By Kyra: 2014-2015 Four days after New Year 2014, winter of my freshman year of high school, my parents made decision to send me to a wilderness therapy program in Utah based on the recommendation of my psychiatrist and education consultants. I’d been struggling for years with trauma, behavioral and relationship difficulties – both internally [...]

By Sasha: 2007 My name is Sasha Oates and I am a survivor of multiple abusive programs. When I was 14, I was struggling with self harm, depression, and an eating disorder. In April of 2007, I was taken from a psychiatric hospital by two transporters, put on a plane, and arrived in Salt Lake [...]

By Anonymous: 2015-2016 In the summer of 2015 my parents had hit a wall with me. They decided that I would be sent to a Therapeutic Boarding School in Montana. Turning Winds is located in Yaak, Montana and has a history of abuse allegations and issues with law enforcement specifically in 2006 after they beat [...]

By Anonymous: 2019-2020 I honestly appreciate the fact that I was able to disconnect from my old life and rebuild myself as a person without distractions. However, I do not support the methods used at Teen Challenge (CGA) and wholeheartedly believe that it was my choice to change and I was able to do so [...]

By Ari (Part 2): 2019-2021 I entered the troubled teen industry on April 27, 2018 when I was thirteen after a suicide attempt. After two weeks in psych and a short stay at an RTC in California, I arrived at Uinta Academy on June 27, 2018, a few weeks after I turned fourteen. I was [...]

By Hann: 2021 Trigger Warning: suicide, self-harm, eating disorder, restraints Hi, my name is Hann (any pronouns) and I would like to share my story of being a victim to institutional child abuse. I would never wish the trauma I went through on anyone. I would consider this time period the worst time of my [...]

By Anonymous: 2020 I was sent to Trinity after a ten-day stay in a psychiatric ward. I had never done any drugs or even had my first kiss. I went there as a result of suicidal ideations spurred by years of feeling trapped and isolated in my own home. I think for my parents though, [...]

By Ellie: 2021 I was sent there after years and years of trying to get my depression managed. It was my parents' last resort. They believed it would help. While I was there I witnessed many extremely distressing things. Such as: one girls hip would pop in and out of place most hikes causing excruciating [...]

By Anonymous: 2021 So my parents sent me to a Wilderness program that claims it’s duration to be a year. It’s for troubled kids or parents who just don’t want to deal with their kids problems. I got sent there to ‘teach me a lesson’ and ‘prove how spoiled I am and how tough life [...]

By Ashley: 2010-2011 I was sixteen years old when I woke up to two people in my room, a retired police officer and beefy woman. I was very confused, I did not have a top on and was only wearing bottoms. The man threw a shirt at me and told me to put it on [...]