Clementine Malibu Lake

"Since my second part was removed, I will condense in this one. The therapists here are empathetic, and good amount of freedom and privacy. I would choose a different location. I’ve worked with many dietitians. Carly is by far the wo rst I have ever worked with. I struggled a lot with rigidity and self des tructive behaviors. I am sorry for the strain I put on the staff while I was here. There are a lot of positives of Clementine, but also some inex cusable things, most of which are from Carly. - I felt respected. We had reasonable privacy and compassion from most staff. - The therapeutic progress was great. The writing assignments were insightful, Liv and Maggie are awesome, and the family therapy was inclusive of all perspectives -We had individual support, check ins, and pretty helpful groups - The breakfasts and lunches, along with snacks, Monday through Friday, were reasonable and doable. The dinners and weekends were not. So, Carly: -on my 2nd night, we got food so spicy that everyone was sick and vom iting -she dismissed all our concerns as our ED talking -I have a medical condition (gastroparesis). My gastroenterologist told her I need medical accommodations, and she refused, telling me to “push through it”, which is abel ist. -halfway through she gave such large portions almost no one could finish. -One girl would finish and then got sick and vom tied after dinner often. We all heard her. She still had privledges removed. Because feeling sick from being overfed is a choice? -these included family sized salad bowls of soba noodles, bean chili soup, etc. Staff got smaller portions. The volume was huge and anyone credible knows you shouldn’t give very high fiber/volume meals to recovering digestive systems. -I was in so much pain after finishing dinner I vom tied, cried, and went to the ER. -they said there I was severely con stipated on my CAT scan. I was still refused Miralax on a regular basis. -Carly said, “I wonder how your emotional experience affected your NEED to go.” She still refused medical accommodations. -we all lost privileges because every one of us was unable to finish, regularly. - This is medical ab use and gas lighting. It contributed to anxiety greatly and I felt unheard and trapped. Also: - it’s stigmatizing to “earn” privileges by eating. We didn’t choose to have an ED. We are not behavioral problems. A compassion focused and empowering structure is more effective. - Exercise is not a privilege, its a basic human need. Being expected to sit all day unless finishing every last piece of our food- therefore not having exercise for days or weeks- was wrong. Exercise including everything, from standing up, to stretching, to short walks. - We felt misunderstood by the community log. Staff could gossip about the talks they listened into. Without asking, they share private information about us, that often isn’t accurate, as eaves dropping is not a reliable source. - When they found out I am neurodivergent, they didn’t tell me. I had a right to know,. They also didn’t tell me they were telling my parents about my self h arm. I was not an active voice in my treatment team. How can I trust a treatment that hides so much from me? I generally really appreciate most of the staff here. They cared and supported us greatly. I didn’t appreciate the behavioral stigma structure, though most programs are like this. I recommend any other location of Clementine. Carly’s medical ab use was unacceptable."

"Very grateful for my experience here. Most staff were wonderful with a few not so great who would yell and were very passive aggressive too. But overall, it was a life-saving place for me. Liv and Callan are amazing therapists, Carly is a good dietitian, Susan, the family therapist that used to work here is great!"

"The team here at Malibu Lake were amazing to help my daughter. Unfortunately she needed a higher level of care, but while in their care, they worked with her individually to be able to help her in ways that she needed. They were very communicative with us parents. The regional director, Sherry, went over and beyond to support my daughter and our family. Melissa was my daughter's therapist and an incredible connection point and therapeutic support for my daughter and us. There were a number of staff changes during her time there which didn't help build consistency or trust for my daughter and that made it hard for her therapeutic work to progress. And of course right as we had the team in place, insurance pulled the plug. I found the amount of access to computer and phone to be a lot, especially compared to other facilities. She used connection to family as a crutch versus learned coping skills. Although it brought a lot of connection, growth and progression for us to do therapeutic work together. And for that I am grateful. This is a great facility for clients who don't need medical intervention. Good luck!"

"My daughter absolutely had a life changing experience at Clementine Malibu Lake. We know it was the right place for her. Her therapist was life saving. Needing to go away to a residential treatment program was scary enough. We are so thankful to this program for taking such good care of her. The communication from the staff was excellent and we felt she was safe and cared for every day that she was there. Thank you so much."