PDFTestimonials
"Four Circles has helped bring our son back to us. This program has helped him to identify his dependency and esteem issues, but more importantly it has helped him with the tools needed to deal with those issues. The caring staff at FCRC goes above and beyond to help the clients and their families. I love them all!"
Robert G. Parent
"It is not too trite to say that Four Circles gave our son his life back. In his time there he blossomed from a deeply sad, weary, and physically unfit person to one who walks with his head up, his shoulders squared, and his eyes clear with purpose. I am in awe of the work he has done and the way the staff at Four Circles has supported him and challenged him to live a well life. We are deeply grateful to have found this place."
Ruth M. Parent
"Our son came to Four Circles in a state of depression and dependency that was beyond our abilities. He left Four Circles the vibrant young person we had not seen for some years. It is not an overstatement to say that our son came back to life."
John M. Parent
"Four Circles is a warm and caring place. The communication is outstanding and we felt our son was cared for and safe. We would highly recommend Four Circles and was so glad these guys and gals were here for our son."
Brian P. Parent
"Four Circles has given me my family back! Words can not begin to express my gratitude for all this program has done for both of my sons. It is not just the program, but the love and respect they were given as they came to terms with their addiction. The therapist and wilderness guides (plus all the support staff) helped guide them through the tough days and lead them to a new direction for a life of healthy, happy, fun! Thank you all!"
Rebecca R. Parent
"As a graduate of Four Circles, I was greatly elated to hear my mother was taking my recommendations and sending my brother there as well. The amount of success I sustained from this program is indescribable, and I knew my brother would attain the same level of success if he just put his heart into the program as I had. And 60 days later, I feel I see the same level of success in him as I experienced at my Graduation 90 days ago. Four Circles saved not only my life, but my brother's as well. And for that there is no level of gratitude that can be properly expressed on this piece of paper."
Charles R. Client
"Four Circles changed my son's life and our family."
Lisa R. Parent
"I am so thankful for Four Circles and the wonderful staff. We sent our beautiful daughter to them not only to help her stop abusing drugs but to help her understand why she had believed they (drugs) could help her. The staff guided Abby on her own and unique journey and have sent her on her way with confidence, determination, and many tools to face the world as a complete and happy woman."
Holly B. Parent
"Four Circles changed my life. I am so grateful I got to be a part of the program. My experience there will stay with me for the rest of my life."
Carly M. Client
"The physical and mental challenges of the outdoor portion of the Four Circles course result in a meaningful sense of accomplishment and facilitate discipline. My son liked every one of the staff. As a parent I was kept informed and provided effective guidance."
John B. Parent
"Four Circles Recovery is one of the most amazing places I have ever been (to). My son has been given the gift of a new life. I will be ever grateful to Kambra, Lyle, 'Doc', Josh and so many others that took my child at his worse and guided him back to the person I once knew. The serenity of the surroundings in the North Carolina mountains is gorgeous…however the calmness used by the therapist here to find my child again is more beautiful than any scene. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Here is to his great new adventure – LIFE."
Joan P. Parent
"Four Circles reconnected me with myself. Allowed me to realize what is important in life – let me find my true happiness."
Rick P. Client
"Four Circles made a very difficult process as easy as it could possibly have been."
Daniel P. Parent
"I believe Four Circles provided a safe haven for my son when he needed it most. The location, surroundings and the staff made my son feel secure and ready to discover himself and all his past as well as having focus on his ever so bright future. Thank you Four Circles."
Nancy J. Parent
"My son, age 19, came on his own accord, and he got a lot out of this program. I'm grateful for his experience here at Four Circles. I love the Base Camp-Wilderness model and think it's a great program for young men and women. They have the experience of wilderness training mixed with coming back to spend time in the Lodge to regroup and then back out again. The therapists were great and my son really enjoyed the guides. I think it is a great primary program."
Hildie R. Parent
"Four Circles Recovery Center had a large and remarkable impact on my life. It was the first step in moving my life in the right direction and breaking the cycle of addiction. For me to move on and move forward I first had to be in a structured, therapeutic environment. The counseling I received at Four Circles helped me to deal with the underlying issues like anxiety and deal with much of the shame I felt from living in active addiction. I developed goals at Four Circles that are still pushing me forward today and continue to be my motivation in recovery and life."
