Parent Testimonials

Enrolling our daughter at Clearview was one of the best decisions that our family has ever made. She dealt with depression and anxiety since she was a small child. We spent a great deal of time and energy going from doctor to doctor trying one medication after another without any results to point to other than major side effects. Before we arrived at Clearview, Mary, the owner, recommended we get my daughter tested at the Amen Clinic. They provide a psych test plus a brain scan. This testing had a profound impact on her ability to get off the majority of these meds within a year. Today, she is only on one of her medications and she is managing it on her own. Through individual, group, and family therapy, my daughter started to address some very real issues that were creating most of her self limiting beliefs. We were not aware of a trauma that she had experienced as a young child. This realization, and the work we did around it, allowed us to focus on the real issue at hand rather than using medications to simply treat her symptoms. Clearview got to the root of my daughter’s secrets and proved the wisdom that we are only as sick as our secrets. They gave her the tools that she needed to let her past go and find a way forward to keeping it simple and just focusing on doing the next right thing. After she graduated from Clearview, she returned home and is now preparing to start her Freshman year at a nearby university. No parent could hope for more for their child.

My daughter’s stay at Clearview was life-changing for her. She felt safe enough during her stay that she was able to work on some deep trauma issues which had been keeping her stuck for years. All the direct care staff we had contact with are caring about having fun with my kid as she was at Clearview. The therapists did an amazing job building a healthy relationship with my family so that we felt safe to share and grow. I highly recommend this facility

Clearview was the best choice I could have made for my teenage daughter. She was on a destructive path. Destructive for her and destructive for the rest of us. Clearview provides a caring and structured environment that my daughter needed to connect to. The academic program is individualized and is delivering results as she has done a lot of credit recovery while she has been there and is back on track and slightly ahead of pace (keeping my fingers crossed). I was amazed and impressed by the campus. Small and quiet at the base of a mountain in Montana with trees, deer and river streams all around it. It was ideal for the type of unplugged environment that I wanted to take my daughter to to get her a fresh start. From Philadelphia to Montana, what a change for her and exactly what she needed. I can say without a doubt that the students are provided with excellent care by a Christian staff who truly wants to see our daughter cross over to a life of purpose and clarity. My daughter has been there almost 16 months now and the change has been significant. I truly thank God every night that she is at Clearview and know that it was the best decision I could have ever made to benefit my daughter and my family to place us on the right path. Do you know what the difference was? I was as much about my daughter seeing me doing my own work as it was for her to be doing her own work. Clearview asks a lot of us in this process. A lot in the form of engagement and trust. They are very direct about doing my own work. Doing my own work meant bringing vulnerability to the weekly family therapy call. It means coming to every family workshop they offered (we have been to three so far). It means dropping everything when they invited me to a therapeutic river rafting trip down the Salmon river for my daughter and I to work on us. Clearview holds a very high standard and we are getting the results we never thought possible. My daughter is more open than she has ever been. Open about her drug use and her boundary issues. This a created a way forward. She is on the student leadership team now and we are seeing her build momentum towards her program graduation. We made the right choice with Clearview.

My daughter went to Clearview for almost 17 months. During that time, I have learned more than I imagined about emotional growth, about me and my parenting and what I bring to the table than I ever imagined. This decision for my wife and I was very difficult, but sitting on the other side of it, I am full of gratitude for the staff at Clearview. I could tell many stories about staff going the extra mile to make my daughter know she is loved and valued. The staff here put in endless hours of ups and downs, and yet they show up time and again with love over fear in their heart to do it all over again the next day. Sound familiar? Sort of like being a parent. Clearview is not perfect. No school is at any level of care. If you are looking at a private boarding school for your daughter, then the critical components you are looking for are safety, an experienced therapeutic team, and a loving environment. In my experience, Clearview is one of the best at these three things. In a year and a half, my daughter has gone from self destructive behavior and not wanting any relationship with my wife and I, to an understanding of who she is, an appreciation for the change she has gone through, and to hope for her future, and a desire for that future to include us (rather than excluding us). She has grown and gained life experiences that have saved and will serve her life. We got our daughter back.

