It was alright. Most people were bullies because of their insecure childhoods but some were good peoole.

I recently left Forte Strong and am currently residing in St. George. I have a great job now and a chance to move up in my company by going to graduate school. Forte Strong was very tough in the beginning and to be completely honest, I actually hated it. I felt like everyone was against me, including the director. I thought they were just trying to make me jump through meaningless hoops. I was tired, depressed, anxious, and had very little self confidence. In a fit of frustration, I vented to one of my housemates the director wasn’t helping and was actually making it worse. The guy said the director’s methods will all make sense in the end. Obviously, at the time, I blew that off as utter nonsense. A month or so later, I was having a lot of anxiety and the director supported me in my time of need in a way that was quite unfamiliar to me at the time. I was shocked. He did care and not only that, he believed in my strength and resilience. My opinions of him changed almost immediately. He became my biggest mentor in the program. I went to him for problems I may have had, how I could have handled this situation differently, how I could have a better relationship with my parents, etc. He was there for me and I was ready to listen. In a matter of 5 and half months, my relationship with one of my parents changed drastically, a feat I thought was near impossible and hopeless when I entered the program. My resilience increased, my self confidence increased because I was doing well at work, and I had more trust in my abilities. Everything was changing for the better. I was going to be fine. I also made countless friends along the way, people that I will still keep in contact with for a while. I have also dealt with challenging people in the program, people who I really didn’t care for and who didn’t really align with my values. The program director mentored me through dealing with difficult people. It was an uphill battle, but it is all about learning. Now, I’m not going to say that this program is for everyone. It definitely is not. There is a stark contrast between the people who actually want to be there and to work on themselves and the people who feel forced by their parents. I was fortunately the former. And as I sit in my new apartment in St. George on a bright Saturday morning, I want to say thank you Brook for all you have done for me.

It is not an experience that is right for everyone but it has made a big difference for a family member. My thoughts: If you are looking for traditional heavy therapy environment focused on diagnosis and medication management this is not for your family member. Forte has therapy and medication management but it is not the core of what they do. It is a small piece of it and one that I think has opportunity to be improved upon. That being said, not why you come here. If you have a young man who cannot move forward to adulthood responsibilities regardless of the cause this may be for your family. I say may because there is really no way to predict if this formula is the right one. For our family member, routine, coaching, basic skills for healthy living and independence were that formula. A real differentiator here is the obligation to work during the program. It is not just an obligation but central to success. That, plus the independence gained riding and owning a motor scooter ( something I could never have imagined) made a huge impact. The coaches are kind, empathetic but tough and direct and the same time. They are practical and this coupled with the simplicity of life in St. George are also very helpful. My family member has chosen to remain in St. George and is is moving out on his own, has a nice job and is on the road to a professional career that feels more in line with his interests. His stress is vastly improved, as is depression and he has better interactions with his family than before. Opportunities exist with the therapy and communication with parents. It is not perfect but the Director is amazing and open to feedback. At the end of the day they genuinely care and work hard purely in the interests of these young men. It is expensive but if the behavior I see now sustains itself - well worth it.

Outstanding

I came across this website as I was desperately trying to find help for my son. We've been worried for quite some time and just lost, he had zero desire to engage in conversation with anyone, lived in his room and would only leave his room in the middle of the night to eat when the rest of the house was asleep. He barely left the house and was without a job for over a year. At our wits end we tried to kick him out but didn't have the tools or plan in place to follow through. We reached out to Forte Strong and had a consultation. We gained a lot of insight about how they operate and how they push the young men to succeed as an individual and not as a dependent both relying on parents while being an adult. With the help of the consultation and many check ins afterwards, my son applied for, interviewed, got a job with good pay and benefits and is going to work on his own. Buying and preparing his own food, leaving the confines of his room, and contributing financially to the household and paying his own bills. Although my son did not attend the program, without the support and basic principles of Forte Strong, we would still be in dispare and lost on what to do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and I know if we take a step back or go down a path to old habits, I know this program will be the next... and final step for our son to keep moving forward.

