Paradigm Treatment - Malibu, California

Mimi S.

We were well supported by the demeanor of all administration, therapists, staff members, and support services. Everyone at Paradigm, from intake through discharge, was very relaxed, respectful, highly skilled, experienced, and calm. All displayed excellent boundaries. The program had a supportive and containing structure. The Malibu Meadows house felt like a normal, healthy environment, with caring, kind, excellent caregivers who were teaching the kids things they would not have been able to learn at home, and facilitating the kids teaching each other through effectively sharing experience in group. The food was delicious and supportive as was the lovely house, perched on a hillside, with a pool, overlooking the Pacific. There was a great balance of work and fun, with the kids surfing, swimming, horseback riding, having movie night, going for ice cream; and an active program schedule and structure, along with card games, jewelry-making, and other activities available for the kids during unstructured breaks in the communal living room. Our daughter had individual therapy five days a week, which was optimal for her. Other programs do not offer this. Paradigm Malibu also admits a maximum of 12 teens, and the small program size allows attuned, strengths-based/positivity focused, and deep attachment among therapists, staff, and teens…again essential for our daughter’s healing….while at the same time teaching, norming, and holding firm boundaries and reasonable limits. Our daughter’s healing is always facilitated through positive and healthful relationship, so an attachment focus is critical, and cognitive reframing can only happen after safe and trustworthy attachment has occurred. Paradigm “crushed” this dynamic! The weekly parent group (online and including other Paradigm parents) facilitated and taught/led by Jed, helped us to develop additional insights into our patterns as parents and provided practical guidance for improving our relationship with our daughter, while teaching us how to assist her in preserving and capitalizing on treatment gains after our return home. Our daughter’s individual therapist Alexa was an excellent communicator, helped us to understand trajectory of the stages our daughter was going through in treatment, especially in the beginning – which helped to calm our anxieties. She was extremely collaborative and open to all of our information and feedback. Alexa was positive and down-to-earth and direct – in a really kind way. We all trusted her, and she really helped our daughter to pivot and “shift” (as our daughter herself termed it). I can not imagine a more perfect therapist for our daughter than Alexa. She was a true partner and helped our daughter to get the maximum out of her experience at Paradigm. When our daughter’s home therapist spoke to our daughter right before Paradigm discharge (at the six week point), the home therapist said she was “shocked” by the positive transformation and difference as compared to before Paradigm admission. Our home therapist was so excited when our daughter proudly summarized to her all she had learned and accomplished while at Paradigm.
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Marcela G. M.

Life-Changing Experience at Paradigm Treatment Malibu -Teen Residential Program.

I can't express enough gratitude for the incredible experience my teenager had at Paradigm. From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed and supported by a compassionate team of professionals who genuinely care about the well-being of their participants.

The program is structured yet nurturing, creating a safe environment where teens can openly express themselves and work through their challenges. My child engaged in a variety of therapeutic activities, including group therapy, individual counseling, and creative workshops. These experiences helped her address her struggles and build essential life skills and resilience.

One of the standout aspects of Paradigm is the focus on peer support. My teenager made meaningful connections with others facing similar challenges, fostering a sense of belonging and understanding that has proven invaluable. The staff facilitated these connections expertly, encouraging open dialogue and teamwork.

Their practices proved incredibly effective. My teen returned home not just with tools for coping but also with newfound confidence and a clearer vision for the future.

Communication with us as parents was another highlight. We were kept informed and involved throughout the process, which made the transition back home much smoother. The aftercare support has also been fantastic. Everyone at Paradigm truly cares—not only for the teens they work with but also for the parents.

Overall, Paradigm has been a transformative experience for our family. I highly recommend it to any parent seeking a supportive, effective treatment program for their teen. It truly has the power to change lives!

Christina

Finally a place that knos what theyre doing! My son was at paradigm for 30 days for multiple reasons. As soon as we arrived they knew the necessary steps to take. They have a great team of experts, who are very well organized from day 1 all the way through the end,, they have a clean facility, and a well equipped environment. Great communication as well. Amazing team! Thank you everyone at paradigm!

Ed L.

Facility
Really nice, no complaints. Even from the defiant child that did not want to be there!

Therapists
We thought highly of our two therapists (group and individual). They clearly cared, although communication was guarded. Lots of flowery talk and positivity (during updates), but in the end we realized they were minimizing issues to not worry us. Which made the shock of how they abruptly chose to kick our child out that much worse.
Also, they did call CPS on us because we restrained our child prior to treatment (when throwing things through windows , etc). Turned out to be an inconvenience only. CPS lady was really annoyed her time was being wasted by the report, but I’m sure that is the right protocol. Once you get over the embarrassment, not a big deal, so don’t worry even if your kid likes to make stuff up too.

