I dont even know where to start! From 7th grade all the way till i was sent to WCA my life was absolutley chaotic heading down the wrong road. It started with an eating disorder which i developed in 7th grade. I then began hanging with some older people who introduced me to drinking, clubbing, partying ect. At the time I thought my parents were way to over protective and strict and not trusting me and just wanting me to stay home all day which was not the case at all. I dont think any parents would give there 12-13 year old daughter permission to go clubbing and drink! But of course i would never admit that then. Since "they never let me do anything" i decided to rebel big time. i lied to them all the time about everything and completey shut them out of my life. I would lie where I was going, who I was with, how i was getting there just about everything! Well she stareted figuring it all out eventually but that didnt stop me. I would guilt and manipulate her into almost anything, or i would just completley ignore any rule she said. If curfew was 12 i would come home at 3 and when i got grounded for being late I would ignore the punishment completley and just do whatever I wanted. I was very good at putting a mask on. At school and cheer and really anywhere no one suspect our family had any problems! No one could ever even imagine me being the least bit disrespectfull to anyone! Ive always been a very cheerfull, entergetic, happy, responsible, and caring person to everyone but my parents. The cycle of my complete disobidience went on through the year then in summer time i was raped at a party. I was a virgin so it really deep down affected me alot. When my parents found out and comfronted me about it I played off cool and like I didnt care at all. I actually laughed and said raped? your funny no, I had sex with him get over it. I never did like any love or compassion from my parents. They tried to give it all the time in so many ways but i didnt want nor accept it from them. After the whole rape everything got even worse because now, i really was hurting deep down, but didnt allow myself to show it. fter about a month i moved out of my house and in with my cheer coaches who i had known for 8 years. my parents ageed to this to. Once i was there I completley dropped all contact with my parents. I would ignore all there texts and calls and never saw them. I pretended they didnt exsist. I was very respectfull to my cheer coaches and there 3 year old daughter at first. I was allowed to go no where but school cheer and there house, thats all. No track no after school activities no friends, just cheer. I actually did ok with this for awhile. After about 2 months I got a call from my bestfriend who said my mom was demanding me home. Mins after the phone call I overdosed I attempted suicide. I felt life wasnt worth living if I had to be home when really I had no reason to despise my house or parents at all! I was back with my coaches but from that point on i was depressed. I started to cut myself, starve myself again, & still remained in no contact with my parents. I began lieing to my coaches about things repeatidly & they caught me drunk once which was there final straw that ended in my parents deciding to send me to WCA. i was excorted there. Immidiatley after 3 hours of being there I felt very welcomed and comfortable. It is very much a family like atmosphere. But just like most people who first get sent away, your angry about being there for a month sometimes 2 but that anger quickly disapears. I grew to absolutley LOVE everyone there & everything about the entire program. While there I was able to figure out all my issues and core reasons for why i acted how I did, went from skipping phone calls with my parents to crying when It was time to hang up. I looked forward to visits told them about my day appoligized and even talked to them about my feelings! I learned coping skills & diff ways to heal from self harm and my eating disiorder and learned that the truth will set you free. I also grew in my faith with God tremendously there & built a relationship with him. Now today, I am 17 already graduated highschool a year & a half early through the schooling at WCA, working at a childrens day school where I lead chapel for all 250 kids teach gymnastics classes and help in the office with paper work and with talking to parents about any concerns or questions they have. I also nanny a girl everyday after work! I come home sit & talk to my mom for hours, help clean around the house and even have my friends, co workers, and just adults calling me & asking for advice or to just listen to there problems. I show and shine Gods love and compassion for other through me and hope that everyone can be touched by him like I have. I went from hiding from my problems to conqoering them on the spot bc I know I am strong enough and believe in myself. Im a totally new Tori thanks to WCA it saved both me & my family!! read more

I first heard of Wolf Creek Academy from my mother. She informed me if I did not straighten up I would be attending Wolf Creek Academy. My Immediate thought was she would not be able to force me to go and that would be the end of it. I was surprised to find transporters at my door telling me I had to come with them. I had no choice but to go with them. I proceeded to not talk to my parents for a month or so. About three months into my stay change began to take place. I came to recognize that living my life for the moment was a never ending downward spiral. I also had a lot of issues with anger. I began to confide and talk openly with my therapist and house parents. After 5 months things really began to start looking up for me. I made the personal decision to leave the defiance, robbery, and drugs in the past. The realization that I could make a new start in my life brought about a spark in me and suddenly I grasped my life was just about to get better! Since then, my relationship with my parents is better than ever. I am graduating high school and planning to attend college in the fall. I have taken control of my life and am thankful I have been able to participate in this program. I can't begin to imagine where I would be had I not gone through this program at Wolf Creek Academy. I keep in touch with many of the staff members over facebook and plan to do so on into the future. They helped me tremendously over my stay and are people I will remember the rest of my life. Sincerely, Andrew Stockett WCA Student 2012 read more

Hello my name is Erica, i went to Wolf Creek Academy for one short year.. and i learned more in that one year than in my 20 years of life. I was never a strong believer in God, after leaving WCA God is my life. I pray multiple times a day, talk to God when i get weak.. i havent been this happy with my life in a very long time. Also going to WCA i graduated high school, i would have never done that back home in indiana.. i would have been a drop out and never went back. i graduated with a 3.5 GPA and before WCA i had a 1.2. The counselors there are extremely caring and actually help you work through your problems or issues. I never opened up to people the way i opened up to my counselors. You become extremely close to everyone there, the girls or boys you live with become your family. I left there in 2008 and i still stay in contact over the phone or facebook with almost every girl i lived with in that year, and even some boys that were there. Pat and Jimbo are by far the most amazing people i have ever met in my entire life. I just want to say THANK YOU to them also. without meeting them and having them placed in my life.. i dont know where i would be honestly. This school is an amazing place to be.. and if i could go back in time i would have wanted to stay longer just to be with the people i was with everyday of my year stay.. i will always love each and every one of them. If you are considering sending you son or daughter there, i strongly recommend it. It will change your life and theirs!!! read more

