Our Success

Because emotional breakage often causes an individual to use emotional escape tools such as alcohol, prescription medication, emotional eating, isolation, co-dependency, and other survival methods, we treat such emotional breakage with a multi-level approach.

Medication management is directed by our medical director through the process of diagnosis and continued throughout a client's treatment and stay at Brookhaven. A team of registered nurses work closely with the physicians delivering the nursing services twenty-four hours a day to ensure the wellness of our clients. The "physicianal" advantage of a small residential program is that the clients' responses are seen throughout each day. Because the staff works closely with the physicians serving in the field, continuity of care is the standard. Whilst in the support of a strong therapeutic program, the concerns about which medication will work or not work and what the proper medication dosage should be can be quieted as the tools of the program teach the individual how to trust the process.

Clients work with a primary therapist on an individual basis and in small core groups, which allows identification and processing to be both individually and peer addressed.

To further the development of much stronger coping skills, clients work with a program therapist in addition to a primary therapist. This moves a person to take her thinking, self-esteem, and confidence to a place that creates emotional self-identity and empowerment. The Lily Program is unique to Brookhaven and is a progression mapped tool.

The Poncho program creates new approaches to life skills. Many mood disorders and dependencies either do not allow for the development of real life skills or, in some cases, cause real life skills to just drop away as apathy for life increases. The Poncho Program is unique to Brookhaven and is a life realignment tool.

The Sweet Pea program is a self-value and personal development tool which redefines what an individual stands for and who that individual is. It is the catalyst for lost or never developed self-passions that identify an individual's moral belief system. This allows a person to move from feeling nothing to embracing choice. It develops the ability to own the values that will shape an individual's personal integrity.

The success we have is the result of the integration of all these approaches along with the experiential pieces of the program.

Success Stories

Here are just a few of the success stories shared by our alumnae to express their satisfaction and gratitude for the program and to inspire other women to take the steps they did to gain control of their lives.

...I am strong, smart, capable and beautiful...

As a child I was filled with so much life. I was confident, driven, energetic and happy. My world was full of love and laughter. By 25 years of age, I had lost almost all of my childhood gifts and life seemed to be leaving me behind. I rarely got out of bed and simple tasks such as showering took more energy than I had. I had no job, no direction, and little interest in things that used to give me pleasure. The relationships I was in at the time was emotionally abusive yet I couldn't find the strength to walk away. The only thing I felt could comfort me was an even more dangerous relationship than the one with my boyfriend. Alcohol had become a serious problem for me.

One day I received a call from my mother regarding something she found on the internet. My mother was always searching for help for me and I have never been receptive to her efforts until I learned about Brookhaven. Less than two days later I was on a flight to Tennessee.

Brookhaven Retreat is a spectacular place. The women here are non-judgemental, kind, and amazingly supportive. I have never trusted anyone like I trust my Brookhaven sisters. The staff is very attentive and friendly. My therapist here is the best therapist I have ever had (and I have had a few). Individual and group therapy has been incredibly helpful. In all groups I have learned helpful tools and developed skills that help me overcome obstacles and get through every day. I have learned to regulate my emotions, ways to manage my time and efforts, how to have healthy relationships, how to lead a happy life, and so much more. In the time that I have been here, I have been happier, less anxious, my relationship with my family has improved dramatically, I have not craved alcohol, I am productive and motivated, and generally feel fantastic. I will be eternally grateful for the care I received at Brookhaven and would encourage anyone to give it a chance because it has truly changed my life. I am excited to finally start living the life I dreamed about because I know today that I am strong, smart, capable and beautiful just the way I am. Brookhaven has helped me realize that.

...It was such a healing time for me...

I don't know how to tell you how life-saving Brookhaven has been for me. I credit so much of my healing to you [Jacqueline] and Marta.

From the day you took me into your office and told me so many good things about myself, how you believed in me, and how you took a chance by inviting me in to Poncho-a tremendous amount of my healing began that day. I have loved Poncho because of you. Thank you for sharing of yourself, for the amazing tools and life coaching you have taught. Through you and Poncho I've learned more self-confidence, self-esteem-because you built that in me. I've learned a lot about myself from the assignments-they've been incredibly helpful and often soul-searching.

Thank you for who you are and all you've done for me. It was such a healing time for me. Thank you for being there and for sharing all you did.

...I am a completely different person...

After being in treatment for almost four months, I can honestly say that I am a completely different person than I was when I walked into the glass-paneled doors of my treatment center. I have learned not to define myself by labels or diagnosis or even by the thought and feelings of others. I've learned to accept myself for exactly who I am-a perfectly imperfect individual. I now know what it is like to love myself and to respect the person that I am becoming. I have had to scrutinize every aspect of my behavior and of my life, and have admitted many truths about myself and have come through it with willingness and consequently strength. I have changed many things about myself but one of the biggest differences is my decision to live my life sober and free of all drugs and alcohol. I am immensely grateful to have made this choice to simply start living my life instead of watching it drive by. As just a 20 year old young adult, this may seem like a big task and one that will be very difficult to prove in a college environment. Though this may seem like an impossible task, I have courage, faith, and hope in myself. I know in my heart that going to treatment saved my relationships, my relationship with my higher power and my life.