Podcast Summary: Something Was Wrong

Episode: S24 Ep15: Source of Hope
Host: Tiffany Reiss (Broken Cycle Media)
Date: October 1, 2025
Guest: Julie (Survivor, Academy at Ivy Ridge 2005-2006)

Brief Overview

In this powerful episode, host Tiffany Reiss interviews Julie, a survivor of the Academy at Ivy Ridge, a troubled teen program notorious for abuse and manipulation. Julie details her experiences as an adolescent sent away under false promises, her struggles during the year-long stay, the impact on her mental health, and the long road to understanding, healing, and advocacy. Through Julie’s firsthand account, the episode explores themes of family, trauma, immigrant identity, institutional abuse, and hope.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Julie’s Early Life and Path to Ivy Ridge

• [02:06] – [08:08]
  • Julie describes growing up in Brooklyn as the child of Uzbek immigrants, the stressors on her family, and her relationship dynamics with her parents and older sister.
  • Julie’s early adolescence was marked by typical rebellious behavior, self-harm, and lack of structural intervention from her school system.
  • Her parents, desperate for help, learned of Ivy Ridge from a family friend.

Arrival and First Impressions of Ivy Ridge

• [08:08] – [13:55]
  • Julie’s parents openly told her about Ivy Ridge—uncommon compared to most survivor stories.
  • "My parents presented it to me in the way that it was presented to them, in a way that was this beautiful solution to all their problems. This is where your friend is and he loves it. It's helping him so much." (Julie, 08:25)
  • On arrival, Julie’s father sensed something was wrong, but her parents still left her there.
  • Julie’s intake included a traumatic strip search at 13: "There was no sitting down, making me comfortable. First. It was, this is what you have to do right now." (Julie, 10:37)

The “Family” System & Daily Life Inside Ivy Ridge

• [15:02] – [23:42]
  • Students divided into assigned “families” (e.g., named Grace, Integrity), each with strict rules and their own “Hope Buddy” assigned to acculturate new arrivals.
  • Early indoctrination included sleep deprivation, strict silence, and compulsory food consumption (regardless of dislike or fullness).
  • The environment was intensively hierarchical, punitive, and engineered to turn students against each other:
    • "The only ways to [be heard or seen] is by getting other people in trouble." (Julie, 19:34)
  • Restraint and punishment for even minor infractions were common, leading to intense fear and people-pleasing behaviors Julie still lives with.

Communication, Manipulation, and Emotional Control

• [23:42] – [27:35]
  • Letter writing was tightly controlled and manipulated. Students were forced to write confession letters, often inventing or exaggerating misbehavior to satisfy staff.
  • “The communication was not even just monitored, but it was so manipulated.” (Julie, 24:48)
  • Staff tailored communications to parents to maximize their commitment to keeping kids enrolled, often using fear and guilt about their children’s prospects.

Therapy, Seminars, and Psychological Abuse

• [27:35] – [37:39]
  • Genuine therapeutic intervention was minimal. Instead, “seminars” were intense, coercive, cult-like group therapy sessions designed to break down and rebuild students.
  • Exercises included public shaming, forced confessions, and physical exhaustion:
    • “If you didn’t break down crying, they would actually make you leave the seminar.” (Julie, 29:00)
    • “A facilitator whispered in her ear, ‘but it was your fault that that happened.’ So she kind of got her more angry. It was so awful because so many kids were told that their trauma was their fault.” (Julie, 30:35)
  • Staff manipulated and humiliated students, targeting both their individuality and perceived weaknesses.

Institutional Racism and Abuse

• [37:39] – [40:02]
  • Staff communications revealed casual racism and targeting of “non-compliant” immigrant families.
  • Food was used as control; Julie gained significant weight and suffered physical effects from stress and forced eating.