Lyle B. Client
It has been almost two weeks since my son graduated from Four Circles wilderness program and each day my gratefulness grows. My son has been on a long and destructive journey. Prior to being at Four Circles he was in a treatment program for more than five months before being asked to leave.
When he came to you he was angry, scared and defiant but realized it was his last chance. Something clicked. This is not my first experience with wilderness programs but it is definitely a reaffirmation of their ability to cut through the layers of fear, shame, guilt and defiance and let a young man see his own reflection, maybe for the first time.
Within in a week’s time, my son was less angry and more relaxed. Instead of addiction as the focus, he focused on taking personal responsibility for his life and actions. Drugs were the outcome, but Four Circles focused on WHY he took that path.
Four Circles has the ability to dig through the layers of a person quickly. Removing my son from technology and putting him outside where he really only has time to think about himself and the choices he has made is critical. My son spent five months in formal treatment, and it only took two weeks at Four Circles for him to start realizing that he has all the power he is looking for – it was there all the time, and it is called the power of choice.
He started shedding the shame and is still in that process, but wilderness became an environment where he felt safe to do that. He took the time to think about himself. I don’t know of any other environment that lends itself to this kind of process for a young man better than wilderness.
I am so grateful to Four Circles for giving my son a new confidence or at least showing him that it is there for him. Four Circles, to me, is like triage; it stabilizes and detoxifies your child and identifies the issues they may have. It helps young men to believe that they can lead a different life and that that life will be better.
The Four Circles environment is so different than what teens are used to. It takes the pressure off them to “perform” and allows an honest self-evaluation to start. My son meeting his Four Circles therapist was the single most positive thing that has happened to him in five years. My son’s talents of manipulation soon were no longer dominant because they were no longer useful. Our therapist gave us as parents an example of holding a boundary for a child. Those difficult boundaries must be set, held and sometimes acted on. While this seems counterintuitive to a parent that is broken by a child in the grips of drug addiction, it is necessary.
A child will not get better until the family gets better. Four Circles works with everyone in the family dealing with addiction. My experience is the more you open your mind to the program that Four Circles offers the family, the more benefit you will receive.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. My son has a difficult journey ahead of him and we are well aware that it is not a linear process, that there will be ups and downs. Four Circles started the foundation for a healthy life. Ultimately it is what he does with it that counts.
-Kim S., mom of a male client
What a blessing for us … the day we found Four Circles. My 20-year-old son had a severe drug and alcohol addiction and had finally, finally come to me asking for help. I had no idea where to turn, where to find a place or which one to choose. I searched the internet and began making calls. So many of the facilities I spoke with focused on accommodations, meals and what seemed to be a sales pitch. But then I called Four Circles.
From the moment I heard the quiet, reassuring voice on the other end of the line, I knew that this place was different. He didn’t recite menus to me or talk about their luxurious accommodations. Instead, in an honest and straight forward manner, he listened to our situation and began explaining what Four Circles could offer. There was no hard sales pitch; in fact, he encouraged me to explore all of my options. He outlined the program that they offer and explained that they focus on removing all outside stimuli and distractions so that the client can focus on their substance abuse problem and most importantly what caused it. He relayed that many of the staff members were former users themselves and were now committed to a life of recovery. In no uncertain terms, he softly told me that the key to recovery would lie completely with my son, not them or any other program – that my son would have to take what they taught him and save himself.
The next day, I placed my son, his life and his future into the capable and caring hands of the staff at Four Circles. From that point on, Four Circles became the healing grace and turning point not only for my son but also for me and the rest of our family. Their family counseling began the moment I checked my son in and continued throughout his stay. I cannot tell you how valuable and crucial the family counseling piece was to my son’s recovery and my own recovery. The counseling that was provided to me taught me how to heal myself and change my behavior so that I could save myself from this nightmare, even if my son chose not to save himself.
