Refuge A Healing Place – Ocklawaha

Getting treatment for PTSD and Trauma is hard to admit to. Going there and being traumatized by outside family members while I was suppose to be healing made the experience even more difficult. My complaints about The… Refuge relate to employees clearly not train to care for patients struggling with disorders in mental health. I had a cardiac episode that was barely addressed and if I was lucky, I could see a medical provider once a week even though I understand vitals and voiced for 2 weeks something was wrong. The nurses held an "I know more than you mentality" despite me treating them with patience and respect and having experience in the medical field. The only reason I am giving this place 5 stars is because the therapist themselves and the CEO took my concerns seriously and genuinely cared about healing those who took the program seriously. It kind of seemed like each therapist held a specific personality so clients could learn to both tolerate different personality types, and not let those personalities that they were not compatible with cause them to spiral. Don't get me wrong, there were some therapists and staff members I dreaded dealing with. I quickly realized that if I wanted the program to work and chose to make the sacrifice of prioritizing my healing process. I faced the struggles of being away from my children and having attacks from my closest relatives attempting to sabotage my treatment. The clients there provided support and understanding in a safe environment where I likely would have given up if I wasn't there. I quickly realized that respect towards the staff and accountability to use the tools taught to me was the only way to heal. Sitting around complaining like other clients and expecting to be catered to by complaining about the services would get you no where. I reached a limit with my own therapist but when I started unwrapping buried memories from my childhood, my safe person became Shelley (clinical director) and Stephanie (CEO). You can tell Shelley lives for helping those struggling and Stephanie set the example of leadership that is rare to find these days. Her undercover boss personality to correct the wrongs/complaints about The Refuge often left me wondering when this woman ever went home. The only complaint I submitted pertained to a case manager and Stephanie was immediately on it, as was Shelley. Both made me feel heard when I previously had the habit of shutting down. I left The Refuge feeling like I was worthy of love and being able to love myself. Where I previously protected others, I gained the confidence and tools to protect myself. I never knew trauma was something that could be worked through. I'd always thought it was something I had to carry my whole life and learn to live with. Every business in the world has it's flaws but if you apply yourself while waiting for answers or assistance from therapist and staff members juggling a number of patients, you will progress and leave with something. I left stronger and feeling like a leader. I learned to never judge anyone and even people with a record or past deserve love and grace. People there are seeking help to change and not repeat patterns and I give the utmost respect. Thank you to The Refuge, Stephanie, and Shelley (honorable mention to Jana and Bonnie (who left to chase her dreams)) for restoring my faith in humanity.

Please look elsewhere, this place is understaffed and overcrowded. They put all of the programs together and groups are 80 clients to one thearpist, there are people there with severe mental acuity, pyshosis etc. you do… not see your treatment team weekly and sometimes won’t see them at all unless you ask multiple times everyday to see them. Most of the time sessions you do have are canceled and cut short. The eating disorder program specifically offers no support, no eating disorder support groups. While I was there staff regularly didn’t inform me where snacks or meals would be or when they were ready and I missed meals and snacks there were also times where the refused to plate my food or give me food because they figured I wouldn’t eat in anyways. Everyone there was actively in behaviors and not observed. I lost weight and my eating disorder was worse then when it was while I was there. When I finally met my dietian she informed me this was her first time treating eating disorders and as soon as she did the same assent I did over the phone she informed me that my eating disorder was too severe and chronic for them to help or care for and said I could no longer stay at the facility as I was declining rapidly. However the didn’t know of any programs and had me figure out where to go next. On top of that they were suppose to pay for my flight and uber home but case management was too busy to look into it and get it approved that they made me pay for my transportation. Now I have no money and don’t know how i will be able to get to a new facility. I never got my medication while I was there. Never seen my medical team. Never saw my thearpist or a psychiatrist while I was there.

I came to the refuge in March of 2026 and discharged in May. Save yourself the time and money and don’t go here. I made myself think it was an amazing place so I could cope with how bad it really was, until I read my… journal out loud to my boyfriend, which I wrote in daily about everything that happened to me while I was there. Reading back on my experience, I realised how screwed up this place is. I was also told by someone close to me that I was “so much worse when I came back than when I went in.” Thank God I found people in my hometown who actually care that have helped me out of this mental spiral. I am still having attacks where my whole body starts twitching, which I did not have before attending the refuge. The “coping mechanism” I was given for the attacks stopped working, and now I’m left with leaning on the people who love me to help me through it.

