i was sent across the country to newport a month after my 16th birthday. my parents had me under the impression i was going on a "retreat" , only to find out probably 3 days before it was a rehab. please, parents, do not send your child here unless they are willing to seek treatment. it is a horrible environment to be in if you don't want to be there. you feel trapped. i had my bathroom privileges taken away. i was treated like a baby. an hour after eating every meal your child will be "BB'd" (bathroom- buddied) which is a nicer interpretation of INVASION OF PRIVACY. parents, can you imagine taking a shit in a community bathroom not even 10 feet away from your peers with a grown woman's foot in the door listening to make sure you're not purging? it's sick!!!! and don't get me started on the 1 to 1s.... if your child is roomed with another girl who is deemed "unsafe" to herself or others, she will have a staff member on her ass 24/7, even during the night where the staff member will sit in a chair at the foot of her bed watching said girl sleep. can you imagine how uncomfortable that is for her roommates, and the child herself? you feel helpless. you don't know your exit date, you have other Newport girls denying treatment, which fucks with your own treatment. you don't know how to get out of there and that's all you want. the car ride home after i got kicked out i cried to my dad. it was terrifying talking to him after being manipulated by him and the Newport team for months. i didn't trust him, i was convinced in my mind he was taking me to another treatment center. i did not feel better. i accepted treatment, like i was told so many times and it made things worse. i remember saying i didn't feel like i deserved to leave. it was scary being out in the real world again after being coddled for months. i was so fucked up in the head after newport, i went batshit on my parents for abandoning me and attacked them. they locked their door that night because they thought i was going to kill them. parents, you cannot possibly fathom what will go through your child's mind when they are alone in treatment. yes, alone. there are scary people in there. yes, there are nice girls, but there are also girls who try to stab people, girls who start fights, girls who organize escapes, girls who smuggle in substances. oh, and girls who are homicidal, and absolutely SHOULD NOT be grouped with girls with such contrasting issues. newport is a money making mess. honestly, they only took me in on such short notice because i had some good ass insurance!! still traumatized to this day because of newport, there's so much i didn't mention but is so far out of fucking mind you wouldn't believe it. PARENTS IF YOU SEND YOUR CHILD HERE DO NOT EXPECT TO EVER HAVE A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AGAIN. and the pictures on the website are a lie, we couldn't have lamps tf!!!!!!! we slept on nasty ass cots with so headboard and stuffed our clothes in suicide prevention dressers LIKE WHERE THE FUCK DOES ALL THE MONEY GO this program is a JOKE. newport let's kids cut themselves with mask wires!!!!!!! read more

I was at Newport for 75 days. It was the best treatment center I've been to. The staff have shown me that getting better was possible. When I first went I was ready to give up and I was in a really dark place, but I was in the ED pod and was so lucky to have an amazing therapist who didn't give up on me. I'm am still so greatful for the treatment I got and I can say that it helped so much.they offer so many activities like MMA equine therapy art music hiking lots of therapeutic groups i mean honestly the list goes on. I had a recovery counselor who never stopped trying and building trust with her was her main priority as well with keeping me safe. My family therapist was absolutely amazing, I've had so many fam therapists and she was one who stuck up for you but also helped you see where your gardens where coming from. And don't even get me started on my therapist she was such a caring person who really loved her job and really wanted to help us. She offered me therapy that I didn't even know was a thing and it actually helped me. When i would try and refuse therapy she wouldn't leave me alone she would keep coming back to me and offering until i said yes. All of my treatment team really cared for me and worked really hard on building trust with me while also keeping me safe. I will say tho that i did get sent to the hospital my first week there bc i was not safe, and them being as no touch place decided that it was what i needed. It could have been avoided if i took the help that was being offered, they would constantly do everything they could to make me feel safe and keep me safe. The CC's (the staff that spend all day with you) are so kind I've never met such amazing staff, ofc there was a few stafff i didnt like but over all every one was so kind, caring, and loving. I was really ready to give up, but i was shown that it didnt have to be like that and i could make progress and i could get better. They had really good programs for substance abuse, PTSD, Ed depression, anxiety, bpd, and so much more. There were a few different house and each house was for something differnt, so your treatment is truly speclised for you. There was so much therapy over all i got a decent 4 individuals and every other week i had 5. I would meet with a doctor once a week individual therapist, recover councilor (who would check in with me once a week) and family therapist. There where also other therapists there who were basically campuse support who would be there form 7 and to 11 pm and then the rest of the night there would been an on-call therapist who you could talk to whenever needed. Best decision ever made by my mom. I loved it there it was a place where i finally felt safe for the first time in a few years. read more

