OurTestimonials

Canyon Crossing Recovery is capable of completely changing lives of women fighting drug and alcohol addiction. I learned this through complete surrender of self will and trust in the staff. It was not an easy task, and I resisted the program my first few months in the house, but when I became willing to be helped, my life completely turned around for the better.
The main goals of CCR are to teach women to be independent and to be able to walk with integrity and grace no matter what comes up in life. I can honestly say that I was able to do all of those things when I graduated Canyon. Now it doesn’t matter what happens in my life, I can handle any situation with grace and know what is right and wrong.
The program also uses a very effective combination of outpatient therapy and recovery tools. While I was at CCR, I was introduced to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Initially, I was unwilling to work the program and felt very lost in life. Once I began to trust Canyon and AA, I immediately felt relief. The therapists and the housing staff were such a large part of my recovery in the first few months because they were there to help me until I could help myself. The staff is so genuine and willing to help anyone that has a desire to be helped. I realized that I could trust people and feel happiness for the first time, which was a miracle. I was able to experience a lot of self discovery through CCR, and recover through the help of AA. One of the best parts of Canyon Crossing is the relationships that are formed with the other clients, and the women in AA in the town of Prescott, AZ. I have met so many amazing women that share my story, and have made to the other side as well. The bond that is formed between the women in the house is indescribable. I have never felt so closely connected to any single group of people in my entire life. After I graduated I had the opportunity to go home, but I decided to visit CCR to celebrate one year of sobriety. I was able to stay with many of the women I went through the house with and it felt so natural. I can’t say enough great things about CCR. It has truly changed my life and given me the motivation to try to make a difference in other people’s lives.
– Kiki R.
Our daughter has found her way out of the dark forest because of her help from Canyon Crossings Recovery. We were in despair and agony at the recognition of her addiction. We needed help; she needed immediate help. After her detox program, she was referred to Erin’s program at Canyon Crossings. Through their practiced and proven program of surrender and recognition of the addiction, she has become strong again. There is accountability, structure, counseling, relationship advice, and support.
Some of the experience was uncomfortable for her and this was needed for her to come to terms with her distorted reality. She is encouraged, loved, and given the skills necessary to embrace herself again and be a part of a productive society. She will now move into the alum house where her growth will continue. We are extremely pleased with the Canyon Crossings Recovery program and we are eternally grateful for the help and guidance it has given our family.
– C and G
When I came to Canyon Crossing Recovery from an inpatient detox center, I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew that I was an alcoholic and a drug addict and that my life, up until this point, was completely unmanageable in every regard. My life had brought me to the point of IV drug use in which I was living a double life. For years I had worn the façade that everything was alright.
I was working as an RN in an Emergency Department yet had so much self loathing and hatred towards the world, the best choice outside of numbing myself to oblivion, with drugs and alcohol, seemed like suicide. Most people saw me as a woman who had everything together; a career, a relationship, financial success, intelligence, education, and professional accomplishments. However, the reality of the situation was that I had absolutely no coping skills and no understanding of anything besides the hell I was living in on a day to day basis. I believed that my sheer will power, intelligence, and strength would be enough to get me through life. I believed that I deserved the misery I was living in and that I did not deserve to be happy. I had come to the conclusion that no one would ever understand me, accept me, or love me, and that I didn’t fit in anywhere. I had internalized everything in my life believing that I could only ever rely on myself and lived in a constant state of shame and guilt in which I was honest with no one. Not even myself. I lived in fear that if people knew the truth about me and my life, I would be locked up an institution somewhere. The truth is, I was suffering from an untreated disease, that even as an RN, I didn’t recognize until it was almost too late. Canyon Crossing Recovery allowed me to step back from the things I believed defined me, and take an honest and true look within myself. To see who I was as a person. Not as a nurse, not as an over achiever and perfectionist, and not as “just” a drug addict and alcoholic. I was encouraged and guided to see and accept myself as a person or worth and value with dignity and grace. I was given support in areas of my life that I had never dealt with before. I was shown ways to deal with the trauma and abuse I had suffered in my life so that I could realize that I am not a victim; I am a survivor. I learned to trust other women who had been through similar struggles and loved me until I could love myself. I learned to get vulnerable with people who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I found a new understanding of life in which slowly yet surely, my outlook on life changed from one of depression and hopelessness to gratitude and joy. I learned to be kinder to myself, more compassionate with myself, and be honest with myself. I learned to embrace my heart and allow it to guide me towards happiness and peace. The illusion of judgment I had placed on myself and believed others viewed me with seemed to slowly dissolve. I could accept pain as a touchstone to growth, and not live in a constant state of fear that only perpetuated my shame spiral. Today, because of Canyon Crossing Recovery, the women I have met through the program, and the support I have had, I can truly say that today I am a grateful alcoholic and drug addict. I can look at my past, in hindsight, and see that there are no coincidences. Synchronistic events, in my life, have unfolded in a way that the universe has had planned for me. So that I can help some other woman down the road, who comes in broken and desperate, like I was, and love her until she is able to love herself. Without knowing death I would never have learned to love life. Without having endured suffering, pain and sadness, I would never be able to feel true happiness. We all have a story to tell. This just happens to be mine.