The Refuge helped save my life. Just being away from stress helped my depression and anxiety. Certain staff members and clients were part of my healing process. I devoted to eating a healthy diet and started lifting… weights again. I've lost 60 lbs and still lift, walk/jog and now I'm walking with a 30 lb rucking backpack. I've been more engaged with my 3 kids and web we've done some really tough hikes. I still have to rise from the ashes because I'm dealing with stuff at home. I'm a hundred and thirty one days sober. Thank you to everyone at the Refuge staff am me clients. I really loved all the help!

We had a loved one in this residence and it really helped her in her healing journey. I would definetely recommend it. Shelly was a star. It takes insurance much better than other places (like the Guest House) so it is… affordable, although it also means that you will end being exposed to a more diverse social-economic population from various backgrounds.

I completed the program here. It has a great concept. However, therapist don’t seem trained to run groups. Most groups revolve around goals and values. Not much for substance use. I had a HORRIBLE therapist. Hate to… even say this. We spent process groups talking about herself, gossiping. I did not trust to process or talk about anything. Obviously feeling I’d be talked about or gossiped about. A few Times someone would try to process and they’d get blown off. They do have good therapist but it’s few and far between. Scott, Kayla, Jana, Crystal, Angie and Angela are amazing therapists. The BHAs I feel like truly care. They focus so much on making sure it looks good for insurance. I was told by my therapist “We are trained very well on how to write the perfect notes so insurance will continue to pay” which seems kind of tacky.

The staff here is genuinely appalling. During my stay there were many BHA employees being fired and hired, which I don’t see as necessary because the campus itself is pleasant it’s just that some of the professional… staff clearly enjoy making eye contact with tattoos more than they do human beings 😂 Not even kidding, BE SAFE IF YOU HAVE INK and DO NOT GO HERE! You will be ostracized for visible “high risk behavior”. This is so not worth the hundreds of thousands that gets billed to insurance at the end of the day. Respect for humanity should be obvious, seriously. The food is at least prepared on site though I will say none of the employees I saw had any visible tattoos. I was the only client during my time there who had any tattoos, and that is a cross and crow on my forearm which is gorgeous, not “satanic”. I was also racially profiled here as an Asian woman which has never happened to me before as I don’t even look anything like a Korean or Japanese women like the nurses saw growing up (I guess it’s a compliment) but that typo was sadly never edited to be correct as the staff who did my paperwork was fired and for whatever reason the new nurse practitioner that replaced her didn’t have the training needed to do all paperwork work in the short time before I left. Go figure. These people are impossible to get in touch with over the phone by the way, if you’re an introvert like I am though you’ll understand the positive benefit of in person connection so it’s not a huge deal at all, anyways.

When I came to the Refuge, I was falling apart and had a little or no Hope whatsoever. In the 45 days I spent there I regained my sanity and Learned vital skills & practices to help me live a full and meaningful life.… Don’t get me wrong. they are not perfect but the staff really care And went above and beyond to make sure all my Mental health needs were addressed And met. The kitchen staff are amazing as well as the food. The medical providers were On point and dialed in my Prescriptions right away. The therapists were helpful, fun and engaging. Even the behavioral staff were friendly and fun. Any problems I had were addressed immediately by the administrative staff as well. This place is a hidden gem Surrounded by the Ocala national Forest. The atmosphere and wildlife Helped ground me in a way other programs could not. I saw otters, wild, turkeys, owls, hawks bears, deer, and all kinds of birds. It was wonderful. If you’re looking for mental health, PTSD, Or substance abuse treatment you should strongly consider The Refuge

This place the Refuge is incredible place to get help!!The CEO (Stephenie)and (DON)Emily were super good people!! If you want the best in industry please go here for all your needs.Thank you so much.Love you!!

I love this place and I love the people The staff are amazing they really do care Stephanie the ceo is amazing she was the first staff member I came in contact with she is so humble and caring the way she approached me… I didn’t even realize she was the ceo until later on in my recovery everyone at the refuge made me feel like family honestly I was sad to leave everyone because of how caring and welcoming the experience was I would definitely recommend the refuge healing place to anyone