As someone who can sniff out a defect in anything, when I say I am thoroughly impressed by something - I mean it. I am thoroughly impressed and grateful that Newport Academy exists. For anyone who is considering treatment here, parents, teens, please listen to this and try to take it in as much as you can. Newport Academy's treatment model is the real deal. Addiction, co-dependency, anxiety, difficulty forming and maintaining intimate relationships are merely symptoms of underlying traumas. It wasn't until recently that clinicians and science started acknowledging that trauma isn't only limited to acute, single-adverse events that we can locate in time and space, say, surviving a roadside bomb or witnessing the destruction of 9/11. Complex, relational trauma is just as harmful, even more harmful in the sense where it's difficult to pinpoint exactly when and where it occurred and results from many significant attachment ruptures in the parent/child relationship. What this means is - Newport Academy fully acknowledges that the client is rarely the problem, but merely holds the problems that are systemic in the family system. I have traveled the entire globe searching for a cure for my unrest. From the silence of Zen temples, Kabbalist caves in Israel and ayahuasca ceremonies, more than a decade in different forms of psychotherapy including psychopharmacology (name a medicine, I've been prescribed it) - none of these have made a dent compared to one session of trauma focused therapy and carthartic release work. This is a totem of Newport Academy. I'm not even asking you to believe me. Go experiment for yourself. Give it a try. You're young. You may be afraid to miss out on your life at home, but trust me - you don't want to be like everyone else. You don't want to meet everyone else along the long road to the middle. This program is legit. I wish I could attend it now, but I am too damn old. I have done my research. Thoroughly. If I were to roll all of it together and put it in a kiln, it would come out looking like this program. I share the belief of many contemplative sages and psychologists that we cannot find peace within ourselves until we have found peace within our bodies. Trauma - our overwhelming, unexpressed life experiences - is stored in the musculature of the body and can be released. Treating symptoms are good, I mean, it's better than nothing - i.e, if you are experiencing pain in your ankle, take an advil - but, it does not address the root of the issue here that working to resolve past emotional trauma does. To continue with the metaphor, resetting the bone in the broken ankle you were unaware of. All in for this program. read more

My son just spent 30 days at Newport Academy Residence Program in Bethlehem and it was life changing, for him and our for our family! He was there for anxiety/ depression and taking him there was the hardest decision to make. We were initially skeptical about their recommended length of this program, but it came recommended by our family Minister and church family whose daughter previously attended this same program successfully, as well as one of the camp directors at the Summer camp that our children attend. Our family's experience was really positive. Camillia was the lead therapist. Her firm approach and high quality therapy was exactly what was needed. All the therapists and counselors were attentive to my son's specific needs, as well as our family needs/dynamics. His academic manager, Caitlin worked with my son's school to coordinate his remaining requirements, and she assisted him in completing his final exams while at NA - this was incredibly helpful and reduced this stress so he could focus on his mental and physical health. I see some other negative reviews and I can relate to the frustration of the expense and insurance coverage. However, in my view, this is due to the resistance of the insurance industry to recognize the need for extended intensive therapy in the area of adolescent mental health. NA continually advocated for us with our insurance and then worked with us on the cost when insurance coverage ran out. My son's wellbeing was always the priority and driving force behind their effort. We have our son back now, with increased self-confidence to identify his anxiety triggers and hopefully address them in a more positive manner. The bonus is that he also now recognizes that his addiction to video gaming/ computers is a crutch that he also needs to manage. And Camillia gave me the guidance I needed to help him with this going forward. The other bonus is he has a new sense of accountability, for his choices, including what he puts in his body. He is even skipping the caffeine and reducing his sugar intake, which is difficult for a teenager, even without the extra struggle of anxiety, depression and/or addictions. The healthy diet at NA helped ween him off unhealthy habits. We are confident that his time at Newport Academy, and all the methods and structure he learned there, will continue to serve him as he navigates life with his anxiety disorder. He no longer seems defined by it. He is now striving to stay true to all his good qualities and characteristics. Thank you Newport Academy for putting him on track to do so! Tami C. read more