Site Program Director – Tim H
If I can fault Paradigm for anything on the treatment side, it is with Tim. He’s a younger guy (or I am old!) and I think he oversold his “experience”. Short version is Paradigm got sick of my explosive child threatening to self harm and they planned to kick our child out. (Fine, trust me, used to it by now and I get it, they can’t continue to assume the words are for shock value)
Tim calls me one Friday evening (I’m east coast) and tells me I need to be there (west coast) the NEXT morning. I find someone to take my other kids and somehow make it on a plane 8 hours from Tim's first call. I begged Tim to wait until I got there to tell my kid about being expelled. He tells me they will separate my child from the group and wait for me to come, but he will help explain because he’s an “expert” at this kind of thing.
Well, I was literally on the LA tarmac taxiing to the gate and for some reason they decided to just go ahead and break the news WITHOUT ME PRESENT. I guess to Tim I am no expert in with my own child (heavy sarcasm), but predictably, said child went nuclear, threatened self harm so they called cops who tackled and cuffed my 120lb tween. They stuffed my child in an ambulance and put on a 3 day “hold” at the local small hospital. I was driving in the rental car to them in Malibu when I got the call. I was that close!! Grrr.
They did have someone stay with my child at the hospital until I got there 30 minutes later, but then all the belongings were dumped in the hospital lobby and at that point they go full corporate mode (say nothing, don’t get involved, cya bye!!)
We spent 3 days in a cinderblock empty hospital room until the hold lifted. Then I guess it is some sort of law (policy?) where they would not discharge my child to me, but had to send my child on another ambulance ride to a place to determine my child was indeed NOT likely to self harm.
All said and done, Tim’s mismanagement / bad “expert” decision making cost us:
• 3 days confinement
• 2 x 20 minute hospital rides @ $4000 EACH out of pocket. NOT a typo. (Out of network on the other side of the country…who knew?)
For my child, FAFO I guess, but it was 1000% unnecessary and that is ALL on Tim. I TOLD him, but “trust me, I’m an expert” he says.
Looks like someone from Paradigm is now reading / responding to reviews so maybe they can get the feedback to Tim. He needs to know the consequences of his choices and this is my only way to share that, since Paradigm is the only medical place I’ve ever used that does NOT want to get feedback on their service. I go to my doc for an annual physical and I get 10 surveys. Send my kid into someone else’s care across the country and nope, no need to improve apparently.

remainder in attached image (character count)

Spoiler - Get ready to fight forever if they owe you a refund on overpayment.

Nickie K.

This place has got to the biggest JOKE I've ever seen. My family went there and he came back worse than when he left. He came back cutting himself, doing more drugs than when he left and his behavior is twice as bad. All this place did is charge us $182,000 and sent him back worse.

todd B.

We would highly recommend Paradigm to any family who’s child is suffering from mental health issues. Our daughter, who is 17, went to Paradigm for two months in early 2021 and Paradigm literally saved our daughters life. She came home a different person. She came home with a positive attitude and outlook about her mental Heath and future. She came home equipped with all the necessary skills to deal with and cope with her mental illness, substance use, cravings, and impulses. Paradigms staff was not only knowledgeable, skilled and experienced but they were compassionate, caring , understanding and supportive. Literally, there was not a day that went by that I didn’t speak to some member of my daughters team. From the individual therapists, family therapists, psychologist, psychiatrist, life skills personnel, support team, education coordinator, after care coordinator, etc...they all were wonderful and very supportive and informative. My wife and I learned all about mental illness, substance use, effective communication skills with our daughter, life’s skills... you name it. So, not only did our daughter come home a different person but my wife and I were different people as well, in terms of our ability to understand mental illness, deal with it, accept it and communicate with our daughter. We simply do not know what we would have done or where we would be if we did not send our daughter to Paradigm. We would highly recommend it to any family who’s child is suffering from mental health issues.

Kara B.

Our 16-year old daughter was severely depressed and daily considering suicide. We were referred to Paradigm for treatment and are so happy we were able to secure her a spot right away. The team took great care of her. There were only 8 other kids in the treatment program, so she got tons of one-on-one attention. The therapists are all top-notch and really helped my daughter process her emotions and learn tools to help her manage her depression. I was happy the resident psychiatrist finally was able to get her meds right. I also really got a lot out of the group parent sessions every Saturday on zoom. There was a lot of wisdom shared within that group, guided by two seasoned psychologists. My daughter spent 55 days there, and came home better. Not cured, of course, because depression is a longer battle, but not suicidal anymore. She is home, back in school, has a job, and hangs out at the mall with her friends, just like teenagers are supposed to do. I really think Paradigm saved her life.

Angela U.

Our 16 year old daughter spent 35 days at Paradigm this past February. Our daughter struggles with depression, anxiety, adhd, emotional disregulation and suicidal ideation. It was the hardest decision of our lives to place her in treatment but we are so happy we did. We have no regrets. Paradigm Treatment Center really helped our daughter. The therapists really helped her gain positive tools/coping skills to deal with her anger and depression. She has a new sense of awareness that she never had before. My husband and I both gained a lot from the weekly parenting classes as well....we actually miss those classes. We were very pleased with the communication from the staff and therapists while our daughter was there and we never felt "out of the loop". It's been a little over a month since our daughter came home and today she is in a much better place emotionally....it was a rough transition home but we all used the tools we learned from Paradigm and we're all doing so much better. She's worked so hard at improving her mental health and it shows....she's earned the privilege of getting her drivers license on Monday, which we thought was never going to happen. So grateful for Paradigm