Very beautiful place & the addiction doctor, Dr. Davies, is amazing. But other than that, I had a terrible experience. I left with more trauma. There aren too many things to say, but I'll just share a few. So, I flew… here from several states away to get here, the flight wasn't cheap. I'd also paid 4 grand for the treatment on the phone before going. Upon arrival, I was told I needed another thousand down to enter, or I'd have to leave. Luckily, my parents paid it for me since thousands were already put into the treatment plan & flights. They also lost my stuff. I still have yet to receive my missing BOX of items. I left over a year ago & still have yet to get my large box of personal items I left in the landing, with my address and info taped onto the box to be sent home. I called repeatedly, my parents called, we continued to get transferred from person to person & they never found the box nor replaced any of the items THEY lost. To top it off, I wasn't doing very well there, I decided to tell my therapist I felt I didn't belong, she said "I've been talking with the staff and we agree, you don't belong here". So, instead of making me feel better, they kicked me out & tried to send me somewhere else. They sent me off to another state, without telling me I'd have to relapse to get into the other treatment center they'd sent me to. Would NEVER recommend to anyone. They should not be advertising the ability to care for any complex mental health issues imo. **Still never got my box of personal items or any compensation over 5 years later**

The facility sounds great on paper. The Behavior Tech's that kept an eye on us were the nicest individuals they truly cared about us as individuals. The facility was going through a lot of leadership changes and the… therapists were a revolving door. Sylvia was a complete nightmare. She was rude and did not care about us as individuals with trauma. Just because we have had trauma does not mean that any one can treat us as dirt. If you are strictly mental health then stay clear. They combine you with SUD and you will be subjected to group therapy that is strictly SUD focused. The CEO Peter was an individual that actually cared for us and took the time to help any way he could. Unfortunately, he was let go because he cared and took the time to talk to us with care and concern. I was Baker Acted over making a statement out of anger due to not being "Heard" they then refused to take me back and left me stranded at The Vines with no way to get back to the facility to retrieve my car and and all of my personal belongings. THANK YOU TO THE BEHAVIOR TECH'S!!!!!!

So, I stayed at the refuge for 46 days, it hasn’t been the worse thing ever, but there were many hiccups at that place, now i stayed at the oak house for my eating disorder, and the staff there are beyond amazing (Ms K,… Elaine, Kolby, Caitlyn, kristy, Ricky, sara, and erin) but some of the therapists there should not have even have a license, i went there to work on my trauma and my ed, i put in the work, i also had some hiccups myself but i take accountability for that. The therapist I had was NOT helpful, all he did was repeat the statements i said but in question form! Also some of the staff called my guardian and told them i had made no progress whatsoever the time i was there, which felt very degrading. They use chat gpt to send patients to the psych ward lol

I don’t have enough words to express how much The Refuge has helped me. After frequenting through over a dozen mental health treatment centers and rehabs, there are only two I would recommend to someone I cared about… (or anyone in general). One of those two is The Refuge. I was met there with so much kindness, care and consideration of my wants and needs by every single one of the BHA’s (behavioral health associates) and every one of the Clinical Staff. My personal team consisted of Ellen Mendez, case manager and Caitlin Downer, therapist, and couldn’t have gotten luckier with them. Although Caitlin is leaving the facility because of her physical move, there isn’t one therapist there I have a bad thing to say about and that doesn’t put their all into each clients treatment. Shelley, the clinical director does a great job at managing the program and creating ideal schedules for the clients. She is necessarily stern in order to keep everyone (facilitators included) and the program in check, but cares immensely for all her clients. Everyone there made me feel comfortable and cared for. I could not be happier with my experience there and am forever grateful to The Refuge for all the help I received.

A wonderful place to heal share with a great staff great facilities, and great environment

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As someone who works in the field of eating disorders, I always try to find places that I trust referring people to for care. After touring The Refuge, I am impressed by not only the serene healing environment, but also… the care and concern for safety and accessibility woven into the property! Clients in the residential eating disorder program have the ability to prep their food depending on the level they're at, which is really cool to see happen at the residential level! It's also a very ADA friendly campus. I would recommend The Refuge!

