Heritage Counseling Clinic – Sintra

If im going to be honest about this review, the first thing i’ll say is that Heritage is intense. Its a place for people to go when they truly want to recover and change, not for people who want someone else to make… that change for them. Heritage works if you work it. If you sit inside at all hours of the day, dont participate in activities, dont share, and just expect change to come, it won’t. Heritage isn’t some luxury Portuguese vacation spot, its a place of action and commitment to a new life, its a safe place for you to begin a new life, a secluded and peaceful home where everyone around you is there to support you. I personally could not be more grateful for Heritage, they changed my life, they saved my life, and they showed me how to live. I would not be the person i am today without Heritage.

What I wish I read before attending: After attending three treatment centres in England. I arrived desperate for a different approach, and honestly, Heritage has given me something I hadn't found before: an… understanding of how to LIVE in recovery, rather than simply wanting to be in recovery. The support actually started before I arrived. The owner and manager kept in regular contact with me while I was still in England. At a time when I wasn't in a safe enough place to travel, they stayed involved and helped me get to a point where I was safe enough to make the journey and enter treatment. I wasn't simply given a date and told to turn up. They genuinely helped me get there, and that meant a lot to both me and my family. I find some of the negative reviews interesting now that I've successfully completed the programme. I can understand how someone who didn't engage with the model, or left before completing treatment, could have a very different experience. I don't judge those people because I know I could easily have written a bitter review myself if I had abandoned my treatment. Heritage is difficult. In some ways it's therapy; in others, it's almost boot camp for dysfunctional and addictive behaviours. The team and the group will challenge you, but I never felt that they were attacking my personality. They confront the disease of addiction and the behaviours surrounding it. The programme combines group work with brilliant trauma informed individual therapy with various approaches. I felt so seen and held. The team includes therapists who have both professional psychotherapy experience and lived experience of recovery. In my three previous treatment centres, I had never received therapy that felt as personalised or thorough. The programme is 90 days, but I strongly recommend moving on to the halfway house afterwards. For me, the additional three months were crucial. You gradually reintegrate into society while continuing therapy, attending in-person NA meetings and doing volunteer work. It teaches you how to live normally while still having a safe place to return to and reflect. Many people believe they are ready to leave before they really are. The family involvement was another major difference. My family was constantly considered and included in my treatment. There is a weekly Zoom support group for families, family check-ins and one-to-one family therapy, both online and in person. In halfway, family therapy visits allow you to start repairing relationships while still having a safe environment to return to. This helped my relationship with my family immensely. There is also regular access to a psychiatrist/doctor who monitors mental health and medication and considers co-occurring conditions. I found the team very knowledgeable about how issues such as ADHD can interact with addiction. They also understand other compulsive behaviours beyond drugs and alcohol. The written and spoken work is genuinely individualised to each person's process. I also want to be honest about the practical side. The food is very Portuguese—usually meat or fish with vegetables—but vegetarian and vegan options are available. There are also activities including equine therapy, Pilates, yoga, lectures about addiction and exercise. Compared with the treatment centres I attended in England, Heritage was longer, more intensive and, in my experience, more supportive. I paid more for shorter programmes in England and still left feeling that something was missing. Heritage isn't for everyone. If you aren't willing to be challenged or look honestly at your behaviour, the tough-love approach may be difficult. But if you're willing to engage, I believe it can be incredibly powerful. I was extremely stubborn when I arrived. With the help of the Heritage and halfway teams, I now have a completely different sense of hope for my recovery. For the first time, I genuinely believe I can do this. I finally believe in myself. Thank you to everyone at Heritage and halfway who helped me get here. I left heritage teary eyed.

I would advise you to read the negative reviews and see how they share private sensitive infomation in their response. They attempt to smear and discredit any patients they failed. They will claim over the phone they… can make reasonable adjustments to fit your medical needs but after you arrive and make payment they will tell you that they never said this, and in fact you are just an addict fighting for control and that they know best My doctors back home were disgusted at what they heard about the experience.