Leaving Ivy Ridge and Re-Entering the World

• [40:02] – [44:00]
  • After a year, Julie was abruptly released, returning to a new home, town, and school.
  • She struggled with basic social functioning, anxiety, and reintegration due to institutional conditioning:
    • “A year doesn’t seem like that long of a time, but when you’re so young, it really is.” (Julie, 44:15)

Aftermath: Family, Recovery, and Lasting Effects

• [44:00] – [52:02]
  • Julie coped by burning her memories and turned to substance abuse, initially failing to associate her struggles with trauma from the program.
  • Her family, like many, struggled to understand or accept the institutional abuse. The trauma was minimized or reframed as beneficial.
  • Over time, Julie recognized the negative impact on her mental health and began healing, eventually building a positive, purposeful life as a teacher and guardian to her niece.

Reckoning and Advocacy: The Documentary & Survivor Community

• [52:02] – [59:33]
  • Julie did not participate in “The Program” documentary but valued its impact and awareness-raising.
  • Watching the documentary with her mother led to the first real family conversations and her mother’s recognition and apology.
    • “After she watched the documentary... she actually had sent me a very long text... she was for the first time able to apologize and see it differently. And that was insane, insanely healing for me, because I never thought I would get that from my mom.” (Julie, 54:15)
  • Julie discussed retrieving her files, lack of institutional accountability, and the ongoing dangers of such programs for children today.
  • She urges careful research and compassion for struggling children:
    • "So I really hope that this helps parents find better ways to help their kids that won't result in a bunch of traumatized humans." (Julie, 59:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the false promises of Ivy Ridge:
  “My parents presented it to me...in a way that was this beautiful solution to all their problems...it sounded like a break from the real world.”
  – Julie, [08:25]

• First realization of danger:
  “...I see a bunch of girls in uniforms...they were standing in very straight military style lines and not one person turned their head to look at the new girl...that was the first sign of, I’m a little uncomfortable.”
  – Julie, [09:30]

• Discovery Seminar experience:
  “If you didn’t break down crying, they would actually make you leave the seminar...They want you to dig really, really deep and find something that’s traumatic to share. Because if you’re there, you must be super broken.”
  – Julie, [29:00]–[29:40]

• Institutional racism:
  “It shows you the kind of racist environment they were working within. If this is being casually thrown in...”
  – Tiffany (Host), [38:10]

• Aftercare, fear, and reintegration:
  “I didn’t want to talk about it when I first came out...I was very afraid that I would be sent back if I did anything wrong.”
  – Julie, [44:10]

• On healing through truth:
  “After she watched the documentary...she was for the first time able to apologize and see it differently. And that was insanely healing for me...”
  – Julie, [54:20]

• Final message:
  “There are ways to find [help] for them. There are better options out there....I really hope this helps parents find better ways to help their kids that won’t result in a bunch of traumatized humans.”
  – Julie, [59:15]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Julie’s background and family dynamics: [02:06]–[08:08]
• Discovery and placement at Ivy Ridge: [08:08]–[13:55]
• Family group “Hope buddy” indoctrination: [15:02]–[19:34]
• Punishment, forced confessions, and manipulated communication: [19:34]–[27:35]
• Coercive “seminars” and psychological abuse: [27:59]–[37:39]
• Institutional racism and food as control: [37:39]–[40:02]
• Release, re-entry, and isolation: [40:02]–[44:00]
• Long-term mental health impact, substance use, and healing: [44:00]–[52:02]
• Program documentary, family reckoning, and survivor community: [52:02]–[59:33]
• Closing appeals for awareness and change: [59:15]–[59:43]

Tone and Language

The conversation is candid, raw, and deeply empathetic. Julie’s recounting is detailed, occasionally matter-of-fact, but underscored by pain and determination to be understood and to prevent future harm.

Conclusion

This episode serves as a vital testimony about the dangers of institutional “troubled teen” programs, highlighting the complexities families face, the lasting scars left on survivors, and the necessity for vigilant advocacy and reform. Julie’s story turns from trauma and survival to hope, healing, and the importance of never giving up on the truth.