What Does It Cost to Go to Rehab in Malibu (And Why Do So Many People Pay)?

malibu beach at sunset with building, palm trees and one person walking, silhouettes

Want to compare Malibu treatment options? Check out our collection of 25+ Malibu rehabs. We’ve compiled pricing info, treatment specializations, and other key differentiators to help you find the best rehab option in Malibu.

It probably comes as no surprise to hear that attending rehab in Malibu is expensive. It’s where Mel Gibson, Lindsey Lohan, and plenty of other rich and famous people have checked in, often spending multiple thousands on an ocean-view room (Mel Gibson went to Passages, where a room starts at $80,000 a month, for example).

But how much does it really cost you to go to rehab in Malibu? And why are people willing to pay the prices?

Here’s everything you need to know.

No Place Like Malibu

The city of Malibu is located about 30 miles west of downtown Los Angeles, along scenic Highway 1, and encompassing a 21-mile strip of coastline. Home to Hollywood stars, glorious sandy beaches, and some of the best surf along the entire Pacific coast, Malibu also comes to mind when thinking of the word “rehab.”

In 2013, the New York Times reported that there were 35 state-licensed drug and alcohol rehab clinics in the Malibu area1 alone (which had a population of just 12,645), along with an ever-rising collection of unlicensed sober-living homes popping up across the city.

Today, it seems Malibu has a rehab center on almost every corner, and many of these have ventured beyond traditional drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, treating mental health conditions too, and often adopting more unique, experiential and alternative treatment approaches.

What Does It Cost to Go to Rehab in Malibu?

With such a desired location, treatment in Malibu is bound to be costly. The answer here depends on which rehab center you’re looking to visit, not to mention any insurance benefits that may help with some of the costs.

Passages (where Mel went) is one of the most luxurious of all the residential providers in Malibu, and its price also reflects this. For your $80,000-per-month stay, you get access to the following:

  • 5 different estates, which offer exquisite ocean-view rooms
  • 10 acres of Malibu paradise
  • Tennis courts
  • A glass-housed gym and personal trainer
  • A private and tranquil detox unit
  • Two swimming pools and a Jacuzzi

They can treat up to 29 clients at a time, and they recommend a 60-day commitment to guided sobriety.

While Passages and Summit Malibu sit at the two ends of the financial scale, there are many other rehab options between them, such as

And there are several reasons so many are willing to pay Malibu prices …

The Beach Is Right There

Of course, a big benefit to receiving addiction and mental health treatment in Malibu is the beautiful scenery and warm climate. Whether it’s the sound of barreling waves breaking along the shoreline, the sight of an epic sunset along the Pacific horizon, or the smells of fresh sea air and the feel of a light breeze on your face, Malibu is a truly magical location, a location that can help you find that all-important reset button.

Malibu offers complete tranquility, calmness and peace. It’s a place where you can switch off, slow down and take the time to watch the sun descend below the horizon, every single day.

You’re Close Enough to Normal Life

Given how close Malibu is to Hollywood and LA, it makes for the perfect place to escape without needing to disconnect from everyday life completely. Many Californian residents, for example, can attend a program and continue to receive follow-up care, reducing the rate of relapse down the road.

Places like Passages offer relapse prevention counseling, for example, while other centers offer clients specialized outpatient treatment, so clients can go about their regular life while continuing treatment.

While most of the centers mentioned are primarily residential, for some people, outpatient treatment is the best approach to their recovery. It gives people a sense of normality, and it helps bring the lessons learned in recovery into real life, helping them overcome issues for good.

There’s an Array of Specialized Centers

Many rehab centers in Malibu are well experienced in treating high-profile individuals and the issues they face, such as alcohol and drug use. For instance, Center for Professional Recovery and Seasons in Malibu specialize in treating executives, celebrities, doctors, lawyers and the like.

Other groups can also find treatment tailored to them. Paradigm Malibu, for instance, is committed to treating underlying core issues that are impacting the lives of teens and Visions Adolescent Treatment offers top-of-the-line treatment to teens specifically aged between 13 and 18 years of age.

Across providers in Malibu, there’s a wide range of alternative and holistic wellness programs that help those suffering from issues like mental health disorders and trauma as well.

