Heartlight Ministries: A Beacon of Hope in the Texas Plains If you are reading this you have found yourself looking for help as your child is severely struggling as a young teen or developing adult with issues that are life altering and life threatening. Your family is likely in crisis not only with the child you are concerned about but everyone under your roof, and you are holding on to the hope and thought that with just a little more time and attention you can get through this. I am writing this 6 years after waking my son up in the middle of the night with two transport officers in his bedroom to accompany him to a small farm in Texas as a last ditch effort to change the course of his life before his 18th birthday. We were frustrated, embarrassed and desperate that even attentive, educated and loving parents couldn't help him and the process was breaking our family into pieces. Since that time, the Heartlight staff returned our child with life skills after completing the Heartlight program. He has gone on to graduate from High School, has graduated with a BS in Marketing from a major university and has a professional job while living independently. This was a difficult year for my son as he came to grips with his weaknesses, vulnerabilities and realities of how serious these issues were and what was necessary to fix them. He was resistant and defiant at first and only shared negative stories and rumors initially about Heartlight, the staff and the students as you would expect to try to alter our decision. This is a turbulent time where the most committed Christian and loving families find themselves in a place they never imagined and ironically second guess themselves by trusting an internet or social feed on why it may not be the right place and ignoring the HOPEFUL message from Heartlight that has committed their life to the most troubled and conflicted teens. I have always felt the best chance to be successful is to surround yourself with dedicated people that believe in a purpose in an environment that allows success to grow. From the second you walk on to the Heartlight campus you will feel a calm and tranquility and sense of hope for your child you didn't think you would again, but just as importantly for yourself and your family. Mark Gregston and his staff will provide a perspective and insight and comfort on the process and expectations both you and your child will experience. You will be with other parents that share the same trauma and desperation you are experiencing and provide a sense of validation and support to replace the sense of guilt and failure. Your child will have the best chance to disconnect and reprogram themselves away from their toxic situation among new friends, mentors, and professional full-time counselors while horses roam quietly and a train rumbles by in the distance. There are no guarantees for success with the serious issues those contemplating Heartlight face. These are also not issues that get resolved with weekend programs or therapy sessions that your child will punch the ticket on and then return to his triggers. These are issues that will take months and a year to get ahold of and a lifetime of maintenance to live life safely and to the fullest. I Thank God every day for guiding us to the Ranch in Texas and truly believe you cannot find a better place or group of dedicated and committed people to help your child through these dark days. read more

Our son has struggled with anxiety his whole life. I can look back now and see countless examples of this from such a young age but we did not understand it then. We took him to therapy once a week off and on for years but never seemed to make any progress. He struggled with such terrible anger (as a result of the anxiety) that only escalated as he got older and finally turned in to depression. Can't get out of bed depression. The depression happened so quickly. Not knowing what to do we sought the help of professionals to guide us as parents. We learned about Heartlight from a friend but when we asked the professional about it she told us that you, "can't pray this away." So we didn't look at Heartlight anymore and instead chose a wilderness program. The wilderness program was good and my son did well. He came home after 3 months wanting better but quickly he started to fall apart again. Not knowing what to do and being faced with an 18th birthday rapidly approaching my husband and I went to visit Heartlight and decided to send him there. We didn't know if Heartlight was the right decision but we didn't know what else to do. Our son was there 13.5 and it was the hardest time of our lives and such a sweet time for our family as well. Initially it was just a relief that he was somewhere safe but as his time there progressed it became a home away from home for my husband and me and our other 2 children. Heartlight is work...not just for the struggling child. We attended many family weekends and parent retreats. We put the work in and we healed as a family. I will be forever grateful for the whole team at Heartlight. They loved our son and our family so well. He was able to be in a place where he started to care about himself. He started to have hope and could imagine a future for himself. My son is now a sophomore in college and is doing better than we could have ever imagined. I have read the negative reviews. You need to understand that when you put a bunch of struggling teens together things will not go perfectly. There will be some hard times and your child will also be exposed to some things that you wish you could shield them from BUT it is also going through those hard things that prompt discussion and reflection that then initiates change. If you trust the process it truly does change your child's heart and your heart as well. I am a better parent now to my other children because of everything I have learned from the wisdom of Mark, Blake, Courtney and everyone else there. read more

