Monte Nido Clementine – Northport

i went to this monte nido residential and stayed there for some time, if i am being honest this place was a terrible experience for me and some other clients there but i can’t speak for everyone. the major problem is… the people who work there. some of the rcs and nurses are okay and not bad at all, but all the therapists at the time where i was there, the dietitian, some rcs and nurses are terrible at their job and have no respect what so ever. when i was there i wasn’t treated like a normal human being and treated me noticeably different than other clients. these people talk shit about other clients meaning the people who work there. they do not care for you at all. some rcs just have a attitude and the nurses as well. the people here made my life a living hell. the therapists and dietitians don’t help you when you are struggling and especially when your facing difficulty with a meal plan increase. they act like it’s so easy but aren’t we here for treatment…? the worst part is you can be having a rough time, crying or facing any difficulties the rcs just LEAVE you crying (some of them) and don’t do anything to help and meanwhile there just on their phone or on their laptop taking notes, but they have a job for a reason. you can be recommended to go to eating disorder treatment by your loved ones, family, treatment team, school etc. but this place doesn’t help and if your insurance is done covering, your out whether or not you got help. some of the therapists or rcs when you are eating or literally doing anything constantly take notes. i dropped my fork accidentally and they started typing on their phone. if you aren’t eating or struggling like for example when i didn’t eat a therapist was begin rude to me, i don’t quite remember the conversation because this was months ago but all i remember i wasn’t supported and they were patient or kind towards me. i got yelled at by people and was treated like i was crazy. if you weren’t feeling good a day like physically or even mentally you were expected too do the whole schedule like everyone else and if you didn’t and you had a good reason it would be a refusal. the people there never listened to me and or tried to be there for me if i was going through something. once i had a panic attack and some one who worked there (not giving games) was just standing there not helping me at all and being rude towards me, and another time i got left alone in the beginning of my stay while i was crying for 3 hours extremely shaking and i was sitting by myself with no one to try and help. begin here is already so hard, you are away from your loved one, family’s,etc at a place and you get only 10 minute phone calls and friday visiting only while is very lonely. the people who work here have no empathy and just do their job. they make it seem so home like, good treatment, clean but it really isn’t. they force us to clean the mileu if someone is touring just for it to seem clean. any little thing i would do there would be a problem. they always say they help and look at other disorders like anxiety, depression, ocd, personality disorders and problems like self harm and si but they genuinely don’t help with that. a person who worked there was suppose to contact my mom about a specific thing regarding me and said it themselves she will keep touch once i am discharged never did and still till this day. another reason that proves they don’t give any shits about you. they have a padded room downstairs which they put people in if they do something wrong or act out, which is disturbing and traumatizing, atleast for me and they leave u there for alittle. we are here at a mental health treatment for treatment and help instead of getting talked too, being helped or someone trying to calm you down you get put in there. when i was also here i got a really harsh thing told to me which i wont be getting into specifics but genuinely horrible. this place doesn’t really help with recovery atleast for me, everyone’s journey, ed, recovery is different.

I have so much to say about this place, and the people there. This place had good intentions, though zero skill in carrying out the process of recovery. I would never recommend this place to anyone desiring to recover.… I can not express to you the pain and trauma I carry because of this place. And the worst part? You cant escape it once you sign up for it. I was stuck in this hell for 77 days. Surrounded by peers who were so mean, hurtful, and cruel to me. Recovery was hard enough on its own- this place added a new level of isolation into the worst part of my life- which is the last anyone trying to recover needs. I don't just blame the other clients there, I blame the staff. They never controlled the clients who hurt me, and allowed for them to treat me in ways no one should ever be treated. Along with that, they were under qualified and never showed genuine care for the clients there. Whether it was their intention or not- they trapped me in living hell. I don't have the perfect answer or advice to give someone in recovery, but my first words of advice would be stay away from this place. In summary, this place is inhumane and I hope one day I learn to forget all of the terrible treatment and the horrible pain I suffered from every day there. I was truly alone with no escape or true outlets of support. They cut me off from my loved ones- and everyone there made me feel like I didn't deserve to live. I forgive everyone there- because that's what God would want. But if I can save anyone who is considering to go there, I will try my best to advise against it strongly.

My time at Monte Nido North shore truly changed my life. It helped me to create lifetime connects, find peace in myself, and learn to view life in a new and exciting way. For anyone struggling with an eating disorder,… this is the right place to be. The staff are all incredibly supportive, optimistic, and enthusiastic individuals who are dedicated to making a positive difference in adolescence lives, and through their hard work they have made a wonderful environment with such a healing atmosphere. It’s truly a lovely place!

Let me be brutally honest: if I could give this Monte Nido location zero stars, I would. In fact, I wish I could give it negative stars. The facility claims to help people recover from eating disorders, but in reality,… it’s disorganized, traumatizing, and often dangerous. The house may look peaceful in photos, but that’s just marketing. What actually happens inside can make someone worse — not better. Let’s start with the staff, because that’s where most of the problems begin. Many are clearly unqualified and undertrained. Recovery coaches were inconsistent, rude, and made inappropriate comments about food — one even told me my snack was “huge” compared to the label. That’s not just ignorant — it’s harmful. The therapists weren’t better. Devon was two-faced: overly sweet around families but cold and dismissive in sessions. Chloe rarely said anything meaningful. I’d open up and get a half-hearted “okay” in return — not therapy, just emotional neglect. Somehow she still got promoted. The clinical director, Brittany, was passive and ineffective, rarely following through on anything. Then there’s the dietitian, Miranda. Completely out of her depth. She increased calories too quickly without proper support and was rarely available. One time, she led a cooking group because the chef was out — she burned our personal pizzas so badly the fire department had to come. We were still expected to eat the blackened food. Not a joke. That actually happened. Another time, I was forced to eat three slices of New York-style pizza, one with ham and pineapple — not even on the menu. No one took responsibility, of course. That’s typical at Monte Nido. As for safety? One RC drove us to a nail salon and didn’t even know how to start the car. Another time, she also drove with one eye closed because her glasses were broken. I wish I were kidding. That same outing was cut short because the RC decided we had to leave — even though we later found out we could’ve stayed. Just more miscommunication. One night, staff completely forgot our night snack — a critical part of recovery, just ignored. There was little structure, tons of downtime with no therapeutic support, and repetitive, ineffective groups. Even worse, staff didn’t stop self-harming behavior or prevent clients from piercing each other’s ears inside the facility. All patients were placed on close observation, regardless of history — using the bathroom with the door cracked, toilets checked before flushing. For many of us, it was degrading and unnecessary. Restrictions were excessive: visiting hours only on Fridays, phone access limited to two phones with 10-minute calls. It was isolating. After long, emotionally draining days, we just wanted to speak to loved ones — and couldn’t. The psychiatrist and doctor showed up once a week. They were fine, but distant. Honestly, the only good thing about this place was the nursing staff. They treated us like actual humans, gave honest advice, and didn’t fake empathy. To be blunt, this place didn’t help me recover — it made things worse. I left with new behaviors and deeper trauma than I came in with. The environment was unstructured, unsafe, and emotionally harmful. I wouldn’t send my worst enemy here — let alone someone I love. If you’re considering Monte Nido for yourself or someone you care about: don’t. Don’t be fooled by the branding. This place is a mess. You deserve better. Your recovery deserves better.