People Magazine Profiles Bromley Brook Students
4/28/2008
People magazine profiled a student at Bromley Brook boarding school for girls in its April 25, 2008 issue. The story follows the experiences of a single mom and her daughter, Riley, who had been partying late into the night, drinking, and experimenting with drugs. Riley was skipping school and stealing money from her mother. Her mom became increasingly alarmed, especially after the teen crashed her car and threatened suicide.
Riley’s parents considered boot camps, wilderness therapy, and residential treatment centers. After a short stay at a psychiatric hospital, Riley’s parents decided to enroll her at Bromley Brook, a therapeutic boarding school for girls. Her parents hoped that by moving her far away from the negative peers and influences, she would have an opportunity to get back on track with school and change her self-defeating behaviors.
At Bromley Brook, Riley participated in therapy, substance abuse counseling, and a college preparatory academic program. In the article Riley admits, “I thought it was a scare tactic so I’d clean up my act.” She tried to “act” her way into appearing fine, but she struggled with sobriety. As she began to face her substance abuse problem, underlying issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression began to surface. And there were no drugs or alcohol to help her numb the pain.
During Riley’s stay at Bromley Brook, her mother took the opportunity to address her own issues. After an honest look at herself as a parent, she realized she had tried to be more of a friend to Riley than a parent. She had accepted Riley’s lies, even when her daughter appeared to have been drinking and using drugs. She decided that when Riley returned home, she would be a stronger parent and would not allow denial to blind her to her daughter’s problems.
Although Riley had some rough moments during her time at Bromley Brook, she began to address her partying and her feelings about letting herself get so off track. She started to earn As and even started an activist group to help people in Darfur.
Riley told People magazine, “I’m tired of justifying my actions when I know they are wrong. I’m tired of messing up.”
Since graduating from Bromley Brook, Riley has been accepted at a local college and has held down a job.
“Riley has always had my love,” Riley’s mom told People magazine. “Now she is regaining my trust. I feel like we’ve both been given another chance.”