Malibu Has Some of the Best Recovery Centers in the World

Because of its location, Malibu has become one of the most sought-after rehab locations in America. Malibu, in many ways, invented the stereotypical high-end, resort-style rehab center. Some have received criticism of simply being a spa or vacation and lax on the hard work of recovery. However, many providers offer both the luxury of vacation-like settings and solid clinical treatment. For instance, centers like Oro House Recovery, Seasons in Malibu and Avalon Malibu have some of the best clinicians across the country, and as a consequence, the quality of treatment often outranks many other centers.

There are Many Reasons So Many Pay the Cost to Attend Rehab in Malibu

It’s home to an abundance of alcohol and drug addiction rehabs that exclusively treat high-end clients and often get attention from the press, which may be the reason the general public associates “rehab” with Malibu and with Hollywood stars.

But Hollywood aside, Malibu is the location of choice for many looking to recover due to the various treatment options and the beautiful weather and scenery.

A person would have to travel far and wide to find a place similar to Malibu. The likes of Spain, for example, hold up in terms of climate and tranquility, and Thailand offers warmth and a less expensive rehab experience as well.

This makes Malibu an extremely popular destination of choice for rehab. To find out more about rehab in Malibu and to find a rehab, visit here.


Frequently Asked Questions About Rehab in Malibu

How much is rehab in Malibu?

Prominence treatment, price starts at $47,000 per month
Paradigm Malibu, price starts at $48,000 per month
Summit Malibu, price starts at $48,000 per month
Sunset Malibu, price starts at $50,000 per month
Malibu Hills, price starts at $68,000 per month

Why is rehab in Malibu popular?

Because of its location, Malibu has become one of the most sought-after rehab locations in America. Malibu, in many ways, invented the stereotypical high-end, resort-style rehab center.

Where do CEOs go to rehab?

Many rehab centers in Malibu are well experienced in treating high-profile individuals and the issues they face, such as alcohol and drug use. For instance, Center for Professional Recovery and Seasons in Malibu specialize in treating executives, celebrities, doctors, lawyers and the like.

Athletes and Addiction: Can You Attend Rehab Without It Becoming a Headline?

Athletes-and-addiction

Professional athletes battle with keeping up with the competition, and performance-enhancing drugs are one such way to do so.

But what about when athletes begin abusing drugs or other destructive behavioral patterns outside of the workplace? When depression and isolation overcome an athlete off the field?

Addiction in sport is quite common. And due to the nature of the work, it can be difficult for athletes to both accept and receive the help they need without it destroying their career. Yet, if you carry on without getting help, you put everything at risk—your career, your health, and even your life.

Michael Phelps lost his sponsorship deal with Kellogg’s1 when he was pictured smoking cannabis. Montee Ball’s NFL career was short-lived due to struggles with alcohol and depression.2 Chris Herren’s professional basketball career ended due to addiction;3 paramedics revived him several years later from a heroin overdose.

If you’re a professional athlete, here’s how you can attend rehab and get help without landing in the headlines.

1. Leave the Country

Some countries thrive on celebrity culture.

Their people soak in celebrity problems like they’re their own. But there are countries where celebrities can walk down the street without hassle (and attend rehab without landing in the tabloids).

Switzerland is renowned for its security, privacy and non-sensationalism. The country has some of the most exclusive rehab centers in the world. They prioritize your privacy and ensure that the tabloids can’t get to you.

Many centers here offer individual therapy and bespoke treatments so that you can get the help you need without fear of getting caught by reporters.

To find out more about rehab in Switzerland, watch our video series on Swiss rehab centers.

2. Get Exclusive Treatment, Tailored to You

If you’re a celebrity athlete struggling with addiction and you want to get help in privacy, consider avoiding group therapy sessions. While other people in therapy might not tell your story to the news, they may sell it at another point in the future.

Keeping out of the tabloids is about risk reduction. The fewer people that see you, the less likely your story will leak.

Attending private individual treatment that is personalized to you is one way to do that. Some centers, such as Tikvah Lake Recovery in Florida or The Dawn Rehab in Chiang Mai, help you stay off the grid.

3. Get the Tabloids to Sign a Super-Injunction

Before you go to rehab, you can take steps with the media to legally inform them that they can’t report on particular issues for the sake of selling a story.

In the U.K., a super-injunction4 is an effective way of minimizing reported stories about your rehab. However, it uses the term “reported stories” because it’s becoming difficult to avoid stories leaking on social sites like Twitter.

Ryan Giggs’ case is a famous example. He sought an injunction to protect his identity over an alleged affair with a reality TV contestant, as well as a super-injunction to protect himself against an affair he had with his brother’s wife for eight years.