IF YOU WANT YOUR KID MOLESTED SEND THEM HERE. I was sent here at 15 years old and molested often by the head staff member of the house hold. On these things called point times where staff members could take you out alone make you their personal slave and molest you in the Forrest or play weird games and film and force you to take your clothes off. Sounds fun right? Often they would threaten me with working hours or restriction as they call it. A way to keep kids quiet from spilling the truth. I spent most my time (12months) building this property and it's gorgeous views! So yes you have me to thank and other kids who were touched for its beautiful landscape and picture's layout. They always claimed GOD and JESUS CHRIST were punishing me for being such a bad kids. This place knows nothing about Christianity it's the closest thing thing to hell. Therapists and owners and upper management knew these things were going on and likely participated in it suppressing information and further indoctrinating kids into believing they deserved it all because they were bad children. Half the kids that "ran away" from this place are just running from child predators lol. I believe this is some sort of deep s*x ring starting at the very top, yes I'm talking to you Mark Gregston! Exchanging child CP and forcing kids to do horrific acts for adults pleasure both boys and girls. I'm 1 of about 10 kids that I KNOW this happen to just while I attended this "cult." Super fun for a healing kid already traumatized and from a broken home. Who's gonna believe a "troubled teen" was molested numerous times at a Christian camp right? Could not even contact my parents until 3 months in and by that time it was too late. I can't believe I'm still alive I have no one to thank besides myself. I could write a book but I have moved on from their propaganda mind games and lies and predator tendencies. We paid 100,000$ for all of this! You really get your moneys worth lol. All the good reviews are fake bots or staff members. Count your days HeartLight. Bye for now. Don't think for a second I forgot what you did to me! read more

Heartlight saved our son's life. I know that sounds dramatic to many, but unless you have been through the drama of having a child tear their life apart because they were hurting so bad, then you don't have the right to say I am too dramatic. My son was a severely depressed and anxious teenager, who was using alcohol, hard drugs, sex, self harm, and suicide attempts to try to make his depression and anxiety go away. Instead of opening up to us as his parents, he internalized it by thinking something was wrong with him and fell further and further into despair, stealing, being chased by police. We caught him with marijuana a couple of times. But alcohol? Hard drugs? No way! How could he function? Have good grades? Play sports? Then he started staying out all night, then all weekend. Eventually, it all came to a head when he was caught by a friend's parents and was kicked out while high on meth. Not knowing, they let him drive home. He hit a guardrail, but dIdn't go over, though he wished he would have. He came home in the middle of the night, strung out, but able to say for the first time in years, "I NEED HELP!" We ran with that! From that small sentence, we went to the ER, then to hospitalization, then to time to be away and detox while waiting on a placement at Heartlight, then to Heartlight. Leaving him at Heartlight was likely the hardest thing I have done as a mother. But I told myself "this is where he belongs". I had no doubt of that. He stayed for 14 months; graduated high school, turned 18, and graduated the program. The time and energy and the lifestyle that Mark, his wife, extended family, and the staff put into these kids is remarkable. They love on each kid and help them learn how to work through their issues without substances or other devices. I would recommend Heartlight to anyone who has a struggling teen; not just one who is struggling with alcohol or drugs. But one who is struggling with a plethora of things today's world places on their shoulders. read more

Our daughter spent a little over a year at Heartlight from late 2022- early 2024. She had anxiety/depression and then had a horrific and traumatic event in her life. After that, she completely spiraled out of control. We lost her- engaging in risky and self destructive behavior. She hated the world, herself, us, and God. She had an empty look in her eyes. We tried everything, but things only got worse. She refused any therapy and sabotaged all attempts to get her help. When public suicide threats started, we made the painful decision to put her in a program. We knew she needed a long term residential program if we had any chance of success. We wanted a program that just didn't work on the child, but that also helped the family with any issues and how to progress with our child. THANK GOD WE FOUND HEARTLIGHT. Hearlight is a serious commitment- both financially and mentally. It took some time, and her councilor, Layne was a Godsend. We got the impression that everyone at Heartlight truly cared for our daughter and her successes. Slowly we started to see the life come back into her face and eyes. It was bumpy at times, but the trend was towards something better. We stayed the course and saw it through. Our daughter fully graduated from Heartlight. She came home as a new person- she is able to make and maintain friendships and relationships. She is now working in school and is making great grades. She is now a wonderful family member and big sister. She is joyous and fun again! One can just look at her and see the love of life in her. Without Heartlight, we would have lost her for good. It would have destroyed all of us in our family. Heartlight saved us all. Thank you Heartlight! read more

