Amend Treatment - Malibu, California

Kathleen O.

My experience at Amend was very positive!
I received excellent care from the clinical director Dr. Saro and therapists Elaina, and Danny. My case was complex and the clinical team supported me with exceptional skill, ease and deep care. I am forever grateful to the clinicians. I went on medication for the first time and I felt supported by the psychiatrist I was assigned to, I experienced easy access to the doctor throughout my stay. I enjoyed connecting with other clients, that have now become a circle of support - I was so in need of. I appreciate the staff and chefs for their daily care. I enjoyed the esthetic of Malibu and access to the local beaches. I’m grateful to Francine who provides sound bath, somatic dance, and breath-work and Dylan for yoga that involved a lot of laughs and fun, as well Chris the trainer for helping me get motivated, and the 9X gym for providing a Saturday circuit workout. I am leaving feeling much better than when arrived, I leave with a heart of gratitude.

Jody F.

As parents, we paid for our daughter to be treated at Amend. Her depression was at an all time low. We live out of state from California and I had been talking with Zane asking questions if the 30 day treatment at Amend would be the help our daughter needed. At first Zane was very responsive, calling me back, answering questions and text messages, however once we were paid in full and Ella was at the facility I never heard from Zane again. I had messaged him concerned because I was originally told our daughter could be followed by one of their psychiatrists after returning home, but our daughter was told we would need to find a local psychiatrist. This was one of the main reasons we went with Amend, to have a top notch psychiatrist. I contacted Zane right away hoping our daughter was mistaken, but never heard back from him. I also had contacted Zane saying my daughter was struggling and wanted to leave Amend and again, no response. Amend did change her counselor (Cecilia) who was able to connect with our daughter, but the first couple days back home the counselor was no longer working with Amend. As far as a psychiatrist, her psychiatrist through Amend advised us to call a local university or hospital and ask for one of their psychiatrists as he could not treat our daughter out of state. If it were that easy, we would’ve already done it.
Basically, there was little support while at the facility and no support once our daughter left. Our daughter made no significant progress attending Amend and it definitely wasn’t worth the money.

Kaitlin S.

Amend Treatment saved my life. And coming here was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

I was in a horrible place mentally this past summer and was referred to inpatient treatment by my doctors. I was overwhelmed by the amount of treatment centers to choose from and how much of it my insurance would cover. When I had questions, the CEO (Zane) didn't hesitate to give me his personal cell number and answered every one of our (many) calls. He vowed to help us get insurance to pay as much as possible and to advocate for me and my treatment (and he did). He was clear, honest, and truly believed Amend could help me. The staff was incredibly helpful and informative when preparing me for my stay and I felt a lot of peace about my decision because of that.

Upon arriving at Amend I was greeted by the staff at the airport and immediately felt at ease. Every person I spoke to was kind and genuinely excited to meet me and to welcome me to Amend. I cannot express how grateful I am for every member of the staff. My therapists were incredible. The clinical assistants became my family. Every external employee (art/music therapist, yoga instructor, personal trainer, etc.) was kind, gentle, and extremely talented at helping others. Even the chef took time to teach us how to play pickle ball one day and also made us whatever meal we wanted on our last night. They challenged me, comforted me, encouraged me, and listened to me every step of the way, and I could not have gotten to where I am now without them. I even cried on my last night over how much I would miss them and how close I'd become to them.

The facility is just as beautiful as the photos and videos. It was easy to relax and being able to be outside in the sun or doing yoga in the grass was just as healing as the actual therapy we were doing. Every single module offered was helpful and crucial to the success I had at Amend. The group therapy session and small size of the facility (only 6 patients at a time) allowed me to get really close to the fellow residents, some who I became incredibly good friends with. And those relationships were just as critical to my healing as the ones I had with employees. It also allowed for a customized experience for each resident's treatment, something that residents I spoke with who had attended other treatment centers said they had never had before.

Both my husband and sister visited me while at Amend and could not get over how much they loved the staff, and even said it made them want to do something like this for themselves, too. My husband said he immediately noticed a difference in my mood, behavior, and health when he visited, and said it was incredibly helpful to meet and participate in the activities that I was doing during that visit. He said that he was reassured about our decision for me to come to Amend because of what he saw when he was here.

I know that I do not speak for every person who has walked through the doors of Amend, nor do I believe that anyone else's review does not deserve to be taken into account and validated because my experience was different. It wasn't sunshine and rainbows, and I did have issues along the way with internal communication and how different events were handled. But nowhere is perfect, and overall I can say that my experience was overwhelmingly positive. And I would recommend Amend to any person who is even thinking of considering (although if you are struggling with addiction or substance abuse I would recommend going somewhere that does both as Amend's focus is mental health only. That's the reason I chose it, but that may not be the right choice for everyone).

