The Retreat

The Retreat Wayzata Minnesota

Our mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities affected by alcohol and drug dependency by providing affordable, effective educational services grounded in the Twelve Step principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. If you are hungry for recovery, we will provide a dignified setting and surround you with people living recovery at the highest level; you are going to get what you need. Everywhere you look you are surrounded by people who believe in you and believe you have what it takes to recover.

ABOUT THE RETREAT

Located in Wayzata, Minn., The Retreat provides adult men and women with a “supportive-educational environment” to recover from drug and alcohol addiction, according to its website. The facility, which is not a traditional clinical or medical program, offers both residential and non-residential options, but does not have a detox unit on-site.

TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT

The Retreat’s website and literature are quick to point out that the center’s offering is not “treatment.” The program exclusively provides support aligned with the 12-step model or Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) / Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings. Days are typically spent working on the 12-Steps, attending educational sessions geared toward recovery and self-care, and participating in recreational and physical activities. Most clients remain on-site for 30 days, but there is also a 90-day extended program.

For those who are unable to commit to a residential program, The Retreat offers an alternative evening option that runs for 18 weeks. Additional services include programming for adults who are over the age of 60, a 10-day relapse program, sober housing, and family programming twice per month.

STAFF CREDENTIALS

The treatment team is comprised of licensed alcohol and drug counselors, program coordinators, and support staff, most of whom are in recovery themselves. While there are no psychiatrists or psychologists on staff, the facility can refer clients to local mental health professionals if needed.

ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES

The 80-bed facility is located just 15 minutes outside of downtown Minneapolis, allowing residents to enjoy surrounding forests and nature trails. Both private and semi-private rooms are available, and clients have access to fitness equipment and dedicated meditation areas. Based on feedback from the 12 alumni and loved ones polled by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing, The Retreat received an average 4.8-star rating for its accommodations.

WHAT ALUMNI SAY

The 11 alumni reviews submitted to Best-rehabs.com were all positive to date. Seven surveyed alumni rated The Retreat four- and five- out of five-star ratings for its treatment effectiveness, accommodations, exercise options, and holistic offerings. The visitor policy and facility’s cleanliness were also rated favorably, receiving four- and five-star ratings from six of the seven alumni.

The only critique came from Jake, who noted that the facility was not ideal for those with medical issues or co-occurring mental disorders. Yet he still qualified his criticism by writing: “I have been sober 3 years since treatment and it is due entirely to The Retreat and its emphasis on local sober living afterwards.”

WHAT FRIENDS & FAMILY SAY

Six loved ones polled by Best-rehabs.com to date were mixed in their ratings of The Retreat. Two wrote negative comments about the facility, with loved one N.N. ratings its treatment effectiveness only one star, criticizing the facility for its short treatment period and poor communications with family members. But four of the loved ones rated the facility four and five stars in holistic treatment offerings, connectivity, and family participation, with loved one Byrne writing: “It was only $4,000 dollars for a month and they have single rooms. In addition, they have a strong AA base.”

FINANCING

The Retreat’s residential program is priced at $4,900 for the first 30 days, and each additional 30 days costs $4,100. According to the facility’s website, partial scholarships are available to qualifying individuals.

