Due to a recent article, I will make this thread where I will collect some feedback to work with:
I came back years later to see if anyone had had an experience even mildly in likeness that I did. Scrolling through the negative comments and seeing how demeaning Star Guides is in response is the epitome of my experience. ?We?re sorry your post care wasn?t the quality you deserve?
I attended star guides in 2016. A roughly 86 day stint. During my time I experienced a series troubling and neglectful events. Kena Frey on various occasions would come and ?therapies? the members of my group but at no point meet with me. Weeks i went without therapy to ?help me manage my need for ?control?. There are stories that are better left for a court room and not a Google review. In my time following i saw some of the best Clinical Psychologists in the country and into adulthood. Every time I?ve been evaluated there?s always a note that indicates Star Guides induced severe PTSD and panic disorder etc. There truly aren?t words for the negative impact this had on my life. No child in this kind of situation with the severity of the issues my peers had should be seen by anyone other than someone with a clinical psychology degree. Much less someone with a general masters. I now run a very successful business in the recovery space. Graduated from a top tier institution. However I?m not a success story of starguides. My parents and those around me would say i came back dark, distrusting, and traumatized. With even a larger mountain to overcome. I?ll leave you with this. There are many many resources in the recovery space. I work with facilities everyday who work with kids of the same issues but in a way that doesn?t cut deeper. There are so many solutions and facilities who are actually looking at the science of recovery and creating challenging but healthy and safe places for recovery. I encourage all parents in this position to pursue not only care from qualified clinical psychologists but programs that promote safe healing not a military style break you down to build you up. In times of chaos or distress it?s easiest to make a rash decision. Choosing to send your child off should be given a great deal of consideration and research. I know mine wish they had done more research. We could?ve avoided a lifetime of pain, because as we all know, the body keeps score.
Please do not send your children here. I spent seven months in this program and any "progress" I made was short-lived and came at a high price. My education was ruined. My mental health is worse than before, though since this program is only concerned with behavior, I suppose that's to be expected. I have all but lost the ability to show and feel things like love and affection, especially towards my parents. I have struggled to re-adjust to society and wonder if there just isn't a place for me anymore. In summary, the "help" this program provides has made my life significantly more difficult. And I can assure you I am not the only one. This, and many other Wilderness Therapy Programs, have damaged many lives. We deserve a roof over our heads, a bed to sleep in, a shower, a toilet, a daily change of clothes, education. We do not deserve to be watched while using the bathroom for any reason or made to perform physical labor. Living in this kind of environment can be crushing. Unfortunately, it's a feeling many will never be able to forget. I can only hope that a parent will read this and consider a different treatment option, or that someone who has been through a similar experience will read this and feel less alone.