I've attached some photos of things I did while at Amend. I'm happy to share my experience, but please do respect my privacy as this does deal with a very serious subject matter and my medical history. (in order: the gift basket we received upon arrival, an average lunch every day at Amend, horseback riding, surfing lessons, and a hike in Malibu.)

Marlon R.

Absolutely stunning properties in a prime yet private location. The treatment environment matters and I was highly impressed. The care environment was clean and organized. The staff were friendly and dressed professionally. The chefs were cordial and accommodating. There was easy access to many tranquil activities as well as fitness activities. The frequency of the individual therapy session was top notch up to 4 times a week plus weekly virtual visits with psychiatry and psychological testing. This type of clinical focus is rare. This is a great example of premium treatment.

Jess S.

“Thank you” is not sufficient to express how much everyone at Amend helped me during my 6 week stay. When I first arrived at Amend, I felt nearly hopeless, my future felt entirely dark, and I was in near constant physical and emotional pain. Every day I was there there was so full, rich, and purposeful, and the people working there all held such unconditional positive regard for me. These key aspects of Amend helped to remind me that I am a worthwhile person and my life and future are full of potential.

jennifer J.

It has been 90 days since my stay at Amend. I felt the need to wait on my review to prove to myself that everything I experienced and leaned could be maintained after my departure. I am happy to say that I am thriving. That was a word I would not have used to describe myself prior to going to Amend. I was completely shut down full of anxiety and depression that my go to was a bottle of wine every night in an attempt to not feel bad anymore. I stopped doing things I enjoyed and it was a struggle to make it through my workday. The word Joy was not obtainable for me. I finally decided I needed help and really did not want to go to a treatment center and be in a hospital type setting. I did a ton of research and found Amend. I was drawn to the name. To me it stated to Mend(heal) and Amen (get back my relationship with God that I walked out of). From the moment I entered the beautiful home, I felt a calmness that I had not known for a long time. The staff was so accommodating, professional and truly cared about my needs. My therapists were absolutely amazing. My Main therapist was religious and I felt so comfortable talking to her about my relationship with the Lord. (I just want to clarify that she did not push that on me. I brought it up in group and then she shared) I was able to have individual therapy 6 times per week and daily group therapy. That was what sold me was all the individual one on one where most other facilities only offer 1 or 2 session per week. I was able to feel at home with the smaller setting and everyone was truly there to get better. It is work! You have to put in the effort and have a true desire to live a better life. If you can do that, there is no way you won’t have success at Amend. From the morning beach walks, yoga, sound healing, art therapy, music therapy, equine therapy, acupuncture, and self-care days, to the amazing chef cooked meals. I was never hungry and the food was so healthy for you. I learned how to set boundaries in my daily life at work and with my family to not empty myself and still have energy for me. I learned different coping skills so I don't get so stressed, angry and frustrated that I don't feel I need to drink wine every night. I was really worried that I may not be able to control my alcohol consumption but to my complete and absolutely joy, I can limit myself to a glass of my favorite wine on special occasions only. I forgot how good it was to wake up and not feel hung over. Now that I know that feeling I never want to go back to over drinking. This program was everything I needed to truly heal, learn self-love, let go of overwhelming guilt and experience forgiveness.
This program was so amazing that I was able to get my sister to go! She has been home a month and is working on all that she learned. It is a true blessing that we could both attend Amend and be able to talk about our experience and encourage each other in our continued self-awareness and mental health. Our relationship is better than it ever was. I will be forever grateful to Zane the CEO who personally made it possible for us to attend. If anyone would like to speak to me as considering this program, I am more than happy to take your call. Zane knows how to reach me.
I wish anyone reading this the best of luck and hope you find your path!

Jude L.

Second facility was nice. Great view and beautiful garden. Sound bath was amazing. Therapy is good if you get the right people. Hopefully they fire Danny. Everyone else was very helpful and taught me a lot.

The food was ok. Some chefs were slacking.

All the rooms are the same price. Some people get the master bedroom with balcony and others get maids quarters and have to share a bathroom. The rooms are very comfortable just pricing doesn't make sense. Management was not good when I came but a lot shifted in my time here. It has improved.

Use hot tub and go on horse. Would recommend

Janine M.

Wow! Amend has every detail covered! It is clear that they provide a superior level of quality in your loved one's treatment. The grounds are breathtaking, the staff goes above and beyond, and the support is unparalleled. They truly care about each and every client and it shows. As a mental health professional, this is the most impressive treatment center I have ever visited. The clinical staff is wonderful and highly skilled and offers an impressive program.