Just thought I would check in and tell you where I am at one year after my discharge from Yellowbrick (feels like a lot longer). I guess things are going as well as they could be. I have managed to stay out of the hospital or an emergency room for 15 months and away from self harm for 10 months. Certainly there are still challenges, ups and downs. I have plenty to work on and probably a long way to go before I experience true contentment, but I have overcome a great deal and I am in a good place. I am fully engaged in my life and feel closer to being a hopeful, optimistic and self-assured person than I have in years. I think it was an important part of my recovery to re-kindle my sense of productivity and self-efficacy, which I have been able to do because of the gains I made in treatment. I hope you are well and that everything at YB is going smoothly. While I am very happy to have moved on and feel certain it was the right decision at the right time, a year on I look back at YB with nostalgia, which is a feeling I have come to really appreciate for its bittersweet qualities. I am a more substantial person because of the experiences I have had and have a stronger understanding of myself and people around me. And there were a lot of funny moments, great friendships, and a feeling of support that I haven't had anywhere else in my life.

I was one of the first residents of Yellowbrick. I am happy to see it still running. I am married with two beautiful girls and am working as a registered nurse. Just wanted to touch base. Thank you for teaching me DBT as I find it a useful tool even today. I really do love and use the skills taught to me all those years ago. It still blows my mind when I think of how far I've come.

5 stars = as good as it gets!!! Yellowbrick is a unique treatment program. Unlike other programs that separate themselves according to diagnosis or special condition, Yellowbrick does not. Yellowbrick views each young adult as a unique individual who can be a valuable member of the Yellowbrick community. Yellowbrick recognizes and respects the particular struggles that are inherent to this critical time in a young person’s development. Most young adults come to Yellowbrick with painful histories that often include failure at other programs. Anxiety, depression eating disorders, substance abuse, traumatic exposure are some of the issues that face these young adults. Many have despaired and hold little hope for change. The clinical approach at YB is by far the most comprehensive treatment available. As a clinician myself and a parent of a YB alumni I cannot begin to express my appreciation for the care and kindness and integrity that our family was shown. The program philosophy is backed by evidence based research and years of experience. One size does not fit all and YB recognizes that the path to recovery and self efficacy is through authentic relationships within a community based program. The demands are high because YB takes each life seriously. The work is difficult and requires courage and trust, however the results can be life altering and in our case, life saving.

The past 6 months have been wonderful. I have continued to use all of the tools that Yellowbrick taught me. Yellowbrick was truly life changing for me. If it weren’t for Dr Viner and the Yellowbrick staff, I wouldn’t have come out of my shell and become my authentic self. Every single day I think about how lucky I am to have been a part of such an amazing program. I think about how lucky I am that Dr. Viner believed in me. I think about the conversation I had with Dr. Viner when he said I was worth it. Now, finally, I believe that. I believe that I was and am still worth it. My life is drastically different, and Yellowbrick gave me the opportunity to do the work and turn my life around.
Dr. Viner, thank you again. Words cannot express how grateful I am.

Yellowbrick saved our son’s life. It is that simple and that complex. Our son (now 21) spent 7 months in the Yellowbrick program and he too agrees that it saved his life. I have worked in the field of children’s behavioral health my entire career and can say without a doubt the professional staff at YB is the most expert, clinically sophisticated, caring and committed group I have ever experienced. They work nearly 24 hours a day, always on call, talking with the kids and the parents and managing endless crises. Yes, treatment at YB is expensive....but you are getting the best of the best. Honestly, most families get to YB once they have tried everything else; for years; at our wit’s end. These are young adults experiencing multiple very significant behavioral health challenges. In our case, no one had been able to even clearly diagnose our son over 8 years of treatment at some other “best institutions” in the country. Had it not been for YB he would have ended up dead or in jail. I imagine he was not the only one in that same situation...
...My husband and I are so thankful to have found such a unique and effective program. And yes, it is clinically at the forefront of treatment. It does have a most clinically expert staff. The milieu of accountability they create is uniquely effective. Most importantly, our son would agree.