Only read the negative reviews. My sister was right, my brother not that mess'd up! She didn't read anything but negative. I still went. Paid fully in advance, fully committed etc ... Was being bullied, racially abused,… favouritism to their criminal country people who got lesser sentence if they went here. Was put in tiny bed in tiny room, given wrong medication and surcharged exponentially. Their only interest is communicating with your family to exploit you and them for money. This place is purely financial, absolutely nothing to do with rehabilitation. I have been awaiting my refund 6 months. I will report this cowboy enterprise to every medical council in the world. I'm born in London City, I'm Asian, my bathroom bigger than their bedroom, the food is disgusting, rancid. Believe every word of the negative reviews. And absolutely do not believe the response. The owner of this place verbally, threatened and abused me in front of Portuguese whole building. It's a scam. People you don't need to be abused. Further. Go to medical real rehab where staff have medical degrees. Otherwise save yourself £20000 plus and rehab yourself and buy a convertible Audi, BMW, mercedes... I am a senior executive and this place should be terminated. And the fake positive reviews.

I cannot say how grateful we are to the caring, dedicated and loving staff. There is no feeling that money is driving the facility. This program saved our 17 year old daughter’s life. She stayed in the program for 180… days, from January to June of 2025. We cannot recommend Heritage Counseling enough. If you have any questions please feel free to get our number from the clinic and give us a call. Anthony and Christina

The center was highly supportive, comfortable and played a major role in my family member’s recovery. The program focused on their strength to build their confidence and helped overcome their weaknesses. In parallel,… the family support program was really helpful to the rest of the family to work through and heal together. Thank you heritage for your beautiful work.

Heritage was an incredible experience that truly changed and saved my life. I went in feeling broken and hopeless, but came out feeling grateful and hopeful. The Heritage team helped me shift the behaviors that were… making me miserable, and gave me the tools I needed to start wanting something different. I can’t recommend this place highly enough. Every single person who works there, the therapists, monitors, cooks, and supervisors is supportive, professional, and genuinely caring. Even though I completed treatment a while ago, I still stay in touch with them, and whenever I call, there’s always someone there to support me. Thank you, Heritage!" if anyone is struggling with any type of mental health issues, addictions, or eating disorders this place can change your life

You receive plenty of professional assistance from caring staff in the journey of recovery, what one does with that is up to the individual. In some cases, the families of patients could be better treated. In summary,… nowhere can fix all problems, but if you put in the necessary work with the provided tools you can get your life back on track at Heritage.

Hello, everyone! I want to thank you all so much for saving my precious daughter! It was a difficult job from the initial assessment, but you managed to convince her that the only solution would be treatment, and so it… was! Thank you for your patience with us parents too. We too needed to change for our daughter to follow this path of change. We are grateful to you forever!

I have been following several cases of friends and family who have benefited from this magnificent, almost public service, provided by Heritage. I confess that I didn't believe in the possibility of recovery for some of… these cases, which had been considered lost elsewhere. However, what I have seen are lives absolutely recovered and transformed by the professionalism of the professionals there. I have felt a great deal of dedication and seriousness, even from the outside. I can only thank the team for being directly benefited by the results I see in my family every day, for several years now. Congratulations on this work, may it continue.

I still can't believe I made it! What seemed like a long and complicated road ended up with a joyful ending. It's true that it was made up of good days and not-so-good days. But isn't that what living is all about?… Thank you to all the staff involved in my process. I have the foundations to get my life and my family back on track, and today I know that I am more and better than I thought. Thank you very much and a big hug to everyone! Especially my therapist, who was my guiding light throughout my process.

I was a patient at Heritage Rehab Portugal in March 2025 for alcohol and depression. My intention was to stay 3 months but after 10 days I decided to leave the 'military style' rehab. Heritage is a small rehab with… about 10 patients. During my time most of the patients were rather young, most of them were below 25 years, the youngest 17yo. The administration believes that with very strict rules and ‘expectations’, patients will be helped and will find the way to a normal life again. I strongly disagree. Some of these rules include: no phones or laptops, you can only go to your bedroom if you need to use the bathroom (no lying down, however weak you feel), 4 people per room, no snacks allowed, only 1 book allowed, the patients had to clean the entire rehab, serve food, wash dishes, etc,. the laundry and shopping was held back for 5 days (maybe to teach patience?!?), there was no nurse on site, the doctor was only available for a few hours/week, most of the patients didn’t know what medication they were given, etc etc. The rather young counsellors were often acting unprofessional and lacked empathy. One month cost USD 6.000. Upon arrival you had to pay USD 9.000 (for 1.5 months). The second instalment was due after 25 days, why not after 45 days???. If you decide to leave early, Heritage didn’t give you a refund and won't offer guidance like a phone number etc. I have been to a few rehabs before and I honestly don't recommend anybody going there!