After struggling for over two years, we made the painful decision to have our oldest son placed at Heartlight. We had tried everything to get through to him and reach him. We had lost him to a weed and alcohol addiction, depression, anger, and apathy. He completely lost hope and was drowning in despair. We tried everything we knew to do but, nothing worked. We needed a stronger support system around our family to save him. Today, he says he would either be dead or, at the very least, be in jail if we hadn't intervened. What Heartlight did was usher in hope where we had none. Through his weekly counseling sessions, the root of his anger, depression, and drug usage was exposed. He was in a safe environment to heal and process the trauma he has experienced in his life. We were also guided through our own healing process as we grieved our missteps and oversights as parents and our trauma from watching our son spiral beyond our reach. Heartlight does a wonderful job focusing on building relationships with the residents out who are on campus. Their focus isn't to change behavior but to change their hearts. They work tirelessly to reach these children and their families, to help pull them out of the messes they have found themselves in. Heartlight saved our family. They helped shine light on some very dark and broken places and offered grace and wisdom on how to heal and more forward as a family. He graduated from Heartlight in May of 2024. While we are so glad the season of having our son there is over, we will be forever grateful for everything they did for us. Our son is grateful as well. If you are looking for a residential counseling center to send your child to I cannot recommend Heartlight enough. read more

My son is currently at Hearlight MInistries. He has been there now for 8 months. Deciding to send him to Heartlight was not easy, it was actually the hardest decision his dad and I have ever had to make. We were failing at home, watching him drown in depression and anxiety, watching him withdraw from everything he loved. He was lying, skipping school, seeking self medicating behaviors, all of the behaviors every parent dreads. In my wildest dreams I never imagined the spiral of behaviors and the difficult decision to say we could no longer parent our child, and that we needed help. We tried outpatient counseling locally, and although we love our local counselor, nothing was working, he was drowning. I remember telling him, multiple times, I cannot and will not watch you drown. We decided to thrown him the Heartlight life preserver. We made the difficult steps to enroll him in Heartlight, and since that day, the day he left home and we entered him in the Heartlight program, we have moved forward. The tears, the anger, the difficult phone calls, difficult decisions, they have all been worth it. He is a forever changed young man. The progress he has made during the program is truly a gift from God. I will forever be grateful for Heartlight, their staff, and Mark Gregston. The staff members are truly amazing. The counselors, the staff that live in the homes, all of them. I cannot sing the praises of Heartlight enough and I highly recommend if you are having difficulties with your teen, explore your options with Heartlight. read more

My daughter was there 3 years ago. It saved her life. She was very depressed and headed down a dark path. I remembered hearing about Mark Gregston a few years prior; and Heartlight. Of course, I thought that I would never need anything like Heartlight for one of my children...but, I did. We were out of options to make it work where we live so we sent her to Texas. The staff there were nothing but professional and kind. The facility itself is beautiful and we felt like she was completely safe the entire time she was there. Going through something like we did with our daughter felt like being on a deserted island and was unbelievably painful. The program there was thorough and not rushed. Since the kids go to school there, we didn't feel in a hurry to get her home. When she came home she slipped right back into school where she would have been if she were here the whole time. There were several opportunities to visit Heartlight and also included 3 parent weekends which Mark Gregston led and helped whichever parents attended, that offered helpful and encouraging words for us. It always made me feel like I wasn't alone. Mark and his wife Jan open up their own home to welcome families of kids at Heartlight and I could tell this was their lifelong passion. I can't speak highly enough about Heartlight and would recommend this program to anyone. read more

We tried everything we could think of and tapped every local resource (there simply weren't that many for a juvenile) to get our son help. He was in a bad downward spiral struggling from anxiety and depression that eventually led to efforts on his part to self-medicate which only worsened the condition. It was slowly killing him and tearing at the fabric of our family. After a referral from a close family friend, some online researching and multiple phone calls with Heartlight, we made the decision to place our son with Heartlight. It was a tough decision knowing what was involved, but we knew we were losing him, if we didn't give it a try. I can honestly say I have no doubt it saved his life. He graduated the program after a little over a year. Full disclosure, there were many difficult struggles throughout the program, but the staff was great to work with. His counselor, in particular, was absolutely phenomenal. We still work on things as parents and a family, but the difference is that our son now works with us. Communication has returned and he is better equipped to address his emotions and feelings and work through them. read more

My daughter graduated the program 6 months ago, and we found that she is in a completely different place in her life now. The ENTIRE staff at Heartlight and the founder Mark are truly remarkable people. Not only are they dedicated to the betterment of the children, they have devoted their lives to this service. I am 50+ and was raised in a different world as many were. Today, there are so many external factors youth have to navigate. As a parent who cherishes my connection with my daughters, I found it hard to work with many items in our world that drew my baby girl to hardships. The team at Heartlight not only understand how to connect with youth, they equip them to become the future adults who will be productive citizens, loving family and children of God. My heart bleeds for any parent and teen who experiences some of the trauma the kids at Heartlight have endured. My soul rejoices for those who can graduate their program and can forge a new life for themselves and their families. Thank you to everyone at Heartlight. You will forever have a place in our family and we pray for your continued work. read more

