Testimonials

When we entrusted La Europa with our beloved daughter we were in total despair.  we felt that we had tried everything and nothing seemed to stop her increasingly self destructive behavior (drugs, alcohol, cutting, truancy, failing grades, stealing, etc).  We feared that we could lose her altogether and our life was a nightmare - we panicked every time the phone rang or when we woke up in the middle of the night and found her bed empty - again.

La Europa was a miracle - exactly the right program for both our daughter and our family.  Ten months later our daughter is back at home with us. She has regained her sweet, loving, and joyful personality and now possesses deep insight and a maturity beyond her years.  Moreover, we have become better parents and are now a much more effective support system for her. An unanticipated bonus is that La Europa helped her rekindle her love of learning and she is now earning straight A's at her local High School. 

My daughter's life is back on track and it is a miracle that I attribute largely to La Europa.

My daughter's psychiatrist asked me what the cost was in having her go into residential treatment.  Of course, it is not cheap due to all the staffing required to work with these girls and each of their individual problems.  But then, the psychiatrist said "You saved her life."  That makes it all worthwhile to us.

Our daughter has a diagnosis of early onset bipolar disorder. When our daughter came to La Europa as a 15 year old, it was after hospitalization for mania.  Certs Schools professional staff was very helpful in getting her into treatment as soon as possible. We chose La Europa because it seemed like such a good fit for our daughter.  The setting was comfortable, homey, bright and cheerful.  The staff was compassionate and patient with her.  It was such a relief for us to know she was safe and getting help.  We were able to communicate readily with everyone there.  Even though our daughter was several states away from us, we were able to be very involved with her treatment.  We benefitted as a family from the counseling as much as she did.

There are many programs to choose from when looking for residential treatment for a teen.  It can be overwhelming.  Often, educational consultants can offer some help in choosing the right program.  I feel I was lucky in that when I started looking on line, Certs Schools came up quickly.  I liked what I read.  We went from there to several long phone calls with the director, who was compassionate and listening.  When we took our daughter to La Europa, we were sure we had made the right decision for her. There are really no programs out there which can guarantee your child will improve, especially with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. La Europa staff work with girls with all types of problems and issues. Regardless, the girls work together and form a family of caring for eachother with the guidance of the staff.  This has been very powerful for our daughter.  As she improved, she took on mentoring activities with some of the younger girls.  That helped her to feel empowered.  She still keeps in touch with several of her friends from La Europa and has compassion for their issues but is able to remain independant from their issues.

After graduating from La Europa, she moved on to another CERTS school which was a transitional program designed to help her start living again in a typical environment.  She had opportunities to make mistakes but was safe all the time.  She was able to finish high school early, graduate from the program and move right into college, living in a dorm.  She is now doing better than we could have ever hoped.

Our daughter was at La Europa for 1 1/2 years. It was an incredible learning experience for our whole family. As soon as you walk through the front door you are swept into a positive, energetic environment, where the girls are surrounded by structure and love. The staff don't just take behaviors at face value, but gently challenge you to examine the underlying issues, in a supportive and empathetic way. Our experience was life- changing, both for us and our daughter.

(From a student)
My first day a la Europa I was so afraid of everything I wasn't sure what it was like or who I would meet. Then I almost instantly felt comfortable. I made la Europa my home and I tell my mom all the time that sending me there was the best thing she could have done. Sending me away was hard and a lot of times it was hard for me to be away but when I left la Europa I think it was the hardest day I’ve ever had to experience. La Europa gave me a chance to make things better for myself and with my family. I met amazing people who I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life. I was able to build friendships and get help.

My favorite part about la Europa that no other place has is that it’s so individualized that the staff and therapist will do whatever you need to make it work for you. It’s all about you and your own treatment. La Europa gave me so many things like the ability to love my self and communicate with my mom. Now I know where I’m going and I have a future. I will always consider La Europa my second home. And the people I meet who helped me along the way will always have a place in my heart.

Education
One of my biggest struggles at home was school. My GPA was low and I was getting bad grades when I first arrived at La Europa. Now I have a 3.6 GPA and I have a lot of organization skills. The teachers are just amazing; they are so involved and understanding. Not like most high school teachers. Without the help from my teachers I would have continued to do bad at school. They helped me get on the right track and taught me things. With the teachers around a lot you always know where to find them and not only that but you form good relationships with the teachers and going to class wasn't such a chore for me.

Staff
The staff are what make la Europa what it is. I can say I learned so much from all of them and I taught them things along the way too. I formed such close relationships with all the staff who I still keep in contact with. Whenever you need them they are there for you. I remember when the staff left it made it really hard for me because you become very close with them. They are all there just to help and some of my best talks have been with staff.

All the therapists play a big role in your stay at la Europa. I was very skeptical about therapist and therapy. All the therapists are so different—they are all down to earth and so friendly. They all have their own way of therapy and they all helped me with my problems in different ways. My therapist and I became close and I never really saw her as a therapist more like a friend and I trusted her more than anyone I’ve ever met. Never do they treat you like a client or just another patient. They've helped me more then anyone and I still remember all the things they've shown me.

Contact us 801-268-9300
Email: mnegrete@laeuropa.com

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