The Beach Cottage at Seasons in Malibu

the staff in house, the program, the therapists/practitioners, the house, the meals the comfort is nothing far from amazing

The Beach Cottage at Seasons was a life changing experience for me. I was such a mess mentally and desperate for help. The care I received was top notch and the staff are the best of the best. I will forever be grateful for my time there. If you are suffering mentally please don't hesitate to reach out to them. You will not regret it!

At a truly desperate point in my life, I was lucky enough to find Seasons. The therapists are top of their respective modalities, and the range of therapies and their integration make it a completely holistic approach. Everyone I met was just a wonderful human being - not only the providers, but also the house staff, the chefs, the instructors, the cleaning crew, and the other patients. It is by no means easy work to do, but having the genuine support in such a uniquely beautiful setting made it possible for me to reenter my life at home on stable footing, with the tools, confidence, self-worth, and aftercare plan necessary for my success. As I continue my healing journey, I will be forever grateful that Seasons paved the way.

If you don't want to read this dissertation of a review, I overall do recommend Seasons Beach Cottage. I stayed there from May 30, 2024 to June 27, 2024. Admission, stay, food, therapy modalities, staff, facilitators are all A+. I took a star off for the MD and discharge related issues. House staff members: The house manager, site managers, client advocates, and chefs were all genuinely kind, helpful, and went out of their way to make me feel comfortable. I am a highly anxious person, even more so in new environments. I felt safe and reassured throughout my entire stay. Danielle is an absolute ray of sunshine and gave the best hugs and pep talks when I needed them the most. Noreen, Nancy, Bryan, Cary, Pepper, Avery, Ray, Veronica, Iyanna, Doris, Rashi- you guys rock! Primary therapy: While at Seasons, you see your therapist three times a week. I was matched with Dr. Q and feel like I got so lucky! She is positive, brilliant, and really helped me reframe my perspectives on things. I'm really happy I got the opportunity to work with her. Craniosacral therapy: Lisa is wonderful. She is so present and engaged throughout the whole session. After the first session I had with her, I felt so relaxed, dizzy, and lightheaded that Lisa had to help me up to my room! Hypnotherapy: My first two sessions were with Barbara and I instantly liked her. Unfortunately, she got sick and my subsequent sessions were with a different hypnotherapist. The replacement practitioner was very nice, but I didn't feel like our sessions were helpful. The morning of my last day, I was scheduled with Barbara via Zoom. That was our first in depth hypnosis session and it was life changing. Barbara has an amazing gift. Brainspotting: I saw Teri who was great. The first session I got nothing, the second session was better than the first, but the third session incurred a breakthrough! It was difficult, but cathartic and eye opening. Spiritual therapy: I saw Audrey and Christine. They are both spiritual therapists, but their approach is different. I really liked them both. Audrey helped me pull my head out of the sand and call things like they are. It was especially helpful with a past relationship and healing my inner child. Christine has this quiet and gentle presence while still being effective and engaging. She helped me reflect on things and I felt like I was able to be vulnerable with her. Somatic therapy: Lynda helped me rediscover the mind-body connection and I realized how in tune I am with my body if I listen to it. Lynda taught me to turn toward difficult emotions without judgement. I found these sessions to be really enlightening. Massage therapy: Arlene is the best! She gave me the best massages I've ever had. You can tell she takes pride in her work and works hard to ensure you feel relaxed. Acupuncture/Gua Sha: Rachel is excellent at what she does and she is such a kind person! Equine therapy: Very memorable and meaningful experience. Chloe is awesome. Group therapy: Group therapy was often run by one of the psychologists and they were all great. My favorite group was art therapy! Ako ran the groups and he is insanely talented. He broke down the paintings step by step and would help you if he saw you struggling. Case management: I liked my CM and our meetings were like more therapy. I was told I'd still have three months of case management with her post-discharge and she encouraged me to call/text whenever I needed her. Psychiatry: Dr. Lozano was nice and helpful. MD: In short, he refused to give me meds my doctor back home prescribed, not caring about my intense and chronic pain. After a week, he acquiesced, but it was frustrating. Discharge/post-discharge: CM set me up with an IOP before I left, but it closed the day after I started. She did not help me find another one. New program could not obtain records from Seasons, delaying me starting by a week. CM stopped replying to me over two weeks ago and no one from Seasons has checked on me. It’s very hurtful.

I could write a book about my amazing experience at the Seasons Beach Cottage. Normally I’m a calm and collected type of person but at this point in my life I was suffering from extreme anxiety and depression brought on by a string of devastating personal losses. I was in a constant state of “fight or flight” for months, which wreaked havoc on my mind and body. I had heard the phrase “Stress Kills” but I didn’t understand it until it happened to me. I went to UCLA Resnick Psychiatric Hospital where my Social Worker recommended the Beach Cottage to me. It takes a village to help someone in the state I was in, and Seasons is that village. Never could I have imagined such a comprehensive team of expert and compassionate healers working with me. And the wonderful Client Advocates who are available night and day, and trained to handle whatever crisis you may find yourself in. At Seasons they truly understand what you’re going through and are dedicated to helping you heal. There’s also something amazing that happens among the clients - they all help one another. It’s very powerful to see people just like yourself who have been at Seasons for a while and are now healthy and ready to go home. You realize that if they can do it, so can you. Lastly, I have to mention how stunningly beautiful the Malibu ocean setting is and how important this was for my own healing. I am eternally grateful to have had this experience and come out of it a better person.

Almost a year ago, I found myself in a downward spiral and did not possess the coping devices needed to heal myself. I was in a such a dark place and did not know where to start to heal. My siblings discovered "The cottage" a mental health crises center run by "Seasons in Malibu" my issues were related to divorce after 25 years and the loss of structure and family. When I first heard the cost I was not ready to go. However, in hindsight what is the cost of a human life (your life). Here's what i can tell you about "The cottage" I think they saved my life. When I left I felt ..."Wow how can they do all that for that cost". Literally, Everyone at the facility is amazing! The therapists are more then top notch and they helped me so much. Every single employee without exception was exceptional. They absolutely offered so many different types of therapy and healing modalities. It is not easy to ask for help and everyone there understands that. I don't know who does their hiring but they really are ahead of every problem that can arise and you feel safe and protected. I think they find people who have a calling to this type of work. Every Client Assistant they have on site are amazing and are always present and willing to help. They know when to step in and when to retreat. It's truly phenomenal. I could write a chapter on each employee there and the support they afforded me. I also have to give a shout out to their amazing chef's. I have "Celiac" and dietary issues and the food was superb! Really gourmet. I left "The cottage" right when COVID started. The team of "Season's" reached out and had some free sessions over zoom to help us that left during that time. I have also reached out to continue with some of their Therapists as like I said they are top notch and there is not a new therapy they don't offer. If you are lost...I Highly recommend this Facility. They have also been extremely helpful in reaching out to my insurance to help with the cost.

A time of need and crisis arose late in April of this year and my family and I concluded we needed the best center and most qualified help to assist in lifting me up but we truly didn’t know where to start so we did what most do these days and Googled recovery centers. It appeared as though Seasons was the right move from what we could collect from afar but I truly had no idea how wonderfully lucky I got in choosing this program. It turned out to be one of the best choices I’ve ever made. The program is beautifully created and meticulous in its approach to bringing a healing effect for those prepared to make a change in their life. I couldn’t be more thankful for my time spent in Malibu, I’ve recommended it to anyone who will listen and will forever be indebted to the professionals whom gave me the keys and guidance to a spectacular new journey!