What I can say is that coming to Heritage has completely changed my life for the better! The therapeutic team and all the staff are super attentive and professional. The accommodation conditions and facilities are very… good. The therapeutic activities are super important. In short, I can only be eternally grateful because today I am definitely a completely new person. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart 🙏❤️

I cannot express strongly enough how disappointed and outraged I am with Heritage Counseling. My stepdad is being held in what can only be described as captivity under their care. Instead of fostering rehabilitation and… reconnection with loved ones, this facility seems determined to sever ties and control the narrative entirely. Patients are granted a meager allowance of communication—just 10 minutes 3 times a week. Unless you are on a vetted list of allowed contacts you won’t be connected to the patient. If the patient goes over their time allotted, even by 1 minute, they are subjected to punishment, losing their already restricted communication privileges for several days. This is beyond unreasonable; it’s cruel and punitive. To be even more specific the 10 minutes 3 times a week on a phone line Heritage controls are total for multiple calls not just for each person on that list of allowed contacts It has become glaringly obvious that this clinic is not prioritizing the well-being and healing of its patients. Instead, they are fostering isolation and making any attempt at reconciliation with loved ones nearly impossible. This level of control and micromanagement raises serious concerns about their motives and ethics. Rehabilitation should be about healing, support, and reconnection—not about manipulation and punishment. Families and patients deserve better than this oppressive environment. I would strongly caution anyone considering Heritage Conuseling for their loved one. Look elsewhere for a facility that truly values the dignity and humanity of its patients.

Heartbreaking disappointment - created more trauma instead of healing. The experience with Heritage Counselig can only be described as a nightmare. This facility is supposed to be a place of healing and recovery, but it… fails miserably in every possible way. It is hard to comprehend how they continue to operate under the pretense of providing care. One of the most glaring issues is the complete lack of support for families. From the very beginning, communication is virtually nonexistent, leaving loved ones feeling excluded and helpless. Attempts to obtain updates or participate in the recovery process are often met with vague, dismissive responses or outright resistance. This isolating approach only exacerbates an already difficult situation for families seeking hope and clarity. The rules at this clinic are overly strict to the point of being oppressive. The environment feels less like a place of recovery and more like a facility where patients are being held against their will. Such rigidity creates a sense of distrust and hostility, which is the opposite of what a rehabilitation clinic should offer. Recovery should foster empowerment, not control. It is hard to believe their "professionals" have official credentials since they are often simply rude and unprofessional. They also failed at providing any credentials and details of what is actually happening to the patient, even though this has been requested several times. Additionally, the treatment programs lack flexibility and fail to address the individual needs of patients. The approach is rigid and overly generic, forcing patients into a one-size-fits-all framework that clearly does not work for everyone. Therapy sessions feel rushed and impersonal, as if the staff prioritizes rule enforcement over genuine care and engagement. The results are predictably poor, with little to no noticeable improvement in patient outcomes. Instead, families and patients are often left feeling frustrated, betrayed, and hopeless after trusting this facility to provide meaningful care. Their focus seems to be mostly on ensuring their (extremely high) payment. For anyone considering this clinic, it is highly advisable to look elsewhere. The lack of family involvement, the oppressive and unsupportive environment, and the overall failure to deliver effective treatment make this facility a terrible choice. Choosing a rehabilitation center is an important decision, and there are far better options available that truly prioritize healing and recovery.

Review of The Heritage I would like to express my deep dissatisfaction with The Heritage, which I find to be an extremely poor and unprofessional establishment. In my experience, this institution fails to contribute… meaningfully to the improvement of any illness or condition. Not only does it lack effectiveness in providing proper care, but it also completely fails to offer support to families, children, or anyone else connected to those seeking help there. The level of service is far below acceptable standards, and I am truly appalled by the lack of professionalism and compassion exhibited. It is clear that this establishment does not prioritize the well-being of its clients or their loved ones. I strongly discourage anyone from considering The Heritage as an option for themselves or their family members. It is, without a doubt, one of the worst institutions I have ever encountered. Save yourself the frustration and disappointment by looking elsewhere for care and support.