1. my son went to newport academy about 1 yr and half ago. it was hard on him and our family but for the best. after newport, he graduated high school with honors and is now in college despite severe issues with depression 2. i am only on this message board today because i recently recommended newport academy to my girlfriend whose daughter is now having issues. she pointed out some bad reviews here and since our family owes newport for getting my son on the right path i decided to offer my view... 3. to the person called "PS": first of all, you commented once on the california newport page and once on connecticut. so, at least one of your comments is probably the wrong state... the only reason i found your first post is you reference it in your second post, so i went to your profile page. there is saw a bunch of one-star reviews...i had thought maybe you were distressed bc of your daughter (i know, it's hard, and im sorry) but then i realized you also like to complain angrily at furniture stores, restaurants, even a/c repair companies....? well, ill have you know, this Carter lady that you talk about ignoring you was the one who convinced my son to get better. If it werent for her he might have hurt himself or even worse...so now youre going to report her to some authority because she didnt answer a single email from last month? do you know how easy it is to miss an email? why did you wait a month to email her again? did you try calling her? doesnt seem very responsible to me. also it sounds like your daughter asked them to stop calling you once she turned 18. thats the law and the company was right to follow it. again, an irresponsible accusation your making. and "black box" medicine? what does that even mean? I suggest you call newport academy and figure out what actually happened to your daughter and her things before making nonsensical accusations on here and scaring parents away from what might be the best treatment for their children. if my girlfriend hadnt known me she might have actually believed your post read more

As you read this, let me just say I was in the same shoes as you no long ago. I read hundreds of reviews, investigated so many different facilities and programs, and spoke to so many people trying to figure out what facility and treatment was best for my child. I know it is VERY scary, specially reading some of the info that is out there. Although not every place is the right fit for every child's mental health struggle, I feel like Newport Academy has been the best decision for ours, and we really can't say enough how amazing their program is. After multiple private therapist, hospital stays, PHPs and IOPs, things just got worse as time went by for our kid and family. NOTHING, meds or therapy approach, seemed to help with his ADHD, anxiety, depression and addition. All that changed once he got to Newport Academy. The home like setting of the facilities, the variety of treatment approaches, and most important the people that work with the kids and the families are just outstanding, truly genuine and caring. He connected with his therapists, developed great insight into all different aspects of his condition and learned different approaches to cope with his struggles. As parents, Newport gave us tremendous support before, during and after he left. Most important, it has allowed us to be reflective of the things we as parents can do to help our child at home; and a path to rebuilt the bond and trust in our family. We truly feel we have our child back and our family is back on track because of the wonderful job provided by the staff and doctors at Newport Academy. We will be forever grateful! If you are at your wits end and feel like your child is willing to be open to the help, then I would highly recommend Newport Academy as a choice for care. read more

it looks like my previous review was pushed to to "not recommended reviews" so i'm not sure if it's still visible to anyone. i'm not going to recount all of the awful experiences i had at newport again because i don't have the energy to relive it all again. i will say that newport academy cares a LOT more about their image than they do about the kids they claim to want to help. so many other people i know who experienced trauma and neglect at newport academy have tried to leave reviews warning people not to send their kids there, and our reviews are routinely taken down. somebody clearly doesn't want us speaking up. i was only at newport for three weeks in 2020, and i ended up in the ER twice during that time due to their medical neglect. i have medical issues that are unresolved to this day due to the neglect. i went to newport to get help with my PTSD, and instead left with more trauma. it's been almost two years now, and i still have nightmares and flashbacks regularly about newport. it was one of the most dehumanizing experiences of my life. i felt powerless, trapped, like i had no voice, like i wasn't even a person. i came in wanting to heal, and i left believing my childhood abuse was my fault because they blamed me for it. newport broke my spirit, and they are still finding ways to silence survivors to this day. please save your money and save your kid. read more