I can’t say enough about our 15 months at Clearview. Y’all have become a family to us! My daughter has grown so much and made such great (lifelong, I hope) friends! Thank you to Mary Thielbahr who opened the door for us and Jason who guided us through the process! Jeremiah Guidos was our therapist and I know it was God’s design. He was amazing with our girl! I was actually a little sad…bittersweet….to see Montana disappear as we flew back home. It’s such a beautiful place and I know my daughter will be back again to visit! Thanks for all the wonderful workshops and thank you to Luna the amazing horse who was so patient with my daughter! And to the parents who have worked alongside us in this journey who I can now call friends! It was truly an honor to know everyone there.

Our daughter is a graduate of Clearview and is doing great! If you ask her who made the most profound impact in her life and who she misses most, her answer will be Mike. Mike Linderman, the head counselor at Clearview, is an amazing therapist and a very compassionate, insightful, wise and caring person to whom we will be forever grateful for his service to our daughter and this family. If we had to do this all over again we would want Mike as our leader and guide.

I would like to recommend the Clearview therapeutic boarding school to every parent who is looking for a place that heals, builds self-esteem, rebuilds family relations, or help with life-controlling issues or any other problem your teenage daughter might be facing. I am confident that the dedicated, experienced and qualified Clearview staff will be able to provide the best possible environment for healing, not only to the child, but the parent as well.

Dear Clearview,

As with a lack of expertise in the English Language and deep humility I would like to address the families at Clearview and whoever will be at the next workshop. My heart is poured out before God because of what God is doing at Clearview.

We all know how difficult it has been to send our daughters “away” to a boarding school. This is a complexity that we all face. I know one thing for sure, that the last two years of my life have been the most transformational and productive years in my life. I am a seeker of Christ and I want to be transformed by the love of Christ. I truly believe now that healing in every way, shape and form can only come through true humility; (This does not mean a door mat).

The staff have shown the upmost love and respect to my daughter and have been used by God to shape her in the last two years to become what she is now. (Yes, and I hate to say it, trust the process, I think God’s process). He truly loves us and he is not done with any of us until our last breath. God bless you all richly with His great love and humility because he died for us. Rejoice and thank God for all the things and do the next right thing. To Him be glory and honor and praise.

I want to thank Mike from the bottom of my heart being the therapist to my daughter the last two years. I trust him wholeheartedly to be a male therapist in an all-girls boarding school. I trust him with my whole heart to have the integrity and gift to do the work that he does. He has the fear of God in him.

I do want to thank Alicia and Jo the teacher especially, for their way and gift to look at each person and give the remedy necessary to guide each girl in the right direction. And Last, but not least all the House moms that fill in the gaps in the tapestry of Clearview.

I ask for your forgiveness for my lack of humility and trust in God at times, and I Thank God for all of you. May we stay in the race until our last breath.

“I just want to take a moment to express my appreciation for all your hard work with [my daughter]. The staff at Clearview have exceeded my expectations. She is a rough nut to crack, and it is often frustrating tying to make an impact with her. Believe me, I know that! With us she was constantly “in refusal” and a request to help sweep the floor could result in a screaming tantrum. I was surprised when Clearview got her to do any chores at all. She has achieved a level of self-awareness and ability to discuss feelings that I find impressive. Your work with her gives me hope for her future. Thank You.”

“I think what impacted me the most was to see the girls be honest and open with each other. It was a real blessing. It required courage and authenticity ….I guess it was one of the best examples I have seen of “Speaking the truth in love.” It was nice to see them be so real and so encouraging – to care for each other. “

“Clearview has had a profound impact on the entire family. We have seen an incredible change in our daughter and a refreshing new level of maturity and accountability. Our family has learned so much about the things we were doing to contribute to the insanity in our home, pre-program. We now have tools to use as we incorporate changes necessary to be a healthy family. We are extremely grateful for the regular workshops that were provided to equip us with new knowledge and awareness to do our work as individuals and as a family.

I will remember that I brought my daughter to Clearview feeling as though I had failed as a mom – the clinical staff helped me to begin the process of shedding the guilt so that I could in turn be able to look at my self honestly and begin to identify the work I needed to do. As we healed our hearts and gained new perspective, the staff of Clearview were supportive and ALWAYS open to open to hear our feedback and suggestions in regard to creating new challenges to move our daughter forward. We truly were a team (staff plus Mom and Dad) working towards the goal of getting our daughter into a healthier place so that she would have the potential to thrive outside of the program.”