– Amanda W.
What Canyon Crossing Recovery (CCR) Means to Our Family Thanks to CCR, our daughter is alive, clean and sober for over a year, is independent and surrounded by a loving support group, and now gives back of herself to the community that supports her ongoing recovery. She truly has become a woman with integrity and grace. It shows in every word she speaks.
also means that we as parents have learned so much about ourselves, our family and our own ability to have the courage to change and grow in order to support our daughter’s ongoing recovery, and find our own sanity. We will be forever grateful for the miracles that brought us to today. The First Miracle: ERIN. She was so very passionate about the program, the staff, their goals and their driven determination to foster a successful recovery, that CCR sounded like the perfect transition from our daughter’s primary treatment center. (We spoke with many other after care programs and none of them gave us this feeling.) Erin even held a bed for her until our daughter did her own research and made her own phone calls. When she chose CCR we felt hope for the first time that things were going to get better. Other miracles continued to amaze us. CCR should be considered as a role model for treatment centers. Everything that is done every moment of the day is geared toward teaching each client to accept and love themselves, respect others, and support each other as they move through the recovery process. The staff are kind, loving, and have all been there and done that, so they know what each client is going through, and they know how to help, encourage and support them through the process. The wonderful thing about the workshops is that we as parents get to not only see firsthand this process at work, but we get to participate as well. While it was hard work, it was healing, it was educational, and most importantly participating in those workshops allowed us the opportunity to provide support to our daughter by learning new tools to communicate and practicing them in a supportive environment. Just like those girls do every day until they believe in themselves again. Our daughter embraced the program, she has since graduated, has worked for the program, gives back to the community, and continues to thrive in Prescott surrounded by a support group of many remarkable women from the community, from the clients at CCR, and from the staff as well. More miracles. The very hardest thing of all for us was to let go. We can no longer be the coach, director or player and have all the expectations that come with that. The best thing of all is that she is doing it on her own. One day at a time. Thank you Canyon Crossing Recovery for all you have done for our family.
– Most sincerely, Grateful Parents
We truly believe the Canyon Crossing Recovery Program is the key to our daughters’ successful recovery. We have tried multiple avenues to help her over the past ten years and our hopes were dashed time and time again through her multiple relapses..
In our discussions with our daughter, she feels that the program director, Erin, and her staff should be credited with who she is today. Today she has integrity and grace! What a major transformation from one year ago. One year ago she was struggling, lost in her addiction and spent time in prison. CCR is a no-nonsense, tough recovery program. It was exactly what she needed. They work closely with mental health counselors, physicians and include volunteerism and a strong work ethic into their very structured living plan. We equate CCR to first responders-firefighters, police, etc- because they save lives every day! If you are considering a program for your loved one, CCR should be on your list. Willingness to change on the part of the participant is a key element to the recovery process… One day at a time!
Before meeting Erin at Canyon Crossing Recovery, our family life had begun to spin out of control. I had smart, beautiful twins that were both on a path of self-destruction with drugs & alcohol. It was such a scary, sad, chaotic, and frustrating time in our life for several years. They fought & genuinely seemed to hate each other. They both had full scholarships to college which they let slip away.