Three years ago today, February 13, 2022, our family was blessed beyond measure to attend our daughter's graduation from Heartlight. What started out as a dark and scary time for our daughter turned into a complete blessing! Drop off day will always be a vivid memory of sadness as well as one of hope. As we drove away, I knew that we were doing the right thing for our girl. Our daughter was not in agreement with this decision but eventually trusted the process and the counselors and allowed herself to receive the support. Although she was a resident for 9 long months, my husband and I were also growing and improving our parenting skills. Heartlight worked on all of us. Our daughter tells us now that if we had not taken her that chances are she would not be with us today. Thats a huge comment!! Thats a big relief as a parent to know that our daughter understood the importance of our decision. We will always be grateful to everyone at Heartlight!! Signed Thankful Parents Scott and Melinda B read more

i was at heartlight from august 2021 to november 2021. i was there for depression, suicide attempts, and self harm. i was put on five different self harm restrictions, and during each one i begged for help. i had no support. the restrictions included no social events, counting in the bathroom, being in arms reach, and doing physical labor (weeding, raking, taking trash to dumpster, fluffing rocks, cleaning outside of houses, etc) from eight to six. it has RUINED my thought process. since i was punished for self harming for so long, i believe now that i deserve punishment for everything. its not fair. i talked to blake about this, and he said that "its not a punishment, its a consequence." the definition of punishment is inflicting pain onto someone. i was in pain because of it. i mentioned that and he said "well we have to do something thats going to make you not want to do it again." its not a good program, and im sorry for everyone who has to go through that. read more

Our son was so lost in a mess of drugs and emotions. He didn't want to live and didn't want his mom and I to live either. When we found HeartLight we did all the research and had several phone calls. It is never easy to send your son 1,000 miles away to live in a place you know so little about. While at HL our son spent 13 months slowly progressing at a pace he could handle. The staff and counselors were always one step ahead and assured us that our son was on track. The visits and phone calls weren't just for him, they were for our entire family to get better. It's been almost 2 years since leaving HL and our son has grown so much. The growth and healing he received at HL still impacts him today. HL was what our family needed. read more

I did not enroll my teen at Heartlight but would not hesitate to do so if the need arises. Heartlight is more concerned about teens and families then they are about filling up their program. I have toured their campus and met their counselors. There program is top notch but the thing that impressed me most was that they were more concerned of fixing the problem then getting me to enroll. They have many resources they offer for use in your hime, radio programs, daily parenting tips, workshops and seminars and they will even recommend other schools for you to look into. The staff and program are fantastic. Thank you hEartlight for all you do for America's teens and their families. read more

Heartlight ministered to our whole family by helping protect my daughter from impulsive poor choices and simultaneously giving her an opportunity to focus on healing through therapy and complete her high school degree even early! She was there from 16-17yr old from 6/2022-6/2023 and Courtney was and still is her all time favorite therapist, we are so grateful for the parent weekends as well and were able to heal and grow as a family. I know choosing therapeutic boarding school can seem overwhelming however this family Mark the founder and his entire family are committed to yours and they love God and youth exceptionally well! read more

Not gonna lie, these people are kind of currupt they will make u starve to save money for groceries if we're out, they force you to work if you make a mistake or get in trouble and if u dont there solution is to punish u more instead of helping you. 2 of the staff when i was there went into a staff room and had an affectionate time. and the other staff would argue with other staff in front of us too. this place is not what it seems. it's not about what's on the outside, but what's inside. and also they refuse to take down my picture from the site. read more

Our son has been at Heartlight for the past year and we couldn't be more pleased with the program and the outcomes for him and our whole family. The quality of the staff (and their love and care for our son), the structure to the program to instill ownership and accountability to the students, and the coaching and support that they provide for parents and families are all incredible. The focus on building and maintaining healthy family relationships is key. Wonderful people and program. Keep up the great work. read more

Simply put, working at Heartlight is so incredibly fulfilling! We work with a dedicated staff team who make this feel more like a family than just a job. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of the journey to recovery for all the teens that come through our program. Every day is different and we are fortunate to have so many fun and challenging experiences that help build relationships and lasting change. read more

Heartlight was literally a lifesaver for my daughter. It's a beautiful place with beautiful people who have dedicated their lives to helping hurting families. Check out the Heartlight stories on Youtube and watch the graduations. Listen to the parenting today's teens podcast. What you see and hear is what goes on at this place everyday. So thankful for this place and the people who make it happen. read more