In writing to you, it’s hard for me to decide what part of the Four Circles program was most valuable to us. The wilderness experience removed my son from the crazy world he was caught up in and helped him refocus on the things that truly matter. The intensive individual counseling gave him the opportunity to acknowledge and deal with the things that were eating him alive and causing him to look for ways to escape his pain. The group therapy was pivotal to his recovery and taught him to share his feelings and also support others as they shared, reminding him that he was still a valuable and wonderful person. The family counseling changed my life in so many positive ways that I view this as my recovery as well as my son’s. The extensive planning for the next steps after Four Circles was crucial in helping him come back to the world – and not get lost in it again.
Having said all of that, the most valuable thing that Four Circles offers is the staff. From the very first hello on the phone to the emails we still exchange today, the staff has been incredible. Many of them have dealt with drug and alcohol abuse themselves which gives them incredible insight, compassion and the tough love, no-nonsense approach that works so well. The staff at Four Circles makes all of the difference. From the owner to the counselors to the receptionist to the guides, they’re all wonderful and they care deeply about the families that they serve. I thank God every day that he sent them into our lives.
After leaving Four Circles, my son encountered some trials and difficulties along the way, and the road hasn’t always been easy or smooth. Thanks to the grace of God and the things that he learned at Four Circles, I’m happy to tell you that today my son is sober, works successfully at a job that he loves, is married to a wonderful woman who loves him dearly, is the father of a precious 20-month-old and will soon be a father again. When I sit on my porch in the mornings, drinking my coffee and watching the day begin, I thank God for my son, for the wonderful people at Four Circles and the incredible blessing that they’ve been to our lives.
-S.S., mom of a Four Circles student
I LOVE MY LIFE!
This is a statement that I find myself saying pretty much every morning when I wake up, and is a direct result of practicing some of the tools and principles that I learned while at Four Circles.
Just under two years ago, I walked into Four Circles a broken man. I was broken in every facet of the word: physically I was weak with holes and scars all over my arms from using needles, emotionally I was numb to life, mentally I was obsessive wanting to get high, and spiritually I was completely bankrupt. I was not a “happy camper.” I had no idea what to expect from this place, and even more, “knew” that it wouldn’t do anything for me and did not need or want anything to do with it. The days seemed to go by in seconds, and I was counting every one till I would finally be let out to go on living the way I was living.
Slowly, however as a result of being in an environment that made me completely vulnerable to my emotions, I realized I needed to change, and luckily, Four Circles was there to facilitate this change, and teach me how to live a better life.
Through doing the tasks outlined in their Client Workbook, I began, for the first time in as long as I could remember, to be proud of myself, and begin to have a feeling of accomplishment. I began to find that I wasn’t the loser I “knew” I was; I could be successful and proud of myself again.
While I was in the field, I learned to take care of myself in ways that I never knew how to. I learned how to take responsibility for myself by finding wood to keep the fire alive to stay warm; finding flat ground to sleep on so that I didn’t roll out of my tent; finding a water source so that I wasn’t thirsty, etc. All of these things turned out to be a microcosm of the life I would be thrown into when I departed Four Circles. This amazing treatment center gave me the tools I needed to survive on my own without relying on other people to take care of me, or, more importantly, to live without the false security drugs gave me.
The people at Four Circles genuinely cared for me, and I will forever be in debt to these amazing individuals. Going to Four Circles was one of the best decisions that I have ever made; it gave me a start to a new life that has gotten better than I ever dreamed possible.
Thank you Four Circles!
Blake, 24
I have struggled with alcohol and drug addiction for a long time. Drugs and alcohol numbed all my feelings and made me into the outgoing, self-confident, and invincible person I always wanted to be. I also struggled with other issues as well. Coming to Four Circles Recovery Program truly helped save my life!
I had been through six other treatment facilities in a year and a half, and had not graduated one of them. Those treatments didn't work because they were conventional in the sense that I was confined to a room talking about what really was going on with me. Those programs made me feel like a prisoner. They flat out didn't work for me!
Personally, I needed a different approach to understanding my underlying deterrents which were hindering my growth in my life and as a person. Four Circles gave me an extremely safe haven to discover myself and challenged me to do the work. This program challenged me to do the opposite of what I had been doing for a long time and in return I saw the results. It has worked for me and I'm continuing to do the work. Four Circles gave me structure that I never had, goals to work towards, and they taught me how to work as a team. This was my seventh program and the first program that worked for me. I graduated in August 2008, and I strongly recommend this program to everyone!!!!!!
-Amelia, 20