A TOTAL UNPROFESSIONAL NIGHTMARE If I could give zero stars, I would. This “detox and rehab clinic” is an absolute nightmare, and I strongly urge anyone considering it to look elsewhere. My husband has been in their… care for the past two months, and what I have uncovered is beyond disturbing. First and foremost, his main therapist—someone trusted to guide him through his recovery—has lied to him. I have concrete proof of this. Whether it’s to manipulate him emotionally, maintain control, or cover up their own inadequacies, it is inexcusable and a gross violation of trust. How can anyone heal in a place built on deceit? Secondly, their so-called “treatment methods” are highly unorthodox and outright questionable. This isn’t just alternative therapy; it’s borderline exploitation. They use bizarre methods that seem designed more to confuse and control patients than to help them recover. Worst of all, it feels like they are holding him captive. They restrict communication, isolate him from loved ones, and make it nearly impossible for anyone to intervene. This is not rehabilitation—it’s manipulation and imprisonment disguised as care. This clinic preys on vulnerable people and their families. If you love someone and want them to heal, avoid this place at all costs. Their practices are unethical, deceptive, and potentially harmful. This clinic’s lack of concern for family involvement is shocking and heartbreaking. Over the two months my husband has been there, they made zero effort to help us reconcile or even communicate effectively. They don’t set up family therapy sessions or even basic video calls to foster connection, which is critical for recovery. After two months, I had to beg for a single family session. How can a clinic claim to support long-term healing when they intentionally isolate patients from their families? Their rules around communication are just as absurd. Patients are only allowed a 10-minute phone call every other day, scheduled at completely inconvenient times, making it nearly impossible for family members to connect. It feels like they deliberately design these policies to cut families out of the process rather than strengthen the bonds that are essential for recovery. This clinic is not about healing or reconciliation—it’s about control. Families are treated as an afterthought, or worse, as obstacles. If you value being part of your loved one’s recovery journey, stay far away from this place. This clinic is a disgrace to the concept of rehabilitation. Not only do they isolate families and enforce ridiculous communication restrictions, but they also flat-out refuse any reasonable requests that could actually support their patients’ recovery. When I asked for a highly skilled U.S.-based doctor—a trusted family friend—to provide additional input on my husband’s treatment, they dismissed it, claiming it would “interfere with their protocol.” What kind of legitimate facility is so inflexible and unwilling to collaborate with outside professionals? On top of that, they won’t allow friends to be involved in any capacity and outright refused to let a family mediator join a video call between me and my husband. Why? What are they trying to hide? Their so-called policies are designed to isolate patients from their support systems, which is completely counterproductive to recovery and borderline abusive. I believe they are more concerned about cashing in a much as possible monetary and/or being sued for their unethical practices and I wonder how exactly they are regulated and given permission to operate in such an unprofessional manner. This clinic does not care about their patients’ well-being or building bridges with families—they only care about maintaining absolute control. If you value transparency, collaboration, and the involvement of loved ones in the recovery process, avoid this place at all costs. They are doing more harm than good.

I spent three months at Heritage for addiction treatment between January and April 2024. The experience, though challenging and in many ways unexpected, was the most transformational event in my life, and successfully… set me in a structured, secure and informed path for recovery. The therapist team is very knowledgable, hands on and highly personal, providing excellent guidance, constant challenge, and true sense of dedication. The schedule is tight, and the various activities (horse therapy, yoga, chi kung, art therapy, hiit training) were welcomed respites from the intense daily grind of group and individual therapies, written work (there’s A LOT of it, which is great) and the house chores. While the strict discipline in scheduling and tasks was to be expected, the intensity and deep reaching effects of group therapy were surprising. It’s an emotional bootcamp! As for the facilities, they are comfortable and adequate, though prospective patients should keep in mind it’s not supposed to emulate a five star resort. It’s a solid 4.8 Airbnb super host kind of listing, with meals, cleaning and laundry included. Meals are generally carb heavy and rather mediocre, definite room for improvement there. Also, the one hour of training per week feels insufficient, given the type of food on offer. There’s a gym available everyday for a couple of hours, but it’s not mandatory nor supervised. During spring and summer months you can use the spectacular pool but again, voluntarily and unsupervised. There’s a weekly short consultation with a psychiatrist, a vastly experienced doctor. It comes across as rushed, but he knows perfectly well what he’s doing. A monthly GP consultation would be a welcomed addition, if only to avoid any possible feeling of neglect. I was perfectly fine the whole time, so it wasn’t a problem at all. Price wise it was a very sound financial decision given the level of comfort, quality of care and what addiction was actually costing me!! Very much worth every penny. All in all I would wholeheartedly recommend Heritage.

