Testimonials

Words of praise from real parents:

"I have never seen such a complete, comprehensive, well thought out program. We have tried two years, three programs, and approximately sixteen therapists prior to placing our daughter in Alpine Academy. Nothing was working. But after only six weeks in your program, we began to see visible changes. We are now watching miraculous transformation and growth in our daughter, that can only be described as a miracle."

"We are eternally grateful to you and to God for the difference you all made in our daughter's behavior and her life. The program is wonderful, and the staff is considerate and caring. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts."

"Our daughter has graduated, so one just looks at the results. She is not perfect, but she functions well as a human being, which she didn't before August of 2006. The apex was when [the Alpine Academy staff] realized how important it was for her to go to achievement and graduate, finally completing something which she had been unable to do for years. The quilt was the crowning glory."

"This program has been truly effective in assisting my daughter. The [family-like] environment offers the infrastructure necessary to transition the girls back to their home environment."

One student's story as told by her parents:

In the spring of 2000 our lives became a living hell. That's the best word to describe our existence as a family. We consisted of myself, my husband, Mark, and our two daughters, Jenna, age 15, and Ilana, age 9. Ilana had recently been diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome and two years earlier with ADD. Our Ilana was at the helm and the rest of us were being held hostage in our home. In short, Ilana was out of control. She was angry and hostile and a terror to be around. What was happening to our baby?

As time passed, Ilana became increasingly defiant, depressed, doing poorly in school and making very poor choices of friends. She did not listen to us, which made our household nearly impossible to exist. We started dragging Ilana to psychologists, a psychiatrist, a biofeedback therapist, a massage therapist, a wacky allergist, and a homeopath. We also tried magnets in her shoes and under her sheets. She must have tried at least twenty different drugs during the course of a couple years, but nothing seemed to help her "tics" or her frame of mind.

Mark and I were at our wit's end. Ilana was so full of rage and when she was picked on at school that only made matters worse. Sometimes Ilana would cry and tell me that she'd rather be dead than be in so much misery. No one had any good answers. We were all in such excruciating pain. Where was the help we needed?

We didn't have much time. Ilana was falling deeper and deeper into an abyss. She was always trying to become someone else, instead of Ilana. She didn't like herself. We tried to convince her that she was a wonderful person and had a lot to offer, but she never believed us. When we discovered that she had been stealing items from stores we knew she'd end up in some detention center, or even worse, dead.

After two months, Ilana, thirteen and a half, entered Alpine Academy at the end of August 2002. I think of Alpine as a place where "angels" gently guide our daughters to realize their inner strengths that will enable them to find their own greatness and power in themselves. Ilana has resided in Alpine ever since with the exception of one home visit with her therapist in March 2003. It was a wonderful visit, including our older daughter, Jenna. It was full of fun, good feelings, tears, family therapy, and a lot of healing. Mark and I have visited Ilana six times since she's been at Alpine, and her sister even came with us one time. We all went skiing and had a wonderful family vacation, the best we've ever had. Every time we saw Ilana she seemed a little better. There were ups and downs doing all the trips, but more downs in the earlier ones. That reminds me of the Bounce Back Principle which states, "Change involves small steps forward and there will be steps backwards along the journey." That epitomized Ilana. Sometimes she would seem so together and for one reason or another just fall apart and beg to be taken home. From all of our visits and one hour a week therapy on the phone with Ilana and her therapist (Ilana's angel), we have seen and heard Ilana develop into the person she is today. We are so proud of her progress and are so very happy for Ilana. We expect her home sometime in early June 2003. And by the way, she is doing quite well with a new medication, which really helps her tics. They have subsided.

Ilana has changed so much. She has grown mentally, as well as physically. She has learned life skills, but not without a lot of hard work and pain along the way. It was rough going sometimes, but she made it. She is very proud of her accomplishments. Ilana has learned the meaning of responsibility and accountability and she's developed quite a bit of insight along the way. She feels good to be Ilana. Her self- esteem is certainly evident. She now understands the meaning of empathy for others. Her problem solving skills are invaluable. She has come to realize how many wonderful things in her life she has to be grateful for. Ilana feels in control of her life. Strength, courage and perseverance certainly describe Ilana. And due to all the writing assignments Ilana has done at Alpine, her writing ability has really impressed us. She's become and excellent writer with so much insight!

Hopefully, Ilana will use her new skills that she's acquired. She knows the road of life will not always be easy, but she now has the coping skills to navigate through difficult times. It is hard to believe Ilana is the same girl, a girl who would sometimes take dangerous risks with her life in order to feel accepted by some peers. What a turnaround she has had. It's almost like a miracle, one that she made painstakingly herself. She has been accepted to a magnificent all girls boarding school (starting in September 2003) not too far from our home. We are all thrilled she will be there.

The atmosphere at Alpine has fostered a feeling of safety and is a wonderful place to grow in mind, body, and soul. After a few months at Alpine, Ilana's grades began to improve. Her last two report cards were all A's and B's. What a wonderful feeling for Ilana and the rest of us. She has come to appreciate who she is and finally understands how much her family means to her. She is such a delightful young lady. It makes our hearts sing to see her like she is now.

The staff we met at Alpine are caring, devoted, strict, kind, and gentle. What a dedicated experience. We thank you all. We will be forever grateful!

Sincerely,

Wendy, Mark, and especially Ilana!!!