Spruce Mountain Inn

I highly recommend Spruce for any young adult experiencing deep, unrelenting depression, as was our son. He went on his own volition, after years of trying everything else, at the recommendation of a local psychiatrist. And he dove into the program there. Everything about Spruce is intentional and thoughtful - the setting, the counselors, the program, interactions with the outside world and other residents. Our son's therapist was a perfect match for him, and us. He met people there who changed his life and with whom he is still in touch, and he began the process of becoming the adult he was meant to be. We scoffed at the idea that he would be there longer than a month or two, but his stay of seven months was perfect, and he left armed with life tools that are serving him well. As his therapist said, "He got a Ph.D. in himself!" We will be forever grateful to Spruce.

Peer reviewed studies have shown that talking to a psychologist is no better for you than a placebo. Therapy is a pseudoscience, and spruce mountain inn ought to close its doors for good.

Save your money. This program only served to make me feel worse and more depressed after thousands and thousands of dollars. It helped contribute to and exacerbate some of my conditions. With how much money that we all have to spend on the program, you think there would be more offered or at least better care. I did not find that to be the case.

My experience at SMI was not the best. Having recently gotten out of the military I was looking for a program to help me get back on my feet (ie. job, social life etc.). I had a phone call with the acting director before coming to SMI to help me get a better idea of what the program was about. Having looked at their website and having taken notes during the phone call I thought I had a good idea of what the program was going to be like. On the phone call I was told that there were seven ski trips planned for the winter and that they strive to get out every weekend and do something fun. This was partly true. When I arrived I soon found out that there were not going to be seven ski trips. I don’t want to sound like a snob but the skiing was a big deciding factor for me when choosing a program. I felt as if there was a little bit of bait and switch. When it came down to it there were only going to be two opportunities to go ski that winter. The reason I bring this up is that this is not the only example of how things were very different than what was advertised on their website and what was told to me on my phone call. On their website they say that there are opportunities for fine dining in nearby Montpellier. This was not the case at all. When we did order out there was a strict budget and we often got Dominos or Chinese takeout. The reason I mention this is that the cost of being at SMI is seventeen thousand dollars per month. Having my family pay this exorbitant price and then being told that popcorn and a drink is out of the budget when we went to the movies blows my mind. Another interesting piece of information I became privy to was that our families were being billed for every small expense (ie. coffee, snacks, events). Those types of things were not included in the monthly cost of seventeen thousand dollars. I also learned that one of the ‘clinicians’ was not certified yet and I had to sign a document saying that this person could not be held liable. I was at spruce for about two and a half months until I left due to the countless problems and white lies that were told to me to get me in the door. When leaving I was strongly cautioned that it was a bad idea and that I would struggle to succeed and have a handle on my mental health. I was instantly in better head space the second I left. Being stuck in an area like Plainfield is depressing and does not allow for proper growth. I won’t say it was all bad I met a few decent people and learned that SMI was not for me. I would not recommend this place to anyone because of the aforementioned issues and untruths that occurred during my stay. Only one staff member told me that he believed in me and sent me off with positive vibes. This review is not a reflection of the people who work there but it is a reflection of the program as a whole.

If you love your child, do them a favor and do not send them to SMI. My child was there for nine months. It’s taken nearly 2 years of hard work to get them back on track and successful. Oh yes, my child learned to drink, smoke and vape there and is still suffering from “Spruce PTSD.” You’d be better off staying in a five star hotel in Paris for three months, with your child, Instead of wasting your money and emotional energy here. Good luck. It’s never easy.

Dear Possible Spruce Resident, I gave Spruce 5 stars because I was able to improve so much in such a short time. Spruce is great, but it’s still treatment so part of it will always be hard. The biggest changes in me were my distress tolerance, confidence, self-awareness, resilience, boundary enforcement, symptom management, and hope for the future. Spruce won’t “fix” you but it does give you the space, structure, guidance and support for you to fix yourself. And unexpectedly, I met some of my best friends there! For those who desperate and ready to get moving with life, call Spruce NOW! Work hard and you won't regret it.

As a referent, I hardly leave reviews for programs, if ever. I do think Spruce Mountain Inn could benefit from a neutral, and objective review though. My experience has been referring young adults to this program who I have remained in communication with, not in being a client in the program. My client's experiences at Spruce Mountain Inn have all allowed them to return to their lives after the program (returning to college, etc.) and were all in a better place. A client's success or experience in a program does correlate to their openness and willingness to be there, and there are several circumstances that need to also be aligned to make it good - fit with the community, fit with the culture in Vermont, fit with the therapist, frontloaded expectation management, etc. For each of my clients, this worked for them. I would not hesitate to consider a client for Spruce Mountain Inn if after inquiring on fit and having knowledge of the program, I felt it was appropriate.

I started treatment at Spruce in February of 2017. Before that I'd been living at home for a year, doing nothing, and getting more depressed by the day. I'd reached a point where I knew that if I didn't get help, I'd likely take my own life. My parents didn't "send" me here--I found it on my own and reached out to the director, Candace, without their knowledge. I discharged over a year ago and and can honestly say that Spruce saved my life. The work was difficult and often unpleasant. I had to rewire my brain and unlearn years of negative thinking patterns. I had to deal with parts of myself that I hated. But a place like Spruce doesn't work unless you do. If you're a parent or a doctor and your child or patient doesn't realize or won't accept that they need help, sending them here is a waste of your time and money. You have to accept that you need help, seek it out on your own, and commit to unpleasant, difficult work for a long time. Before I went to Spruce I thought I'd never go to college again and I'd never have a fulfilling career. I'm now a full time student at UVM and I've had internships in my field. I made some of my best friends at Spruce. My team was amazing and I realize, in hindsight, that they always had my best interests in mind. There were times I felt like my treatment was moving too slow, and I wanted to get on to the next thing: move to the apartment program, take another class. I would get frustrated when my team told me no. But I know now that Spruce is about learning to spin multiple plates at a time. That's why it works best if you stay for a long time (I was a resident for 10 months). You have to build up your arsenal of skills before you take on a huge load. Spruce gave me countless new tools for my toolbelt. I owe my team and the staff an enormous debt of gratitude. If your young adult is serious about turning their life around, you should absolutely consider Spruce. I cannot recommend it highly enough.