I am writing this as the partner of someone who attended The Pointe Malibu, and I can honestly say that in my experience, it was the worst decision we have ever made. When he left for treatment, I was hopeful. I believed their polished promises and glossy marketing. I thought I was sending the person I love to a place that would help him heal. What I got back was someone far sicker, both physically and emotionally, than when he left. In my experience, this facility is a danger to anyone who steps inside. My partner came home with ongoing health problems that he never had before. The severe mold issue inside the houses made him ill, along with several other clients, and instead of fixing the problem, they painted over it. That wasn’t just negligence—it was, in my opinion, a reckless disregard for human safety. Months later, he is still suffering from the effects of that exposure, fighting to recover his health because of their shortcuts and indifference. What breaks me most is that this place didn’t just damage his body; it damaged his spirit. He left more broken than he went in. In my experience, the environment at The Pointe Malibu is toxic: unqualified staff, gaslighting when clients speak up, and a culture that values control and profit over actual care. When my partner asked to speak to the owners because management was failing to address critical concerns, he was told that all communication had to go “through counsel.” That, to me, is the clearest sign of what this place really is—a business built on fear and legal shields, not a sanctuary for recovery. The neglect runs deep. Even the basics weren’t met—his room didn’t even have a smoke detector, in Malibu of all places, where wildfires are a real and constant threat. The food was so bad most clients resorted to DoorDash just to eat something tolerable. Everything about his experience screamed cost-cutting and exploitation at the expense of people in their most vulnerable state. In my experience, The Pointe Malibu did not heal my partner; it harmed him. It left lasting physical and emotional scars that we are still dealing with every day. If you are reading this and considering this facility for someone you love, please, I am begging you—don’t make the same mistake we did. Find a center that values human life and real recovery. This place, in my opinion, is a predatory operation masquerading as care, and sending someone you love there could destroy more than you realize.

Horrible treatment center, absolutely horrible.

This review reflects my personal opinion based on my own experience. The Pointe Malibu did not feel like a healing center but like a machine preying on people at their most vulnerable. If you are considering this place for yourself or someone you love, I urge you to turn away. To send anyone here is to risk exposing them to neglect, manipulation, and harm. The images they market create a carefully staged illusion. What I encountered on arrival was not luxury but a facility that felt more like a rundown institution than a sanctuary. The gap between promise and reality appeared intentional rather than accidental. During my stay, there was a severe mold problem that left clients unwell. I personally developed a serious sinus infection that required multiple hospitalizations. Even then, the staff did not arrange transportation to return me to the facility, leaving me stranded in Santa Monica. In a complete disregard for client well-being, they painted over the mold, effectively sealing spores inside and worsening conditions. That choice reflected, to me, not just negligence but disregard for safety. In my room, there was no smoke detector. In Malibu, a region scarred by wildfires, that omission felt like more than an oversight. It read as an abandonment of even the most basic duty of care. Most of the “therapists” I encountered were not licensed clinicians but associates, a fact not disclosed beforehand. Resident assistants struck me as unqualified and unprofessional, more interested in control than support. When concerns were raised, I was met with hostility and gaslighting rather than compassion. The most telling sign came when I asked to speak with the owners and was told communication is only allowed through their attorney. That, to me, said everything about the culture of this place. Even basic needs were neglected. The food was so poor that clients relied heavily on DoorDash just to eat. For the price charged, this was disgraceful and, in my view, symbolic of how little value is placed on client well-being. The admissions director promised much before my arrival, but those assurances dissolved the moment I stepped inside. What became clear was that this facility profits from families in crisis rather than supporting true recovery. I implore anyone considering this place to do thorough research on its ownership and leadership. In my view, they cut every corner imaginable, and I left far more traumatized than I arrived. This was the worst of the worst. For me, The Pointe Malibu represented a predatory operation that was unsafe, damaging, and exploitative, shielded by lawyers and glossy marketing. I am still working to recover from the harm I endured there. My advice is simple: run, do not walk, away from this place.

The Pointe absolutely saved me life. Saying this as a therapist myself, the staff here was phenomenal and were able to do in 8 weeks what no one else had been able to help with in years. I was in the Chronic Pain Recovery program and it was unlike anything I've tried in the past. The properties are stunning and being right on the beach was so incredibly healing in addition to all of the programming. Cannot recommend The Pointe enough.