High cost- low benefit. Unqualified staff in charge of direct care of troubled teens. Extremely high staff turnover. Poor (and smelly) living conditions on boys' campus. Advertised as a nurturing environment, but not so, as the the only handful of nurturing staff members have moved on. There were a 2 or 3 good ones left, but spend most of their time on the girl's campus, except for one, as far as we know. Most testimonials online are provided by individuals who attended or whose teens attended several years ago. Also noted that the websites displaying glowing reviews were those supported primarily through membership of the listed schools, and therefore only show good reviews, some of which are provided by staff. If your teen is not a staff favorite, he or she will not advance. Pulled our teen based on his apparently deteriorating emotional state, mood, and sense of self-esteem every time we saw or spoke with him, lack of improvement in behavior, his falling behind in school coursework, and inability to advance through the program beyond the 2nd phase after 8 months regardless of his efforts or his therapist's recommendation. Residential boarding school now in the hands of the son of original founding couple. He often behaves much like a troubled teen himself. We are posting this review because we feel it's important for loving parents in need of real help to hear from parents who have been there themselves. read more

When I was in my teens I shared the loss of a loved family member that sent me spiraling downward. It wasn't until I was baker-acted for the second time that my parents decided to send me to Ms. Pat and Jimbo's boarding school. Although I was reluctant at first, their warm demeanor and structured organization pushed me to better myself both academically and as a person! Today I am 25 and the proud Mommy of a soon-to-be 1 year old son, and an E5 Combat Medic Veteran of the United States Army, with one deployment under my belt and a lifetime of experience and memories from serving my Country with my fellow soldiers. If not for the intervention and experience of the Jones' program I would have NEVER gotten out of my rut long enough to accomplish ANY of these things! I owe A LOT to Ms. Pat and Jimbo for their loving support, for teaching me the discipline I needed to take charge of my life and make the positive changes that have brought me to where I'm at today, and for showing me the path to Christ, where I still go today to give thanks for my many blessings and ask for strength when life throws challenges my way. Thank you Ms. Pat and Jimbo. You saw good in me even when I couldn't. God Bless!!! read more

Wolf Creek Academy in Mars Hill, North Carolina, offers an exceptional therapeutic boarding school experience for teens aged 13-17, set in the serene mountains of Western North Carolina at 41 Beauty Spot Cove Rd. This faith-based program combines accredited academics with a robust therapeutic approach, including individual, group, and family counseling, as well as adventure-based therapy like rock climbing, hiking, and rafting, to address behavioral challenges, depression, or academic struggles. The dedicated staff, including licensed therapists and educators, maintain a low 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio, ensuring personalized support in a nurturing, family-oriented environment. The accredited curriculum, dual-enrolled with Lighthouse Christian Academy, prepares students for college, with many graduates pursuing higher education. Daily activities such as sports, chores, and outdoor adventures foster resilience, teamwork, and character development. With over 30 years of experience, Wolf Creek Academy creates a safe, transformative space where teens rediscover their potential and families rebuild stronger connections, making it an outstanding choice for those seeking lasting change. read more

WCA had a life changing impact on me. When I came to WCA I was struggling with severe depression, suicidal tendencies, addictive cutting behaviors, and I had struggles with my parents and I's relationship. I do not regret my parent's decision to take me there at all. The staff and counselors devote their time to the student's wellness and happiness. They spent their days teaching us how to cope with life and our troubles and also loved on us and encouraged us. The connections I made with the girls there are life-long, we became sisters through our troubles. Not all of my time spent there was rainbows and flowers but it's the tough times in life that help us grow into more mature people. I came to WCA in the lowest point of my life and through the staff there I grew into the person I am today. read more

What a wonderful experience for our family. Our daughter was struggling emotionally and academically. This school welcomed her with love from day one. The therapist Dr. Vista was so kind to her and from the beginning our daughter began healing. We had tried therapy on an out patient basis and just had no results. After 7 months at Wolf Creek Academy our daughter has a renewed spirit, a new outlook on life and we have our daughter again. This school changed the course of our families future in a positive way! Blessings to the many staff there and the wonderful directors who keep this ministry alive! Christina- Florida read more

My name is Nicole Southard, i attended wolf creek academy about four years ago! At the time i struggled with many drug addictions and struggled with communicating to others and my loved ones. While in the house i got a lot of one on one when needed and amazing sessions of counseling with Valerie. They have a great balance of fun, education, and helping and coping opportunities! This school helped me greatly and couldnt be more appreciative. All the staff and faculty have huge hearts. read more

It's hard to sum up all that Wolf Creek Academy has done for our son in just a few words. This past year, they've had a whirlwind of positive experiences--forming deep friendships, excelling academically, participating in sports, and serving others. None of this would have been possible without the incredible mentors and counselors at Wolf Creek Academy who poured so much into their life. read more

Our daughter experienced a complete turnaround at Wolf Creek Academy. She learned to take responsibility for her own actions and the effect those destructive choices had had on others around her. She became respectful, considerate - in a word, mature - because of the persistence and love of the staff at Wolf Creek Academy. Thank you for everything you do for families. read more

This school is a great program for teens and families in need of healing. If you are a parent considering intervention, I highly recommend this program for your child. The staff and therapists truly care about the student's and it brings hope and restoration to families in need. read more