“My daughter is totally owning her school work and showing great responsibility for getting her homework done…I am so proud of her! I cannot stress the importance of the home contract enough to the parents — a plan developed at the end of the Clearview program. Whenever I go into fear-based thinking, I remind myself to read the contract and see what I am suppose to do, and then I own that.”

“Results don’t lie. What Clearview does, works! God used Clearview to work a miracle in our lives! Kathryn is now a joy to be around! We are functioning as a healthier family unit, and I have new ways to deal with my pre-program non-working behaviors.

I am in awe of Mary and Mike and are impressed with their knowledge of what makes a teenage girl act the way she does and their skill in turning around non-working beliefs and behaviors. I am thankful for their dedication to the girls at Clearview.”

“I just had to drop you a quick note to let you know how [our daughter] is doing. We continue to be amazed at the progress and positive changes in our daughter. (WE LOVE IT!) She was able to stand up at a fundraising banquet in front of 600 people and share her testimony. She was able to share openly and honestly about the good and bad things in her life. We know that [our daughter] has done a lot of hard work but we truly don’t think that she would be at this place had we not found Clearview. Kim, Mike, Mickey and the rest of the staff we want to thank for working so hard with [our daughter] during her stay. Thank you so much for never giving up on our family. You were ALL so instrumental in helping her start her healing journey. We hear so many comments that [our daughter] looks so joyful and content. All we can do is smile and agree with them.”

“We are very, very grateful for all you’ve done for our daughter. You have changed the lives — three lives — of us!”

“Our family just completed our daughters first home visit and words cannot express the growth we see in her. During her time at Clearview we have seen her face many challenges and even more growth. We have seen her grow in maturity, self-control, ability to follow directions, make healthier choices, effectively manage her emotions, and communicate skillfully.

We have seen her grow spiritually as she has committed her life to Christ. For the first time in many years our family was healthy and truly enjoyed our time together. Although all of these areas of growth have been a gift and perhaps the most evident change was for the first time she did not create drama to get attention. She actually was one of many in our large extended family and one of five in our immediate family. This allowed us all to experience so much joy during the holidays.

The professionals at Clearview have guided my husband and I in doing our own emotional work. This has strengthened us as individuals, parents and in our marriage. We truly see the growth in our daughter from working her Clearview program and deeply appreciate how the staff have invested in her life and our family.

We are hopeful for her future and for the future of our family. What a gift that when I was on my knees praying for a way to help my daughter we were led to Clearview. Our test is becoming our testimony. May God bless each of you as you inspire and teach the girls to live out their God given potential.”

“When everything else failed and future seemed hopeless, when there was no place to turn for help, Clearview Horizon accepted my daughter into its program and did what seemed impossible; it gave us new hope and a turning point in my daughter’s life.

Coming to Clearview Horizon with problems of anorexia nervosa, sexual abuse, and problems with the family and law, and dealing with it all trying to heal the pain was not easy, but the dedicated Clearview staff did a wonderful job to help my daughter start recovering and get her on the right path to return to life. The ongoing intensive individual and group therapy sessions, with the qualified expert therapists such as Mike and Mary, and the application of the level system really worked and slowly my daughter started dropping her protective shells and trusting again and opening up to reveal her pain that was causing her problems and her act out in destructive ways. She started to heal. Our mother/daughter relationship started to recover. We could have normal conversations again; I could hear my old real child again, who started to talk to me and smile and just be herself. With the therapist assisted weekly phone calls we could work on the family issues that otherwise would never be brought up and would’ve caused more pain in the future.

As a result of my daughter’s stay at Clearview Horizon, she has become a new person, one who is open to accept life’s challenges in a positive way, one who is open to recovery and the work that needs to be done to accomplish that, one who has gained the self-esteem needed to get to a better place in life and one who started to trust others and…. herself.

I would like to recommend the Clearview Horizon Therapeutic Boarding School to every parent who is looking for a place that heals, builds self-esteem, rebuilds family relations, or helps with addictions and any other problem your teenage daughter might be facing. I am confident that the dedicated, experienced and qualified Clearview Horizon staff will be able to provide the best possible environment for recovery, not only to the child, but the parent as well.”