I have mixed views on this Rehab Center. I arrived drunk, been drinking very heavily for over a year, and was always going into Delirium tremens when I stopped. So, pros: *I did not suffer. I arrived at 1pm, around 3pm… I had some medication to help my bad anxiety. 7pm they tried to get me to eat but I couldn't even face the smell of food. They let me eat some apple and gave me some more medication, they let me go to bed early, I got woken up for some more medication and the next day I felt completely normal, except my legs were like jelly and I was still shaking for 5 days (I was on medication for the shaking). *The therapists have different methods. Which is actually fantastic as one will tell you the blunt truth, several people would cry, the other therapist was a positive "let's seize the day" "you're doing fantastic, keep it up!". *The price. 3 months - 15k euro for non Portuguese, I think it's 10k euros for Portuguese. Cons: *Food. Breakfast was good, lunch and dinner was never great. Meals come precooked and then get warmed up again and served. Lack of variety. *Drink. Only water. Herbal tea and coffee at breakfast, then after that you get some tea and decaf coffee periodically throughout the day, max one cup of tea or a tiny shot glass of coffee. *Website is misleading Many pictures on the website show activities that we never did, such as hikes, kayaking and other stuff.etc.. *Phone calls No mobile phone at all. You get three 10 minute calls a week, do NOT go over even by one second or they'll take a call away from you. *Furnishings Not bad, mostly Ikea, only real complaint is that there can be 13 patients in at once but there's 3 armchairs and only one sofa with space for 4 people, so people would fight for a seat or sit on a dinning table chair. TV is only from 8pm - 10pm. The dreaded books. After 5pm it's free time and you can do what you like, you can write ,draw, go for a swim, a walk (min 3 people) gym (min 3 people) or read. I liked reading, so I was reading in my free time, and then I actually got a warning because I was reading too much. At one point they actually banned me for a week from reading any book that wasn't a therapy book. They teach the 12 step model, Minnesota model I believe it's called. All in all no one likes rehab, I would have left a 4 star review but unfortunately the after care was poor, I eventually had to find my own therapist. For the price you can't complain, it's privately run and has a sister rehab that is state funded, very safe, the owner genuinely cares about his patients, he himself is a former addict, who went to rehab in Bristol I believe, as are most staff former addicts. They can't be making much money, so it's very much a place where they genuinely want you to get better and have a happy life.

I received treatment at this center and it REALLY worked! I'm continuing my recovery "just for today" and I'm very grateful to the entire team that supported me on this journey.

This is a difficult review to make. It’s been a few months since I left and I’ve been doing really well. I got out of it what I could and it was a lot. This is where I will start: This a Minnesota model rehab that has… only one 12 step meeting a week and it’s in Portuguese. If you are English speaking this could be an issue as so much of what has helped me are the fellowships, although there wasn’t a big emphasis on these. Art Therapy is also given by someone who does not speak English and without a translator it can become a wasteful 1.5 hours of the week. The website adversities a lot of different therapies and activities that I personally did not experience and have heard that they don’t offer ever. There is no nutritionist or abseiling or hikes or beach walks. As they advertise on the site. You don’t get to use the grounds that are shown in the pictures. The gym was really bad. We had to make weights with Coca Cola bottles filled with sand and there is no sound system besides 2 or 3 scratched CDs that barely work. No radio. The facilities: The mattresses had stains on them. The sheets had holes. The food was inedible at times. The main issues arise when the administration interferes with the therapy. At the end of your second month they begin a relentless push for you to stay longer no matter what you’ve done. I did not feel anyone at this point cared for my true well being, which I did until this point. The owner and operating manager were extremely aggressive multiple times. At this point my recovery and best outcome for my life mattered less to the staff than continuing to have me as a client. As a health care provider this seems to me paramount. There are therapists who truly care about what they are doing and are truly helpful and were helpful to me, and am grateful that they were there to this day. However if I were to recommend someone who has absolutely no experience with 12 steps to go to a recovery center it would not be this one. ----------

Website is full of lie. NO Outside activities, NO Kayak, NO Rock Climbing, NO dietician food, NO Air com in room, NO hiking or outside activity, Horse therapy is twice a month only. None of the activity listed on the… website are proposed

Heritage has been a life changing decision for us. Very helpful and professional team. They have a great structure for both the patient and the family, providing support throughout and post treatment, . Always a phone… call away. They speak exceptional English, made it very easy to communicate. We really loved the environment they build for the patients and the educational meeting for the family members. We are extremely thankful for their amazing work and highly recommend Heritage. Thank you