Let’s start with Lake House Academy, as this is where you would want your daughter to go, instead of ending up in recovery — right? Seriously, what is more important than the care of your 10-14 y.o. daughter in giving them an opportunity to grow in a safe and enriching school. I never use the words ‘sending them away’ as that is NOT what happens at Lake House Academy. I saw tender, quality care happening for the girls, I knew some of the staff and met others, and the girls are well taken care of and have meaningful relationships. The staff is very attentive to the needs of the girls, and yet set healthy boundaries encouraging the girls to do work for themselves. I can’t say enough about the therapist support. As a clinician, there is no better way of gauging the quality of the therapeutic support than by the professionalism, alertness, and caring of the therapists. They were able to explain their system and their own training and experience in working with this population. Tracy Hopkins in admissions provided me with an excellent opportunity to see “in action” what they were doing on a beautiful, spacious property nestled in the woods set next to the lake.

I posted not long ago about Four Circles and the wonderful work they do with my clients specifically, and in taking this photo of admissions director Shane Applegate I think I figured out part of the secret — it’s ‘family’. Jack, Heather, Shane, the therapists, management, line staff all make you feel right at home. And although that may be attributed to North Carolina hospitality, it goes further in reaching into the hearts of those lucky enough to come into contact with Four Circles.Recovery is tough, but the results are like child’s play — simple, honest, and all about healthy relationships.