Our daughter spent a little over a year at Heartlight from late 2022- early 2024. She had anxiety/depression and then had a horrific and traumatic event in her life. After that, she completely spiraled out of control. We lost her- engaging in risky and self destructive behavior. She hated the world, herself, us, and God. She had an empty look in her eyes.
We tried everything, but things only got worse. She refused any therapy and sabotaged all attempts to get her help. When public suicide threats started, we made the painful decision to put her in a program. We knew she needed a long term residential program if we had any chance of success. We wanted a program that just didn't work on the child, but that also helped the family with any issues and how to progress with our child.
THANK GOD WE FOUND HEARTLIGHT.
Hearlight is a serious commitment- both financially and mentally. It took some time, and her councilor, Layne was a Godsend. We got the impression that everyone at Heartlight truly cared for our daughter and her successes. Slowly we started to see the life come back into her face and eyes. It was bumpy at times, but the trend was towards something better. We stayed the course and saw it through.
Our daughter fully graduated from Heartlight. She came home as a new person- she is able to make and maintain friendships and relationships. She is now working in school and is making great grades. She is now a wonderful family member and big sister. She is joyous and fun again! One can just look at her and see the love of life in her.
Without Heartlight, we would have lost her for good. It would have destroyed all of us in our family. Heartlight saved us all.
Thank you Heartlight!
My son was at Heartlight for 13.5 months and the experience we had was life changing. The counseling staff was so amazing and helped my son learn the tools to have conversations and work through feelings. The family involvement was so thought-out and fun. This is never something you want to have to face but we couldn't have done it without the wonderful staff at Heartlight.
Simply put, working at Heartlight is so incredibly fulfilling! We work with a dedicated staff team who make this feel more like a family than just a job. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of the journey to recovery for all the teens that come through our program. Every day is different and we are fortunate to have so many fun and challenging experiences that help build relationships and lasting change.
My son is currently at Hearlight MInistries. He has been there now for 8 months. Deciding to send him to Heartlight was not easy, it was actually the hardest decision his dad and I have ever had to make. We were failing at home, watching him drown in depression and anxiety, watching him withdraw from everything he loved. He was lying, skipping school, seeking self medicating behaviors, all of the behaviors every parent dreads. In my wildest dreams I never imagined the spiral of behaviors and the difficult decision to say we could no longer parent our child, and that we needed help. We tried outpatient counseling locally, and although we love our local counselor, nothing was working, he was drowning. I remember telling him, multiple times, I cannot and will not watch you drown. We decided to thrown him the Heartlight life preserver. We made the difficult steps to enroll him in Heartlight, and since that day, the day he left home and we entered him in the Heartlight program, we have moved forward. The tears, the anger, the difficult phone calls, difficult decisions, they have all been worth it. He is a forever changed young man. The progress he has made during the program is truly a gift from God. I will forever be grateful for Heartlight, their staff, and Mark Gregston. The staff members are truly amazing. The counselors, the staff that live in the homes, all of them. I cannot sing the praises of Heartlight enough and I highly recommend if you are having difficulties with your teen, explore your options with Heartlight.