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.

SBS · via google

My son spent over a year at Spruce Mountain. We were recommended there by consultants who will always be our heros for their advice and guidance in helping our son get on track. The Spruce program is tough and can be perceived to be rigid, but what they are doing is in the best interest of their patients. My son was at other facilities in his journey and Spruce was by far the best managed and focused in an industry where it is hard to deliver success, which first must be defined. With that said, I'm sure a program like Spruce will never have a 100% success rate. When you arrive you need to buy into the program and follow their lead as they are the experienced professionals acting in your best interest, trying to help you make progress where progress is not easy. If you're not going to be committed then you're wasting your money and time. My son made huge progress and is now in a vastly better place then he was. We owe this to his consultants and Spruce.

Edward L. Berman · via google

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.

Mary Farrell · via google

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.

Joanna Lilley (Lilley Consulting) · via google

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.

Maddie Cross · via google