While these stories were eventually leaked and brought to light by media sources, a super-injunction can be an effective way of reducing your risk of making the headlines, especially if your story is personal to you and uncontroversial.

4. Tell Your Team You’re on Holiday or Hiatus

In most cases, tabloid news stories are leaked from the inside. It’s not unusual for a member of your team to sell your story to make a quick buck. And while we encourage you to only work with trusted people, that isn’t always the case.

To minimize your risk of getting “caught in rehab,” avoid telling people. It might seem like simple advice, but money buys secrets, and the media has a lot of money.

Your team only needs to know that you’re away on holiday or hiatus; they don’t need to know more details.

5. Be the First to Share About It

This is definitely counterintuitive and not for everyone. If you don’t want to be in the headlines for a drug or alcohol problem or other mental health issues, submitting an honest, transparent statement to media sources or posting an update on your social media accounts is the last thing you would choose to do.

However, this approach may work really well. You may desire, for instance, “to be the change you want to see in the world” and show that it’s okay to seek out treatment for addiction and mental health issues. That it’s actually the best thing you can do and a sign of strength not weakness. You may feel that being straightforward and honest about your situation will actually help mitigate speculation and gossip, especially if you’re concerned about it leaking anyway. Although all were in blackmail situations, consider Alexander Hamilton with the Reynolds Pamphlet, Jeff Bezos’s Medium article,5 and John Skipper’s resignation statement.6 If you do choose this route, be prepared for potential consequences.

Be Sure to Seek the Help You Need

With all this said, the most important factor about attending rehab is to get the right help for you.

Many locations across the globe have unique and tailored solutions that will work for some athletes but not for others.

Be sure to do your homework on the rehab center you’re interested in and choose one based on the treatment available and the expert clinicians who work there. These clinicians, after all, are the ones who will help you get sober and stay sober.

To get the specialized treatment you may need, explore our collection of rehabs across the globe to learn about pricing, their treatment approach, clinical team, and more.


Frequently Asked Questions About Rehab Privacy for Athletes

Where can athletes with drug addiction get help?

Help is available for athletes struggling with addiction:

• Your primary care physician may refer you to treatment.
• A specialized mental health professional can guide your recovery.
• Find an addiction treatment program specifically for athletes. Some have unique therapies like HBOT
• Join a 12-Step or non-12-Step support group in addition to a treatment program.

Can athletes go to rehab without anyone knowing? 

It’s possible. Single-client rehabs offer completely private treatment. Going abroad is another option. Countries like Switzerland have strict privacy laws and some of the world’s most exclusive rehabs.

How can athletes attend rehab in private?

You can attend rehab abroad, or get personalized treatment at a private rehab that offers individualized care, private rooms, and doesn’t require group therapy.

More Than a Business: The Unique Benefits of a Family-Owned Rehab

tikvahheader

Written by Ben Camp, CEO of Recovery.com

Over the past few years, I’ve had the chance to visit a number (the current count is 19, I believe) of the luxury rehabs listed on our site.

I’ve enjoyed meeting the teams behind each one, but have come to particularly appreciate and recognize the unique benefit of family-owned and operated centers. Here are a few of the reasons that dynamic can be so special.

Financial Independence

There’s certainly nothing inherently wrong with institutional investors, but a key benefit communicated to me when visiting these centers is that without an institutional investor to answer to, family-owned rehabs find they are freer to make decisions that put client needs over profit when necessary.

Don Lavender (Programme Director) and his wife Meena (Family Therapist & EMDR Practitioner) run Camino Recovery in Malaga, Spain. Don and Meena spent many years working for institutional treatment centers in the US and UK, and Don was happy to share the benefits of operating a family-owned center.

team camino
Don (right) and Meena (front, 2nd from left) and their team at Camino Recovery.

“Meena and I wanted to do this on our own. Even though we’ve been approached a number of times, we haven’t gone with or worked with investors. Because when you have to pay more attention to the bottom line than paying attention to the welfare of the client, sometimes a good business decision can turn out to be a poor clinical decision.”

Jan Gerber, Managing Director of Paracelsus Recovery in Switzerland, who runs the company with his mom, the Clinical Coordinator, and dad, the Medical Director puts it this way, “I have a very strong belief that institutional money, institutional investments, and mental health don’t work together. Because when it comes to mental health treatment, be it addiction treatment, eating disorders, depression, or anything else, there is no objective decision. Does a person need more psychotherapy or less psychotherapy? More of that treatment or less of that treatment? It needs to be a clinical decision where the budget and financial side is completely cut off.”