We are very thankful that we found Forte Strong for our son. Forte taught our son the skills to grow and develop so that he could become independent. Prior to FS, our son was not gaining these skills on his own at home or at college. The structure, discipline and accountability, combined with coaching and therapy, created an environment where he could grow and gain confidence. While we as parents had to step back and allow our son to rely on himself and the program support, by the time he graduated our relationship was much healthier. A weekly webinar for the parents is a key component of the program. Brook (program director) does an incredible job providing insightful and valuable parent education. He connects with the parents and helps them understand the underlying principles and processes of the program. We are grateful for the dedicated staff at Forte Strong and what they are doing for the students they serve.

The care Will gave to us, the understanding of our situation, and advice has turned our son around. We can't thank Will at Forte Strong enough. Every situation is different, and with Will's help, he gave us the working tools to help our son get back on track. We are forever grateful to Forte Strong. I know that if you have a son who is struggling, Forte Strong is the solution.

There are too many reviews that have 5 stars. Forte deserves 6. Let me tell you why. I am Isaac Bradford-Feldman. I am 26 from Vermont. I came to Utah, August 2024 with dire need for support. I left Forte May, 2025 a changed man. About me pre Forte: During covid, I played video games for 10 hours a day. I had no friends nor interest to talk to friends. I had no independence, I couldn't buy my own groceries. I had no accountability. I had almost a gram of marijuana every single day. I lived in a state funded 'adult foster care'. I needed help bad. My parents realized the direction I was going. I came to my dad and said I needed help. I was ready to leave for Utah in two weeks. I was watching the movie, 'Dances with Wolves'. I was imagining Utah had bison and was something like that. I was nervous but excited for a change. My dad and I promised One critical thing that throughout my stay put me above many of my peers. No matter what, I would not quit the program prematurely until I was ready. My problem avoidance problem: How Forte Helped me with avoiding my problems: It was hot as hell in August. My forte was messy and my roommate was a jerk. Why am I here? Why am I doing this to myself I thought. I was blind to my sense of entitlement. I pleaded coach jake to switch forts to avoid my problem with my roommate. For the first time in three years, I had to face my problems. Paraphrasing here, he said, "No. You're going to have to put up with people you don't like and learn how to manage those kinds of relationships." I was very anxious. Confrontational. Serious. Reactive. And I thought my roommate was the problem. My roommate and I worked through it and ultimately, I was surprised how many common interests we had. The books: Forte will have you read many books. One of my biggest issues was accountability. A navy seal captain, Jocko wrote a book on how to take, 'extreme ownership' of any given situation. My dad would always tell me, "honesty is the best policy." How am I to be honest when its not my fault? I would think. This book helped me learn how to take accountability for my mistakes. Another book I read was The Slight Edge. This book taught me a new perspective to small habits and there benefit on my overall well being. Dave Ramseys Total Money Makeover helped me learn to manage my finances, not get into debt and save for an emergency fund. The Four Agreements helped me simplify the small things stressing me out and look ahead optimistically. The books I read in Forte were insurmountable to my development. My jobs: In Forte I struggled with employment. Its ironic looking back because now, I love going to work. Back then, It was like my parents were asking me to do chores. Culvers, Kohls, Natural Grocers. I worked in three businesses and quit all three. I could say this guy was a jerk or the management was this or that. Ultimately I was unable to make those jobs work. I was kicked out of the forts and given the blessing of homelessness. After I spent a night in the wild in a very cold night. I will never allow myself to miss work or be late unless I'm dying in bed. My current job: I currently work at a small family restaurant, Saint Hellen's where I love to show up every day at my job and fell in love with serving It is an absolute blessing to work at such a great place. I prove to myself every single day I'm there I am worth it by working hard and making my customers happy. I am proud of that. I cant write more in this review. Unfortunately there's a word limit. Shout out to Brook Price for helping me man up. I'm a changed man. I love my life, my job, my friends, my fitness, my money. Email me at [email protected] if you have any questions about the program for yourself or your son. I am not affiliated with Forte and can give you first hand answers. Kimball, Sariah, Jake, Mikey, Sam, Elliot, Rodney, Kim, Addy, Ammon. Eric, Brook. Thank you. I owe you guys the world. Tell your kid to trust the process. I wanted to quit prematurely so many times when it got hard but that's life. I promised my dad.