Jordi was suffering from anxiety, depression, anger & confusion from her substance abuse. She couldn’t see what it was doing to her, she could only yell and lash out that we didn’t understand. The episodes were very intense. I knew I couldn’t force her go to treatment, but I prayed day & night for her to want help. I started researching places for the day she would hopefully reach out for help. I found out about Canyon Crossing Recovery from a relative. I contacted Erin for help and she immediately came to our assistance. Erin was instrumental to help me find a place for her to detox before she even met my daughter or knew if she would be able or willing to transition to Canyon Crossing. In a few months after coming to Canyon Crossing, my daughter had an amazing transformation. Jordi began taking personal accountability, made beautiful friendships w/ the other women and was able to get a job which she still has & loves. She has her 2 year sobriety date on April 30! The behaviors my other twin, Daryn, exhibited from her addiction were different than her sister. She was a functioning addict, she was able to maintain work. Through periodic avoidance and the ability throw the focus off herself so we didn’t see as apparently how bad things had been getting for her. As her addiction became worse, she became super sneaky, constant lies, disappearing for days, and it came to a point that we had to kick her out of the house. This was truly the hardest thing I ever had to do in my entire life. As a result she moved out of state, had received her 2nd DUI along w/ possession charges, and her life was going downhill quickly. I had offered her the opportunity to go through same program as her sister. Eleven months after her sister came to Canyon Crossing Recovery, Daryn accepted my offer and decided she too wanted the happiness & a meaningful life from sobriety. Erin quickly helped me to get her to Prescott. Daryn has grown leaps & bounds. She has been able to hold others accountable in difficult situations, has meaningful employment she loves, and also has made amazing friendships. She will have her 1 year sobriety date on March 7! The teamwork programs that have been put into place along with group and individual counseling, peer and personal accountability, along with attending the daily AA programs gave my girls the full support system to work on themselves and the tools to help them succeed in life. Erin, Justin and the entire staff at Canyon Crossing truly cares about my daughters and our entire family. Not only have my twins become a part of the Canyon Crossing family, they are a part of the Prescott community. Thank you Canyon Crossing for giving my girls a whole new start in life, they are both independent young women, back to being super close to each other, and we all now have a close relationship, which I will be forever grateful for.
– Daylene B.
I was born in Cleveland, OH but I spent most of my life in the Chicago suburbs. I had a pretty normal childhood for the most part but for as long as I can remember I’ve always felt that something was not right about me. When I was in middle school I started cutting myself to relieve the pain inside and as soon as I could get ahold of alcohol and drugs I felt as though I had found the real solution.
Into high school I started smoking pot and drinking daily and using psychedelics and club drugs regularly. Nothing else in my life matter more than drinking and using. When I was twenty one I moved to Colorado to go to my dream school but over the year and a half I lived there my life crashed down. I had no control over what I did anymore, I was a slave to the bottle. All my dreams that I wanted to achieve were slipping away. I couldn’t live with or without alcohol and I just wanted to die. I did have some tiny flicker of hope inside of me, that was so scared to die, and that’s what brought me to treatment. I came to Arizona to go to a 30 day inpatient program. In this program I learned the basics of how to live a sober life but I know now that was not enough for me to know how to live after spending half my life drinking and using. They suggested of me that I come to Prescott and do some sort of sober living or transitional living. At first I was very unwilling to do this, I was set on going back to Colorado but eventually all the signs pointed to Prescott and I decided to go. My decision to go to Canyon Crossing was just by chance but I know now that it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. When I got to the house I was like a scared little girl. I was completely miserable and didn’t really know how not to be. The women in the house and the staff of CCR pushed me to open up and really face what I was feeling. Walls that I had spent years building have been broken down. The real work really started when I go into CCR. I walked through so much fear while in the house. I never wanted to open up to women and it was hard to so but today my ability to do this is one of the biggest blessings in my life. The women I have in my life today because of CCR are really my saving grace. I have gone through ups and downs, and leaps and bounds while in CCR everything I’ve pushed through has been well worth it. I’ve learned how to really deal with my feelings and my issues in a healthy way. I’ve learned about myself, who I really am and my dreams have broadened. I can actually see myself accomplishing my dreams now and I know the steps I need to take to deal with them. I’ve learned to deal with life on life’s terms and really fully understand now that everything happens for a reason. I know what healthy friendships are and how to hold myself and others accountable in order to keep us from our sickness. I’ve learned to love myself and keep my head up high and that I really do have something to offer the world. I’m honestly happier than I ever could of imagined and I am so grateful for everything that CCR has given and continues to give me everyday. It has been easy but I know now that hard work is necessary to have the good things in life.
