responsibility for my condition on life seemed suppressive to me. To me, it felt like they didn't think I was able to confront myself on my own, like I wasnt strong enough. There was a staff member that did not lead by example. Who left and did not confront a wrong doing she did. That could teach us that running away from our issues is better then confronting them. So many girls tried to run, I actually inside cheered them on. They knew deep down inside the place for some reason wasn't safe. You don't run from something that's safe. When reading this. Know that this is one girls experience who has always been anti-psyciatry or any form of that field. Do I believe they wish to help, yes. But do I also believe they are taking a fish out of water to prevent it from drowning, yes. Look and research Kolob from all sides. Make sure that it is the right fit for your daughter. Cause the wrong fit could bring about a lot more hatred twords you as a parent then love and thankfulness. It was not what I needed and it was not something that would help me. Listen to your daughter if they have reservations about it, hear her out. We know what is right for us. And for some girls kolob is not the place. And for a lack of knowledge on better practices it just might need to be the place she goes. But please always look into non psyciatric treatments. Do your own research but also talk to your daughter. Dont lie or manipulate them to get them to go there. Once trust is lost it may take a long time to get it back, and sometimes you may never get it back. I will say I wouldn't recommend any place that has psyciatry invloved. But if you can not find any other place then o say do what you think is right. But first look into CCHR and see the facts and knowledge they have about drugs and psyciatric and/or treatment centers that use drugs as a treatment plan. KRC. The more Knowledge you have on something, the more responsibility you get over it leading to more control over the situation. Many girls have gotten help, but i also think that help was forced onto them by evaluations of what the therapist thinks is wrong. Take the chance to do more research then you have now. Have the view point of will this hurt or help my daughter then go off of that. And if you choose to put her in kolob LISTEN to her considerations. Cause not being listened to or believed was one of tge biggest upsets I had with them. Did I see other girks going through my upsets, yes. But I can not speak for them right now. I can only speak for myself. read more

Our daughter graduated from both high school and Kolob's treatment program in April 2019. We could not be any prouder of the amazing work the entire staff does at Kolob. Outstanding therapists, caring teachers, a truly dedicated nurse, a genius adventure therapist, an experienced equine director, (and so much more) all attribute to Kolob's unique and specialized program which encapsulates what we hope for our children; a nurturing environment to help them find themselves in their world filled of chaos. We toured 3 facilities while our daughter was in wilderness therapy. Kolob was the only RTC which truly felt like a home. We knew from the start that the hug we received on our tour was genuine and was the beginning of our daughter's healthy future. The small size keeps it controlled (yes there are rules and chores; barn chores, deep clean, charts for behavior) and the girls don't always like it. They are teenagers after all. In spite of all the rules our daughter did not like, she craved the structure when she came home. The two primary therapist are truly beautiful people. Having a small client load allows for a deeper connection with each family and child. We looked forward to our weekly family sessions and felt free to communicate as much as needed with the therapist during the week. Unique to Kolob is the involvement of the therapists in the daily life of their students... they are often eating meals together and always are engaged with adventure/equine therapy. The staff keeps in continuous contact with the therapists and teachers so that regular Team meetings ensure each individual treatment plan is exactly what it needs to be for each child. Adventure therapy was beyond our expectations, we learned more than we ever thought possible in ways that blew our mind! Equine therapy was difficult for our daughter and then it became something even she cannot even describe.... a part of her heart was released to explore and learn in ways she was closed off to in the start. The Equine Director found ways to involve the horses in the all-around therapeutic plan. Of course Kolob Canyon is an amazing setting! The students engage in outdoor activities every week, including community volunteerism, exercise, adventure, and cultural enrichment. We enjoyed visiting Cedar City knowing that every visit brought a new adventure to explore with our daughter. Travel was relatively easy through Cedar City, St. George, or Las Vegas. Our family is proud to say that our daughter is a Kolob Condor.... and always will be! She calls the staff weekly to say "hello" we know we will always have a family in Kolob Canyon. We are grateful for the environment they provided so that our daughter found her way back to place of hope. Thank you Kolob Canyon RTC. You are in our hearts forever. read more

My daughter just graduated from here and had a wonderful experience. The teachers were caring and engaged, the therapy, especially around adoption issues excellent, the community strong. The weekly adventures were exciting and healing, and the equine focus a balm for my daughter. She is leaving a happier, healthier teen! read more

Kolob Canyon RTC saved my life. My parents were referred there by a friend who had sent her daughter there a few years before I attended. (Our friend's daughter is doing amazing things with her life now.) In the beginning, I had a difficult time at Kolob. Therapy, a strict schedule, many rules, and living with five to ten other girls is no easy task. Not to mention the whole purpose one goes to residential treatment: to heal. However, the caring staff, therapists, and physicians always took my care very seriously and genuinely wanted to help me; I quickly adjusted to my new life and was able to begin working on myself. I was never forced into taking medications I didn't need, (my medications were discussed with a psychiatrist as when as my psychologist/therapist and was successfully weaned off of all medications several months before graduating from the program), was given structure, education, coping skills, equine therapy, basic living skills such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry, and even friends. The friendships I made while at Kolob have lasted through the years and I still speak to many of the girls I met there. I became committed to my program and to finding myself again, I even chose to stay after my 18th birthday to finish my program. I was able to graduate from the program after 9 months at the treatment center and simultaneously graduated high school early. The educational director made it possible for me to not only graduate early, but also earn a scholarship at the local university and a seat in the honors program (he was such a kind, caring, encouraging and truly wonderful man who always made sure I knew about the educational opportunities available to me). The people who work at Kolob truly care about the girls they work with. They want each and every young woman to move forward, to be successful, and to enjoy the things they enjoyed before they encountered the problems that required rehabilitation. Kolob treats a wide variety of emotional, behavioral, and psychological disorders and issues. Each treatment plan is tailored specifically to the needs of each young woman while giving them a safe environment. Five years later, I married to a wonderful man, have two beautiful children of my own, and will be graduating with my college degree this year. My life is not perfect, and it's not supposed to be. But Kolob gave me the tools the properly cope with life's ups and downs. I can roll with the punches life throws at me, ask for help when I need it, express myself in healthy ways, and have healthy relationships with my parents, siblings, husband, children, and friends. The most important thing I learned for myself was that happiness is a choice, and that I deserve to be happy. Each day, I choose happiness and I choose love. I know I wouldn't be where I am right now had I not gone to Kolob. I am forever grateful for my parents, the staff, and the therapists at Kolob for their patience, guidance, compassion, and love. read more

I was sent to Kolob when I was 14 on the idea that I would benefit from the "equine therapy". Lets just say that I RARELY got to ride, but I did get to clean stalls at like a slave. Not only did I not get to ride, I also was forbidden to use anything but hand signals to communicate with staff and other girls. When I did not "conform to their program" I was perceived as a "safety risk" and a leash was tied around my waist when walking around. Also I was forced to let complete strangers watch me in the shower. Girls are given consequences (i.e. exercises or essays) when they do something as little and innocent such as dropping a hair tie. Staff members who are not therapists or have degrees in social work or psychology are miserable and happily give out consequences as a form of feeling power over their pathetic lives. I am also proud to say despite the horrific and traumatizing experience I endured in the desert of Southern Utah, I am graduating college with a 3.7 GPA & transferring to Rutgers University in the fall to earn my BSW and MSW. DO NOT SEND YOUR DAUGHTERS HERE.. There are plenty of other girls who will say the same thing who I speak to. ZERO STARS!!!!!!!!!!! read more