I consider my time at The Refuge a blessing. Overall, my treatment was excellent. Nicole Cagan was my absolute AMAZING one-on-one and primary processing group therapist. She was at the center of my healing journey… assisting me throughout the process. The BHAs are the most helpful and caring crew on the campus. They go far beyond their call of duty to keep The Refuge a safe, comfortable and peaceful place. They are on duty 24/7 and willing to help all clients, and it is obvious that they care. The group facilitators were hit or miss, at times. I just reminded myself that I am at a treatment center and there are times I need to be patient. The food is absolutely DELICIOUS! The dining staff are caring and kind. I had a good experience with medical and meds. My thoughts on medications were taken into consideration and respected. Due to weather and the transition of a new equine therapist, I didn’t get to experience the equine therapy, but the horses were available to pet throughout the days, so I was thankful for that. The ropes course is so much fun!!! The campus is beautiful and there are lots of opportunities to meet people and engage in outdoor activities to keep your mind and body healthy. I would go back to The Refuge if I need treatment in the future. It was a blessing that I will be forever grateful for!!! If you keep in mind that you are there to heal and grow and you truly take the advice of the therapists you will have a better chance at success. The therapists are excellent at guiding and encouraging their clients, but only you can do the hard work to be successful

It was a total bait and switch. Promised equine therapy, pool access, hiking, yoga…was in total lock down, not allowed to even walk, kept drugged and monitored 24-7. An awful place. M embarrassed I paid for it.

Beautiful facility and passionate team!

I had the pleasure of visiting The Refuge to take a tour of their facility. As a mental health counselor myself, I would feel comfortable recommending The Refuge for any of my clients who may need a higher level of… care! The campus was beautiful and quiet- a great place to recover from trauma and heal through mental health challenges. Thank you to Brittaney for being so welcoming and caring so much about what you do!

At The Refuge A Healing Place, the combination of evidence-based therapies with holistic modalities in a serene, nature-based environment creates a differentiated offering that is both clinically sound and… experientially impactful. The Refuge stands out as a highly specialized and strategically positioned partner within the behavioral health continuum. Their strong focus on trauma-informed care, particularly around PTSD and co-occurring disorders, fills a critical gap for clients who often cycle through traditional treatment settings without addressing root causes.

I want to take a moment to recognize Brittany for the exceptional hospitality and deep knowledge she consistently demonstrates at Refuge: A Healing Place in Orlando. From the moment you arrive, she creates an… environment that is welcoming, professional, and genuinely supportive. Brittany’s understanding of the services, programs, and mission of the Refuge is impressive. She communicates information clearly and with confidence, making it easy for partners and guests alike to understand the value of what the organization offers. Her ability to answer questions thoroughly while maintaining a warm, compassionate approach truly stands out. As a fellow business representative, I greatly appreciate the professionalism and care she brings to every interaction. It’s clear that Brittany is passionate about helping others and representing the Refuge in the best possible way. Her dedication reflects positively on the entire organization- which is phenomenal and treats their patients with care. Thank you, Brittany, for your continued hospitality, professionalism, and commitment to making every experience at the Refuge a positive one as does their other clinical staff. It is such a joy collaborating with this facility and team!

Legendary facility. So many of my colleagues found recovery here. Easy to work with and amazing clinical staff. Not to mention all the outdoor activities.

The Refuge in Ocala is truly a special place. Their approach goes beyond surface level treatment and helps individuals address the root causes of addiction and mental health challenges. One of the most unique aspects of… the program is their onsite equine therapy!!

My experience overall at The Refuge was a positive one. Dealing with Sylvia Colon, my case manager, was a breeze. What a pleasure she is to work with! You can actually tell the difference between people who are in it… for a paycheck and the ones, like Sylvia, who do it because they love it!!! Also, cudoes to the new CEO, Heather Joseph who was great in leading me toward a path more suited for me. Upon me telling her I was to discharge 2 days from the day we met with no discharge plan nor any relapse prevention she snatched me up, immediately took me to her office, and helped with getting me enrolled in their siater program, The Wellness Resource Center, in Boca Raton, FL. Much closer to my family!! I must say.. THE ONLY NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE I HAD WAS DEALING WITH SHELLY, MY THERAPIST, WHO NEVER MADE ME FEEL SAFE AND WHEN I TOLD HER I WANTED TO AWITCH OROGRAMS, SHE THREATED MULTIPLE TIMES TO BAKER ACT ME TO THE PSYCHWARD. That was not an enjoyable experience. You also have to go through your therapist in order to switch therapist and she also would not allow that. Overall that was the only negative experience I dealt with. I would highly recommend the Refuge to anyone seeking Mental Health help or substance abuse help. ♡ Stevie

Working in this field of work, good referral sources are very hard to come by! I’ve been so lucky to be able to connect with the BD Brittaney to get some patients assessed for treatment. I’ve toured it myself and not… only is it beautiful, the staff is very helpful and that means everything! The intake process was easy for my patients and that takes away a lot of stress for them. Highly recommend The Refuge, it truely is a healing place!