– Gretchen
My name is Jenna I started drinking when I was eleven and using heroin and other drugs when I was sixteen. I was homeless for a year and a half, hopeless and broken. I had been in and out of multiple detox centers and treatments before I came into Canyon Crossing. I was incapable of getting clean no matter how bad I needed a new way of living I was ready to die with the way my life was going.
I came to Canyon Crossing I was miserable and didn’t think that this place could work for me. The staff taught me how to be woman with integrity and grace they taught me how to be honest and open and I started to love myself. When I first got into the house all I wanted was to learn how to be happy and not get high or drunk anymore and now that I have gained that happiness I can really find out what life has to offer me. I completed six months in the a CCR main house and am currently in the alumni house. I am a capable strong woman today. I plan on getting my own place when I complete the alumni program and staying in Prescott. I am so grateful for Canyon crossings and everything they have given me. I have my family back and have gained a new family also. I hope to one day be able to give back everything that was given to me. Thank you CCR for teaching me how to love again.
Sincerely, Jenna
My name is Katherine and I’m 22 years old. I first starting using drugs and drinking when I was 15. My progressive addiction really picked up when I was 17. I was a soccer star, very well liked, and very good in school but when it came to choosing the drugs or choosing to pursue my life in a positive aspect, the drugs won.
I wasn’t too sure who I truly was before I began using and any part of who I truly was was lost once I gave into my addiction. My disease has bankrupted me spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. After quite a few treatment centers and sober living I thought I had hit a bottom on September 23, 2012. I stayed sober for 6 months but I relapsed once again. This is when canyon crossing recovery came into my life. My family, my brother inparticular, had ties to Prescott, AZ because he lived in Prescott for quite some time. I ended up in Prescott on April 12, 2013 in horrendous shape. I was a lost, miserable, confused, and sick girl. I can honestly say today that I am a woman. A woman with integrity and grace who loves her life. Canyon Crossing Recovery has completely changed me. I’ve made changes in my life today that I honestly never thought were possible. CCR staff and the women who I got sober with have been by my side the whole time. They aren’t afraid to call me out on my behaviors that are unhealthy because they care more about my life than my feelings at the end of the day. The love I’ve received is absolutely beautiful. I’ve learned how to give and receive love today. I’ve grown and matured more in the past 7 months than I would have anywhere else in a year. There’s something magical about CCR, the miracles that I’ve seen always give me more hope. I am now in the alumni house of Canyon Crossing and my gratitude increases daily of the life I live today.
– Katherine
My six months at Canyon Crossing Recovery has completely changed my life for the better. I have been able to find myself, make connections with other women, and help others not because I have to but because I want to.
Under all of my pain, anger, and delusion from the past, I was able to discover a woman who has potential, motivation, and happiness. I found out that I am a genuinely joyful person, which was a surprise to me. I have learned that I have a purpose in my life today and that I was put on this earth for a reason. Through the help of Canyon Crossing and Alcoholics Anonymous, the impossible became possible. One of the benefits of the program is making friends while bettering yourself. I’ve found that having the support of women in the house is extremely beneficial. There is always someone to talk to, and just by talking to everyone in the house, I was able to form friendships with the women in the house. The friendships I’ve formed here have been on a level I have never experienced before. On the other hand, it feels amazing to be able to support the women in the house. I know that there is an equal respect on both ends because of the ways in which other people have come to me for solution, and by the way we treated each other. It’s nice to have learned a good balance of give and take while being here. The best life lesson I’ve learned in the past six months is that I can help others not because I have to, but because I want to. Nothing seems like a chore anymore. I’ve learned how to always show up for others and expect nothing in return. I can honestly say that I love helping others. In my last few weeks at Canyon Crossing, I did extra community service, because I wanted to and it made me feel good. I used to hate going to community service and never wanted to help others. I also loved being able to help other women in the house. It showed me that I am capable of acting out of kindness and love. Canyon Crossing has offered me many incredible opportunities, and I am a better person today because I’ve take each opportunity and run with it. It truly has transformed my life.