Wow! Newport Academy was life-changing (and potentially life-saving) for our daughter. She spent 65 days in residential treatment at Bethlehem during summer of '23. When she entered the program, she was dealing with treatment resistant depression and a mood disorder that had brought her to be hospitalized for self-harm and ideation. Newport was definitely the best place for her. She had expressed feeling like all her treatment was hopeless and she would never get better. Well, 65 days later, her outlook on life was so different and greatly improved. During her time there, she learned to apply skills in the moment and really practice them. Her family counselor, independent counselor and a few of the residential on-call counselors were crucial in helping her learn and incorporate so many new skills. It wasn't always easy being away that long, but the programming, counseling support, and exercise therapy options really helped. About 35 days in, we could see the light in her eyes that had been missing for over a year, and watched her employ skills into our family sessions that demonstrated the huge growth she had been making. While I can't say everything is perfect one year later, I can say it's so tremendously improved. I can't give enough credit to the staff in Dolphin pod and can't recommend this treatment center more highly. Thanks for bringing our girl back! read more

As a provider in the mental health and substance use area, I send kids to Newport Academy all the time and have never had an issue with their clinical services. Quite the opposite actually. I have found the clinical team to be amazing and the kids I have sent have had great success. It is important to do the family work and that is a big part of this program. It is very hard on families to make the decision to send your child to a residential program but usually it is a necessity to help them get well and back on track to lead a productive life. I have yet to meet a child that had to go to residential that wants to go. The calls to the parents are always, this is a horrible place and they are mean etc. this is not the case with Newport. It is a beautiful campus with caring staff. Of course the kids say they hate it to the parents as they have to follow the rules and keep their room clean, make their bed, etc. there is no more enabling by the parents. The child is held accountable for the behaviors. While the child is receiving services, the parents are also doing the family work so the child does not return to the same dynamic in the household. Parents learn how to hold their child accountable for the behaviors and to not enable them. I would highly recommend Newport if your child is struggling with substance use or mental health issues. read more

Hi Parents- please take a minute to think about the dramatically negative reviews here. A couple of things to consider: It is possible that some are written by disgruntled employees who are using this platform to bash the program because their employment ended or was unsatisfactory in their opnion- which is all these reviews are. The other thing to keep in mind is that some of the people who have posted awful reviews are part a a very complex unhealthy family that is looking for a scapegoat for their struggles OR had the expectation that Newport would "fix" their child without anyone else in the family making serious changes. Not saying all... But it is possible that this is the case with some. Newport Academy is one of the best programs in the country for teens, which is why after my daughter's therapist highly recommended the program, we chose it. And it was life- changing. Not just for her, but for our entire family. My advice: make your decisions about what program to send your child to with guidance from their treating therapist, not solely by "shopping" on the internet. Ask your child's therapist to vet programs with you. Hope this is helpful. read more

I had a great time at Newport. 82 days in the Bethlehem boys campus and over 95% of them were good days. I went not wanting treatment at all, thinking I would not take it seriously and that I would just return to the same bad habits once discharged. However, the staff made sure I felt comfortable right away and there was not a worker there who I disliked. The opportunities I was given showed me that I could enjoy life sober. The weekly adventures were always a ton of fun, visiting the horses also never failed to put me in a great mood, I could go on and on listing what I liked about Newport, and there wasn't too much I disliked. By the end of my stay I felt like the community was my second family. Every client who had talked about being in a different rehab beforehand said that Newport was a much better place. Not having a phone for nearly 3 months would have sounded intolerable to me before I went, but because we kept busy and had countless people to interact with 24/7, I was honestly happier screen free. I don't have much else to say, except that if your kid doesn't want to go to a rehab but you feel they need to, send them here. read more

My son was in Newport in Connecticut for 71 days. We are so thankful and lucky that he was able to get in there. I can't thank the staff, therapists and everyone else that worked with my son enough. They kept us in the loop with everything that was going on. The toughest part was the insurance, my son wasn't ready to come home and Newport fought for him, with me, to get the insurance to cover more time for him so he could get the help he needed. When we were going through the discharge process they helped me find a great IOP for him and followed up to see how it was going. Also, the parent support groups are great, you don't realize how many other families are going through what you are going through, so to be able to support each other is amazing. Even though my son has been out for a while I still try and go to groups when I can. I have to say, out of all the programs we have been through Newport has really come through for us and I will recommend them to anyone whose child needs some help. Cheryl W. read more