Updated March 2017

The Retreat Reviews

A remarkable experience that changed my life and is still in me. 5
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  • My loved one attended The Retreat. He just came home a few days ago. I also attended the family program they have. I can't say enough about this place. From the food, to the meetings, to the staff, to the housing, to the programs. It's all amazing. My loved one actually LOVED it here. He said god forbid he has to check into treatment again, he would come back here in a heartbeat. The family program was incredible (Take advantage of that if you have a loved one here!!!) I will be forever grateful for the things I learned at The Retreat. I really can't say enough about this place. If you're wondering if this is the right fit... 1000 times yes. What you get for the cost is truly amazing.
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    The Retreat is such an encouraging experience. I recommend the Retreat to everyone. 5 stars across the board!! Top notch everything.
    I would avoid The Retreat. We sent our daughter the experience was horrible. More about the money than the help.
    I found The Retreat to be a money venture. Without the money their is no Retreat. The staff was very rude. They all seemed much more interested in their program and its righteousness than helping the person needing help. I would avoid this place and look elsewhere.
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    It was a good place.
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  • We sent my child to Retreat for an addiction to pills, alcohol and depression. We wanted a 30 day stay so she could get on the proper medication, be monitored, learn to understand her addiction problem and get tools to fight it. She was released after six days. Her stay there was a total waste. The psychologist and medical team didn't seem to know what the other was doing. When I told the nurse she was being released, the nurse was in shock: this was a child not ready to go back to reality. She desperately needed more treatment. Retreat wanted my child OUT when insurance ran out, even though we agreed to pay out of our own pocket to keep her in for a month. I imagine that the place has been burned many times by families who agree to self-pay after insurance stops, but don't pay the bill when it's due. My child was able to con her psychologist into thinking she was ready to leave. Retreat has beautiful grounds, brags of the near-gourmet level food, does offer horse therapy and recreation and has some professionals who really care. However, despite its fancy packaging and talk, cash is the bottom line.
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  • It was only $4,000 dollars for a month and they have single rooms. In addition, they have a strong AA base.
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  • They have a self-directed AA model , the staff is knowledgable and all in recovery, it has a lovely setting and amazing food. The weaknesses of the facility were that there was not a staff mell, it wasn't appropriate for dual diagnosis and it was medically unstable. I have been sober 3 years since treatment and it is due entirely to The Retreat and its emphasis on local sober living afterwards. The commuity oriented nature of the program prepared me well for the rooms of AA.
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  • The facility was intimate and very affordable. It is not for emergent medical emergencies but rather for people relapsing.
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  • This is an amazing place for self discovery.
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  • The Retreat...oh, I could go on and on about how wonderful this place is!!! Many of the "guests" were not new to treatment, many had been to other facilities, which were great for the clinical aspect of treatment but what I was told they lacked is the spiritual element, or the higher power. For many the true surrender could not happen without this. It was not based in a religion at all, but examined faith in something greater than ourselves. Many still wanted to hang on to the idea that we have control, which is how I felt. The staff are all addicts in recovery, in fact, none are certified counselors. The trust factor there went way up for me. real people, real pasts with addiction. current success stories. It is not a lock down facility, the doors never locked from the inside. That right there was comforting, knowing I was there with a group who truly wanted sobriety for themselves. I am going to be 4 years sober on feb 5th 2015.I had a sponsor before I entered, I have attended aftercare as suggested, still go to meetings weekly and have the same sponsor. I am in regular contact with many that I went through the program with. A couple relapsed briefly, but the majority have sobriety dates right around mine!!!! Was beyond my expectations.
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  • The Retreat is a one-of-a-kind treatment program developed by Hazelden, Minnesota's premier addiction-recovery center. By stepping away from the "medical model" so commonly used in treatment and instead emphasizing recovery through community support and reliance on the 12-step model of AA, it has created a remarkable healing opportunity at an affordable cost. I can't recommend it highly enough. The Retreat environment is pleasant and calming. Spending time there would make the quest for recovery seem less of a chore and more of a wonderful opportunity. It's a place of healing — and who doesn't want healing? It is a relatively low-cost, very high-quality treatment program in which most people struggling with addiction are likely to feel comfortable.
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  • Great place to recover.
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  • It's based on AA.
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  • The staff are all in recovery, the environment makes you feel comfortable and at home, walking trails, buddy system for newcomers, single rooms for privacy, separation of men's and women's facilities, open door police-everyone is there because the want to be there, homemade meals, exercise programs, recreation time, fosters individuality and independence, all assignments were meaningful and valuable, beautiful meditation center, flexible visitation, the family program is excellent. I made lifelong friends and will forever be grateful for all The Retreat did for me and what they encouraged me to do for myself. I am a better person for having been there. Great facility, excellent staff, awesome program, spiritual not religious.
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  • It was the most amazing experience of my life. After 9 different treatment centers I found the Retreat focused on the Solution rather than the problem.
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  • Went to a sober house after I left.