– Kiki R.
Dear Erin, As Lauren’s graduation day approaches, we are filled with gratitude for you and the staff at Canyon Crossing. It has been a long journey filled with many ups and downs along the way. Thankfully, you and your incredible network of caring and dedicated women have been there every step of the way.
Your persistence and determination to see her succeed have been invaluable. The focus on Self Respect, Honesty and Responsibility has been critical to Lauren’s progress. We are convinced that the emphasis that Canyon Crossing places on teaching young women to respect themselves both physically and emotionally has helped her move forward in a way that other programs did not. Although there is still much work to be done, we are already seeing a more confident, honest and willing young lady beginning to emerge. As uncertain as this whole process of recovery can be, one thing we are sure of is that our daughter could not have been in better hands. Thank You All!
Sincere regards, Danette and Mark F.
As a client of CCR, I learned a lot during my staff that multiple previous treatments failed to teach me. When I got to CCR, I didn’t know a lot of things that responsible young women, or young adults for that matter, should know. I didn’t know how to be honest, I couldn’t hold myself accountable, I didn’t even know how to make my bed correctly. I had absolutely zero self esteem when I walked through the door and I hated the woman I had become due to drugs and alcohol.
Over time, the ladies in the house and the staff taught me how to become a better person. Slowly but surely I gained self-respect, and I learned what it meant to be honest with others as well as with myself. They stressed to me the importance of connecting with women of AA, which is still something that I find very powerful. They told me I didn’t have to settle for a man who was abusive or belittled me, and today I know that is true and I believe it with every fiber in my being. I learned how to clean a house, to make a bed, to make friendships that I wouldn’t trade for anything in this world. The girls of CCR who I went through the house with are still my best friends today, over a year and a half later. Although the house was not always easy, I would not trade any of my experiences there for anything in the world. The ladies and staff walked me through every trial and tribulation that occurred for me while I was in the house, and no one ever gave up on me when I struggled. The most important thing that CCR taught me is that I am capable of staying sober and I am worth sobriety. I am extremely grateful for CCR and the time I spent there, and I thank them for giving me the life that I have today.
– Lauren F.
When i came to canyon crossing, i was broken, i didn’t have hope and i didnt know how to love myself. While being at canyon crossing i got to start my ged, i got to learm how to be responsible and live every day as a responsible adult. I learned how to love myself and most importantly i learned that it’s okay to fall as long as i pick myself back up and that’s what this program taught me.
I also have true friends now and i learned how to be open when they hold me accountable and learned that that’s what true friends do.
– Milena J.
Our daughter was trapped in an increasingly deadly spiral of heroin addiction for several years, exacerbated by the influence of an abusive boyfriend who- no surprise- was also a heroin addict. Her addiction and lifestyle had reached the point where she was beyond our reach or ability to help, and we knew that any phone call might be the one informing us that she had been found dead of an overdose.