Before I went too newport my life was very difficult. I lost hope I didn't think I could possibly get out of the terrible funk I was in. It was tragic and horrible too see where I was heading in my life. I went too newport not knowing what too expect it was really a last stand for me. As soon as I arrived there I met some really great kids and made connections with staff and kids that I will never ever forget. I truly Do not know where I would be without them. I've been out of there for over a year now and I still think of them every single day and always will. The one person who helped me get through my issues like nobody I ever met before was a man with similar interests as me. He is a martial artist and I am a boxer we clicked right away he was by my side from day one and I will never ever forget him. He will always be a mentor and hero too me. If you need help and support no matter what your going through, newport can help if you let it. read more

Please read all reviews before sending your teen here !!! I sent my daughter to Newport September of 2017 and after just two weeks I had to remove her and place her in treatment facility in Malibu California. After the first two days at Newport there was no communication with facility or staff . My daughter called me several times crying about the girls there wanting to fight her . I was deeply concerned being that we live in Texas and no one would get back to me after emailing and leaving messages on the main phone number which you have to leave a message on after three days I finally heard something back by that time I already had booked a plane ticket to pick her up . The most phone calls I received where when I told them I was coming to get her then everyone wanted to call to get me to keep her there . I am so glad I picked her up she was in worse shape then when I left her . She had little to no counseling do to the incompetent staff . read more

Newport Academy is simply the best treatment for teens that I have seen. They implement truly individualized treatment plans by servicing small populations and incorporating Multi-faceted alternative therapies in all aspects of treatment. Further, the family is included in all aspects of treatment as a way of creating a lasting positive impact on the entire family system. By addressing the underlying core issues, whether related to childhood trauma, attachment disorders or a host of other organic disordered behavioral issues, Newport Academy teens flourish and learn ways to establish authentic relationships with family and peers alike. This success manifests uniquely in all teens, but many go on to have successful experiences at major universities and continue with prosperous careers. There is hope for this population, and I have found an abundance of it at Newport Academy! read more

Our son, Erik, had been to 5 different treatment facilities before we finally found Newport Academy. Newport was what we had been searching for for 2 years. Erik has suffered from anxiety and major depression since he switched schools in the 5th grade. I wish we would have found this place earlier on in our journey. We learned so much from Helene, Erica, and the entire clinical team. Our entire family found healing through the process. The parents weekends really helped us to learn how to communicate with our son and our two daughters. And we were able to connect with many other families having similar experiences. Erik was at Newport for 65 days and his graduation day was the proudest we have ever been of him. That was 9 months ago and he continues to be a healthy young man. If anyone has a child with mental health issues, I highly recommend Newport Academy. read more

I believe Newport Academy is a great place to look if you are looking at mental health/addiction treatment. This residential is short-term and my stay was around 3 and half weeks in the Connecticut location. There is something called a pod of girls and someone of the pod mates might be negative towards their stay at Newport, but you have to understand that not everyone has a choice of being there. My mom from a parent perspective said as a whole-person way of handling things- nutrition, yoga, family therapy, education, and it felt like you are part of community. My stay consisted of Twilight, and Hunger Games movies, water bottles with bracelet making, breakdancing, horses. My dad from another perspective said that I really got great skills, and perspective to the toolbox out of it and even today I continue to the Alumni Program that continues to help me. read more

I was at Newport in 2019 in Connecticut for mental health and substances. The care I received there as a young teen was life-changing. I'll never forget the amazing staff, particularly the care coordinators I interacted with everyday. I'll never not feel a sense of community and gratitude when I think of my fellow former Newport housemates. It's been a while since I was at Newport, but it gave me the tools I needed to succeed to this day. There were many healing activities to do everyday, whether it was community-building, hiking in beautiful places, group therapy, family therapy, art therapy, music therapy, cinema therapy, yoga, eft, NA meetings, horse therapy, cooking, or fun outings. The holistic approach filled with support from everyone helping each other really helped me grow as a person, beyond just growing in my own mental health journey. read more

Newport Academy provides superior teen treatment. The staff are the most dedicated and loving group of individuals that you would want teens and families to be surrounded by as they journey through the healing process. Newport Academy believes families are important to the teens sustainable healing and are participating every step of the way in their child's recovery process. Each young person is treated individually. It is not a one size fits all approach to treatment. The teen is offered an array of opportunities to heal, whether through talk therapy or experiential therapy such as yoga, art therapy, music therapy, equine therapy or adventure therapy. An amazing place to flourish and authentically connect with self, peers and their families once the underlying mental health issues are identified and addressed. read more