I attended DeSisto for two years in the mid- 1990's. I am now married to a wonderful woman, have two fantastic children, and am a millionaire. I know beyond any shaddow of a doubt that if it wasn't for my experience there I would be dead.
In going through the program there were many times when I thought they were too hard on me or actually, in my mind, seemed to enjoy playing mental games. It was only when they finally pushed me through to the other side did I really understand and appreciate their true care, compassion, and the insightful process they were using.
I've been so busy living my life I didn't even know the school closed last year. It feels like I just lost a parent. What is most sad though is people who don't understand what was actually happening there essentially throwing the baby out with the bath water and not even really understanding if the bath water was actually dirty. Let's face it, I and the people I was with there weren't there because our parents, traditional programs, and state agencies had been successful in helping us. We were there because standard programs and conventional wisdom hadn't worked.
I was thinking about writing something about the razor blade incident, but those who point to that as proof of something would appear to not have had the experiences necessary to understand the alternative perspective. As a result, it seems rather pointless to discuss it. I think the parent and the child who both don't appear to hold it against the school get it, and that is probably all that matters at this point. The same goes for the discussion around what type of school it was.
Importantly, I turned my life around because of what they pushed me to do and I achieved the success I have achieved since then because of a simple, but extremely powerful, gift they gave me. That gift was the realization (not just mentally which is easy to have, but emotionally, which is much harder) that I am responsible for both my actions and the actions of those around me. It is deceptively simple a concept and sorely lacking in large parts of our society. Unfortunately, for me to really understand it, and to believe it, they had to give me the opportunity to test the concept, push the limits, and experience the results. I wish more people really understood the significance of that. This world would be a much better place.
I wish you all the best.