We had attempted an intervention followed by a 30-day rehab stay at another facility, only to have our daughter almost immediately return to both heroin and- again no surprise- the abusive boyfriend. Any parent reading this knows the grief, terror, and feeling of helplessness you live with on a daily basis. Read on, however; there is hope. Last summer our daughter finally showed up at our door- dirty, incredibly thin, and in active withdrawal. And, this time, begging for help out of her personal hell. Our previous interventionist got us in touch with Erin Bachman, owner of Canyon Crossing Recovery, within an hour. Although it was late in the evening, Erin gave her full attention to a call that lasted over an hour. We were incredibly impressed by Erin’s absolute passion for her program, her dedication to the women at Canyon, and the multifaceted approach offered at Canyon. Although we had a couple other choices of facilities, our unequivocal choice was Canyon Crossing Recovery. It was a decision we are eternally grateful for. A bed was held for a week while our daughter completed a week of medically supervised detox at another facility; and then her journey at Canyon Crossing Recovery began. It has not been an easy journey. Canyon Crossing is a tough program. The women are held to strict expectations and standards of behavior as they find their way back to life and hope, to self- respect and self- esteem, to becoming “women of integrity and grace”. There were times of self- doubt, slips off the path, moments of crisis. And yet, we shared very real joy with our daughter as we watched her graduate from the program a week ago. From being very near death, to being equipped with tools needed to begin a new life… how? Canyon Crossing Recovery. The program at Canyon does not simply ensure that the women are not currently using their drug of choice- although that is certainly a basic and enforced expectation. Various treatment methods, both group and one-on-one, are used to enable the women to really face the reasons behind their addictive behaviors, to become aware of a world of better options, and to integrate the possibility for change in their daily lives. They are helped to learn about healthy relationships and to reach out to others for support and friendship. They learn better nutrition to heal the ravages of addiction. They learn life skills so necessary for re-entry into the greater world.. And they learn to have fun and friendship, without the need ofa drug on board. The counselling staff does not provide comfy fluff; they are waging war with a deadly enemy- they are highly skilled, and they fully intend to win. In her work with counselling staff, our daughter has learned that a mistake is not failure if learned from, how to face immense challenges without giving up on herself or her program, and to begin to be able to look in the mirror and love what she sees. House Managers are supportive of both the program tenets and the women individually, on a daily basis. They act as role models, support systems, and barometers of progress and potential problems- and they are invaluable. The high value placed on communication is a marked difference between Canyon Crossing and our experience with a prior facility. Family workshops are offered at intervals during the course of the program to open lines of communication damaged by perhaps years of dishonesty and pain. They are educational, can be grueling, and invaluable in re-establishing relationships that perhaps had been considered lost. A staff member provides weekly family updates regarding current progress, as well as serving as a resource for questions or concerns. In our experience, concerns were very promptly relayed to the appropriate person, immediately addressed, and we were kept informed as to the resolution. During times of real crisis, staff at all levels made themselves available to discuss our concerns, formulate a plan of action, and bring every resource to bear on the problem.We were always considered part of the team. We’ve been told this is an unusual level of individualized responsiveness on the part of a program. We believe this to be true, and a large part of what makes Canyon Crossing such a unique program. Before our daughter began at Canyon Crossing, we asked Erin what the success rate of the program was. We don’t remember her answer. We do rememberher passionate commitment to the women at Canyon. And we do know that the individual seeking treatment must want it, want it badly, and persevere no matter what. To our joy, our daughter graduated, armed with a pocketful of tools and a support system and hard-won self- knowledge. Will she make it, long term? We hope so; we have every reason to think so. Even better, she thinks so. She’s clear eyed and determined. She’s newly strong. And our thanks to all the folk of Canyon Crossing Recovery; a group of astonishingly passionate, skillful, dedicated, take-no-prisoners, never-surrender, give-it-all-you-got professionals. Who just happen to save lives.
– Paula J.
My fiancé is a client at CCR and it is obvious from her growth and continued sobriety that the process works. The staff (from ownership down) truly cares for each and every woman in the program. Addiction and personality issues are dealt with in a professional manner. The clinical staff, headed by Dr. Rex Smyly, does incredible work with all the women.
From his weekly one on one meeting with every client to the “Circle” sessions, it is obvious that each and every client is held accountable for their behavior and actions. That, by the way, is how life works. Every lady I have spoken to, truly appreciates the work and efforts of Dr. Smyly and his staff. The rules and regulations are the same for every client – no favors are given, nor should they be. The women are given the tools to survive once they graduate from both the IOP and OP programs. Once they graduate, they have the opportunity to stay on as Alumni clients with supervision and guidance. For sure there are some clients who leave early – its hard work and it takes total commitment from the client to make the recovery complete. The work is tough to be sure – but who said that recovery was easy? Families are included in the process with weekly phone calls from staff. The calls detail both positive and negative issues that are being worked on. There are absolutely no secrets and family members are encouraged to play a part in the recovery of their loved one. From monthly visits to intensive Family Weekend programs, CCR strives to include parents, husbands, wives and children in the process. While there will always be some who complain about trivial matters – I strongly believe in CCR and the work that they are doing.
– Scott C.
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