“I have been very pleased with the way my daughter has responded to the mental therapy, home environment, socialization process, and overall concern and attention given her by the Clearview program. My daughter began the program as a withdrawn, sullen fourteen-year-old, using deception and cunning to manipulate and control her environment. She is now blossoming, exhibiting a burgeoning positive attitude, is more open with her feelings, and has learned that all actions do indeed have consequences for which we all must take responsibility. She is now earning back the respect of her family. Her main focus no longer being simply on herself, but rather on how to work together as a whole to get a job worth doing done well.

I can’t express how much I appreciate my daughter’s new, open, up-front positive attitude and seeing how her priorities have changed so entirely. Her grades are back up to the level they were prior to her involvement with drugs, alcohol, and abusing ‘friends.’ Her confidence is gradually coming back, and her sense of self-esteem increases daily. She is also much more responsible regarding the saving and spending of money. I attribute all of this to the time she has spent in the Clearview program.

Overall, I cannot give a higher ‘thumbs up’ to the Clearview program, set in the beautiful northern Idaho community of Sandpoint on Lake Pend Oreille, and to its director, Mary Thielbahr and the effect she and her program have had upon my daughter, and therefore, upon the healing of our whole family.”

“I enrolled Karla in a wilderness program pending the successful completion of that program I would make the ‘next step’ decision for Karla. During the time Karla was in the wilderness program I did the research for her next placement. I consulted with a well respected educational counselor in Seattle. I asked for recommendations from the local mental health agencies. In each case Clearview was the recommendation.

Clearview is a residential facility that is located in a serene, peaceful setting. It offers a controlled, structured environment providing one-on-one as well as group therapy and family counseling. We were looking for possible chemical imbalances as well as possible psychological problems. Karla had such large self-esteem issues and we were looking for ways to explain the motivation behind her self-destructive and hostile acts. With Mary’s advice and guidance much has been revealed.

A year ago I would not have believed we could come so far. The expense has been well worth it. The combination of an accurate mental diagnosis, controlled medication, therapy, and a nurturing environment has improved Karla’s chance for normalcy. She is well on her way to learning to deal with and face her problems giving her a new sense of self-confidence and an ability to move forward past the past.”

“I highly recommend Clearview Horizon for girls. When our daughter entered Clearview we felt like we had done everything we could and that we needed help. Clearview was exactly the help we needed. Our daughter had multiple things to deal with including learning disabilities, addictive behaviors, depression issues and self image problems. Over the time she was at Clearview she developed tools to deal with her challenges. She came to love and respect us again.

Throughout all the challenges, Clearview was there for us. Sometimes the staff told us things we did not really want to hear, but always they counseled and coached us out of love and extensive experience. The staff there have seen just about any possible issue. They know when tough love is best and when other forms of love and treatment might bring different results.

I unreservedly endorse Clearview. Please call with any questions.”

“I am writing this letter to let you know that we have been very happy and satisfied with our daughter’s progress at Clearview. When we made the decision to send our daughter to an establishment such as yours, we made sure we researched it, since we were ensuring our daughters well being to someone other than ourselves. We heard good things about Clearview and when we had any questions or inquiries, your staff was more than pleased to respond to all our questions. The fact that Mickey called me and spoke with me at length, as well as Mary, reassured us that our daughter was going to be in good hands.

The decision to send a daughter away is a hard one. We were desperate to help our daughter any way we could. She had been to several counselors and psychologists in the past and could never achieve the results that we hoped for. We felt that more intensive counseling and treatment was needed. At Clearview we were able to see that our daughter had achieved in personal and emotional breakthroughs that she had never able to achieve. We saw for the first time in years, that there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

The program has restored our hope. We can now feel our daughter making the transformation into a loving, productive, and responsible young woman that we hoped all our lives she would be. Our daughter is not yet finished with the program, however, I know every day she spends there is a valuable lesson in life that she will eventually appreciate and thanks us for. We would like to thank you for your caring and empathy and congratulate you on your psychologists which are truly wonderful people. We are blessed to have our daughter there.”