I came to APN for severe depression and anxiety, and had a mixed experience. The staff, individual therapists, the facilities, and many of the courses were great. The administration needs to get their act together. That includes aftercare, the lack of which has left many people nearly worse off than when they came in.
Anyway, here are the positives:
The client support, clinical support, and hospitality staff were incredibly kind and compassionate. They appreciate how big of a deal it is for clients to enter treatment, and to do the work it takes to get better.
The amenities and facility really are first class. It feels like a luxury resort. Even the outrageously rich clients (and there are many) were comfortable.
The atmosphere between the clients at APN is wonderful. There is no small talk. Everyone is at APN to get better, and you’ll be amazed at how intimately you’ll be able to connect with people. I made lifelong friends who I will cherish forever.
Here are some of my mixed experiences:
Your primary therapist will play a huge role in what you get out of APN. I adored my shrink. I had sessions at least twice a week, and if I ever had a problem I could go to her. Some other therapists were a lot less available to their clients, and saw them two or three times total during their time at APN.
Some of the classes were great, and some were completely useless. The clinical director openly acknowledges this. In addition, the classes have no continuity or set curriculum. They all feel like the first class. You introduce each student, then go over the same basic information.
My favorite classes were the art classes, grief and loss, family of origin, schema theory, reiki, CBT, and yoga.
Here are the bad…
The program is run poorly. Some of the problems that I and many other clients reported to them were bad classes, large group sizes, inability to get into preferred classes, arbitrary rules/punishments, clear preferential treatment to high profile clients, and more.
I myself had no medication management, and saw acutely suffering patients unable to get the help they needed from APN.
Finally, I left with next to no aftercare. I didn’t want to do Telehealth, or to transition from my regular therapist to an APN Telehealth therapist. It felt like once my dollars were no longer going to APN, it was a wrap on poor depressed little me.
I told them that it would be a very significant burden for me to not continue with my primary therapist, but “rules are rules.”
Rules are very flexible when they benefit APN, but for the clients who would really benefit from continuing care with a certain therapist, or for people who need help with grief, or who are marooned for a week and a half in an empty room because they got COVID at the facility… you’re on your own kid.
I got a lot out of my time in Edwards, much of it despite APN, not because of it.
