10 Lessons in 10 Years

It has been ten years since Milestones opened its doors to a handful of brave individuals searching for a safe space to land. Since that July morning in 2014, Milestones has been a refuge for over 1,500 sojourners on their journey toward healing, recovery, and restoration.   

As an organization, we have also been on a journey of transformation and discovery over the last decade. In reflection and celebration of this significant milestone, we thought we would share some of the lessons we have learned along the way.

10 Lessons in 10 Years 

1. Safety is the key to healing.   

To heal, our nervous system needs to rest. And for that to happen, we must feel safe. Yet many of us come from environments where our nervous systems are in constant overdrive. We are overwhelmed, anxious, and coping to protect ourselves and merely survive. At Milestones, establishing emotional, mental, and physiological safety is one of our top priorities. Here is what Christopher O’Reilly, our VP of Clinical Services, has to say about it: 

“One of the major reasons that people are not able to heal is that they cannot let their defenses down long enough to do the deep work of healing. Milestones create an environment that is nurturing, predictable, and most importantly, emotionally safe. When people feel safe and supported in their environment, they are more likely to be open and vulnerable. Safety allows for vulnerability, and vulnerability allows the healing to begin.” —Christopher O’Reilly, VP of Clinical Services 

2. Transformative healing requires more than expert clinical care.  

We are incredibly fortunate to work with some of the top clinical minds in the world. While expert clinical care is essential for effective healing, at Milestones, we believe there is more to magic. 

“True, transformative healing requires the right motivation, the right people, the right place, and the right process. Healing extends beyond clinical care to a holistic experience of healing. At Milestones, we call that ‘Healing Hospitality.’ Everything our guests experience during their stay is intentionally curated to help them heal from the inside out. From their first phone call to their arrival on campus, to their nourishing meals, to the linens they lay their head on at night—all of it is orchestrated to aid the healing process. Our teams work tirelessly to ensure a life-affirming space to heal and grow. We hope that our guests experience healing hospitality at every turn.” 
—Jim Geckler, President  

When given the tools, support, and environment, all people have the capacity to heal. At Milestones, we take care of you, so you can take care of your healing. 

3. Everyone has a story and if we knew it, it would be impossible not to love them. 

“Every day, we are incredibly honored by the trust people place in us when they share their stories. These narratives, encompassing both wondrous and unfathomable experiences, allow us to witness the transformative power of giving voice to these experiences. When people are courageous enough to share their real selves, both they and we experience profound healing.   

Through these shared stories, we see reflections of ourselves, feel an innate connection, and find healing for our own wounds. Knowing someone else’s story fosters awe, connection, and love. We are continually reminded that healing flourishes in the light, not the darkness, and that it requires a supportive community.” —Janet McDonald, CEO   

4. When we heal, we invite others to heal.  

“Whenever our guests at Milestones bravely choose to heal, it also gives their loved one’s permission to grow and heal. During our monthly family programming, we often share with our clients’ support systems, ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world.’ When one part of the system changes, the rest of the system is impacted. We see time and time again the exponential power of one person committing to health and healing.” —Robert Chapman, Family & Adventure Therapist 

5. We need to consider the humans first, and their “problems” second.  

All of us carry the weight of our past. Some of us carry more than our fair share. But we are more than what has happened to us. Here is what clinical supervisor, Amanda Morrow has to say: 

“We see humans first, problems second.  At Milestones, we strive to know all the parts that make up a person.  This means all the beautiful pieces and adaptive strengths that help a person survive and move into resilience.  Seeing people first allows everyone to know that they are more than what has happened to them.” —Amanda Morrow, Clinical Supervisor 

Traditional treatment is often supported by a “sickness model,” but at Milestones, we approach things from a “wellness model.” Using your strengths, passions, and gifts, we empower you to get to the root of what ails you to find lasting wholeness.  

6. Healing requires one part science, one part art, one part magic.   

Your story is unique, your healing should be too. Our experience combines innovative trauma therapy, an integrated approach, and a warm, nurturing community environment to facilitate deep healing and lifelong transformations for trauma survivors of all kinds. 

“As the medical director and psychiatrist on staff, I was trained to rely on science. But what I love most about working at Milestones is watching the artful and creative approach of our team as they walk alongside our clients and “the magic” that is hard to define but always at work.” —Neil Bomar, Vice President of Medical Services  

7. This work transforms everyone who encounters it. 

 “It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of Milestones and provide a world-class treatment experience. As clients’ lives are transformed, our lives are transformed—it is a reciprocal process. Something happens inside us as we lead people to healing and growth. We expand our own self-awareness, compassion, humility, and gratitude. We become better humans being a part of the healing process at Milestones.” —Crystal Galloway, Director of Operations 

8. Connection is the best medicine.  

So many of us try to navigate this world alone—but it does not have to be that way. We are hard-wired to connect. With each other, with the world, and with ourselves. Here is what Megan Repass, our Director of Equine and Adventure Therapy has to say: 

“Our herd of horses, the birds, trees, hay fields, and goats all serve as daily reminders of the one thing that is consistently within our reach and often overlooked connection. In the very same breath, we have the capacity to connect to our higher power, an animal, the environment, another human, and ourselves. Milestones is a place that creates space for connection not only to be understood cognitively, but viscerally, leaving imprints on our spirits and affording us the ability to move forward in a new way of being.” —Megan Repass, Equine and Adventure Therapy Director 

9. Collaboration is essential to client care.  

Collaboration is an often overlooked but essential ingredient to sustainable and comprehensive trauma treatment. At Milestones, we know we can only do our best work when we collaborate with our client’s broader care team. Here is what Amelia Baldwin, VP of Admissions and Business Development has to say: 

“Effective collaboration with referring professionals is essential in ensuring clients receive the care they need. By partnering with a client’s care team, we gain valuable clinical insight into them and their specific needs before, during, and after their time with us. This integrated approach ensures that our clients get the care and support they need while at Milestones and continue to be supported once they return home.” —Amelia Baldwin, VP of Admissions and Business Development 

10. Healing is not just something we need; it is something we deserve. 

“Residential ‘treatment’ has been branded all wrong for a long time. It was set up as ‘This is where you go when something’s wrong with you.’ But we believe coming to Milestones is not about what is wrong with you; it is about what’s right with you. It is brave and smart to take a deep dive into the parts of your narrative that no longer serve you and to try to become a better version of who you are.  

When I experienced my own recovery by finding the right people at the right time using the right process, I was so passionate that I walked out of there and thought, ‘Everybody I know should have an opportunity to experience this.’ Healing is not a punishment—it is a gift—a gift most people do not know they deserve.  

People often say to me, ‘I need this,’ and it is a quick redirect. ‘You don’t need it, you deserve it.’” —Miles Adcox 

It has been our honor and privilege to be a part of countless stories of transformation over the last ten years.

Our vision is to build an emotionally well world one human at a time, and we know that only comes with continual learning, growth, humility, and evolution.  

As we look to the next ten years, we take hold of a principle we share with our clients: the 2-Degree Shifts.

2-degree shifts: the phenomenon of small adjustments making monumental impact over time.  

Sustainable change is not made in 180° turns. If we want to experience real change, we must start small. So, here are the small moves that have life-changing implications–the scary first phone call, the healthy boundary, the brave act of showing up.  

Wherever you are on your healing journey, we see you, we honor you, we celebrate you.