A New Review of The Castlewood Treatment Center — 1 star

I have been to Castlewood multiple times and at the time I would have sworn that they were the only place to receive treatment. However, after getting some distance and viewing this treatment center from a more objective stance I have come to understand that, in fact, Castlewood is a very dangerous and scary place, riddled with ethical issues, non-scientific treatment methods and cult like practices. These things include, but are not limited to:

1. Therapists getting far too close to certain clients, giving out personal cell phone numbers, paying for clients medical bills out of their own personal money or carrying on personal relationships with clients in secret.

2. Internal Family Systems - their main therapy of choice - has almost ZERO scientific backing and no evidence proving effectiveness

3. DARK ENERGY - This is something Castlewood believes in and includes in therapy recently. They claim that Dark Energy is a concept existing when someone has gone through a traumatic event or series of events. Basically, the victim is said to have taken on the "dark energy" of the perpetrator. What this leads to is victims of trauma being forced to acknowledge ways in which they are like the people that hurt them. AN INCREDIBLY HARMFUL AND NON-SCIENTIFIC METHOD. There is NO evidence at all, anywhere, that says in anyway that this concept exists or that it is beneficial for a victim of trauma to acknowledge the ways in which they are like their perpetrator. In all actuality all it leads to is victim blaming and shame for the victim.

4. A concerning diagnostic practice whereby many of their clients enter treatment with minimal trauma histories and NO histories of dissociation and come out diagnosed with DID and an extensive trauma history that they have suddenly "recovered." To be clear - researchers are split about whether DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) even exists. However, if it does exist it is INCREDIBLY RARE. But, at any one time Castlewood can have multiple clients with DID. This is so far outside the normal its ridiculous. Furthermore, most of these clients did NOT have DID before coming to Castlewood. Most did NOT experience dissociation. Most did NOT have extensive trauma histories. However, by going in to Castlewood these clients are encouraged to "recover" memories of abuse and then receive the diagnosis of DID. I am not trying to say that everyone who has ever received a diagnosis of DID from Castlewood does not have it. I'm sure a couple do. But they diagnose far too many people with it and far too many people leave Castlewood far more messed up than they entered.

5. Other questionable diagnostic practices - Castlewood creates an atmosphere whereby to have the most diagnosis's is considered better. They are very loose with their diagnostic criteria and will diagnose just about anybody with anything. Many people walk in with a simple eating disorder and walk out with three, four or five separate mental health diagnosis's. Again, some are probably true, however, I know that many are not.

This is only a snapshot of what goes on there. They are very dangerous and should not be in business. Please please please - go somewhere else. Do not get sucked into the world of Castlewood because once you do its very very difficult to escape.