Screenshot 2018 03 01 10.15.29
Jan (center) and his mother Dr. Christine Merzeder (center right) meeting with their team.

Intimate Atmosphere

For the most part, family-run treatment centers tend to be smaller, more intimate environments. Of the four I mention in this post, Camino is the largest with a maximum of 8 clients, which is well below the norm for residential treatment centers.

Dr. David Nesenoff, of Tikvah Lake Recovery in Florida, provides an extremely personalized treatment experience with treatment taking place entirely in his home.

“Even though Tikvah Lake Recovery is a 15,000 square foot mansion on a 200-acre private lake, this is our home. My wife Nancy and I live here. There are no signs outside and if one were to poke their head in they would see a peaceful home with a few guests visiting. Our clients are considered guests in our home and they are treated as such. Discussions around our table can be anything from talking about the unbelievable food in front of us or about our day or just some fun stuff hosts and guests usually talk about around the family table. Our clinical director becomes part of the family as well as he often joins us around the lunch table and he and his staff are on-site working with our guests one-on-one every day.”


Dr. Nesenoff welcomes potential clients into his home in the short clip above.

David and his son Adam, who operate the center together, believe that the size of the facility (the program is limited to a maximum of 6 people) and the home-like atmosphere are key factors to their guests’ success.

Ameet Braich, Clinical Director of Camino Recovery (and the son of Meena Lavender) also sees great benefit in a more intimate setting. “We’ve all come from years in the field, working in larger institutions and have found that working in a clinical environment is detrimental to the therapeutic process. Having a small, intimate space where people can really get honest and open up about their issues, really works well in this setting.”

Addiction Is a Family Problem

My first exposure to a family-owned and operated treatment center was Duffy’s Napa Valley. From its founding in 1967 until it was acquired in 2015, Duffy’s operated as a family-run business, and frequently described themselves as “A family business for a family problem.” That slogan resonated with me, and I think its a key component to why family-owned centers are so special.

Addiction is a problem that affects the entire family and can also be a byproduct of problems within the family. So “it is natural for the solutions to these struggles and barriers to be learned within a family environment,” says Nesenoff.

Clients at a family-operated program get the chance to see family dynamics in action, which in itself can be helpful. Don says, “We’re imperfect just like every family. But when we mess up or make mistakes, we acknowledge it. And, in a way, it gives the clients the permission to learn.”

As a key part of their program, Camino invites the families of their clients to join them on site for a 5-day workshop, where according to Don, they teach them about the “disease concept and codependency” as well as a focus on enablement.

He doesn’t doubt that there is a connection between Camino’s family ownership and the effectiveness of their family program. “Camino is a family-owned and family-run business. … We pay attention to families seriously, not only our own family but the family systems of others. … Family is important. It is of value. And when people leave us, they return to family.”

A Dream Come True

“It’s a dream come true.” This is how Debby Berry, co-founder of Kembali Recovery described starting and running a treatment center with her son Clayton.

IMG 20190405 075356
Clayton and Debby show us a nearby waterfall for our Bali Destinations episode.

As anyone who runs a family business knows, it has its challenges. But more often than not, the benefits are worth the effort, and felt not only throughout the organization but by the clients and their families in desperate need of help.

When considering treatment options, you should always investigate the quality of the program. Search our collection of rehabs and find key information such as licensing, accreditations, and pricing at a glance. Whenever possible, consult a trusted medical or mental health professional before a final decision is made.


Frequently Asked Questions About Family-Run Rehabs

What are the benefits of a family-run rehab?

Family-run rehabs may have more flexibility and tend to prioritize clinical care over profits. Most treat a few patients at a time in an intimate, home-like setting. This comfortable atmosphere helps patients open up in therapy.

What is the difference between a family-owned rehab and state-funded rehab?

The cost of treatment without insurance is a key difference between family-owned and state-funded rehabs. State-funded rehabs offer low- to no-cost treatment for uninsured people. However, it often takes longer to enter state programs compared to family-owned rehabs.

Do family-run rehabs have better family programs?

Family-run rehabs tend to pay special attention to their family program. Patients also get to see healthy family dynamics in action and can apply these to their own lives.