FREE WORKSHOP - FEBRUARY 4 2026 7PMCST CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION!
About Us
A Journey Through Challenges, Heartbreak, and Hope
We are Kyle & Taylor Mathieu. We have 3 children, Kyle (15), Bennett (12) & Charlie (5). We live in Texas.
Our oldest son turned 15 this year, and looking at him now—taller at 5'7", kind, thoughtful, and excited to be back home—it's hard to believe the long, painful road we've traveled as a family. This is our story of raising a child with intense behavioral struggles, the exhaustion of trying everything to help him, the financial and emotional toll it took, and finally finding a path to healing. We share it not for pity, but in the hope that it helps other parents navigate similar storms—and to build something that guides families to the right support sooner, without the trial-and-error that nearly broke us.
The Early Signs and Endless Efforts
It started young. At age 4, we enrolled him in play therapy and counseling, sensing something deeper beneath his outbursts. As he grew, things escalated: bullying, stealing, running away from school, even physical aggression like biting a teacher when he was trying to leave school. By age 8, police knew him by name. CPS visited our home a dozen times over the years—not because of neglect, but because his behaviors put everyone at risk, including himself and his siblings.
He was bright—testing at a 6th-grade reading level at age 7, qualifying for gifted classes—but school became a battleground. He was placed in a Behavior Intervention Classroom (BIC), and we had our first full psychological evaluation through the school district. We tried everything: psychiatrists, medications, every therapy imaginable—play therapy, EMDR, family therapy, parenting classes, marriage counseling, sibling sessions. Nothing seemed to stick.
In 2018, over Christmas break, a major episode led us to Cook Children's for a psychiatric evaluation. He talked his way out of inpatient care, but they recommended a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)—45 days, 10 hours a day.
It was our first out-of-home placement.
By 2021, another evaluation brought intensive therapy, new meds, a new psychiatrist, and still no diagnosis. But school issues persisted: eloping, fighting, bullying, disruption. By March 2023, we were shattered—another CPS case, on the verge of expulsion, another police interaction, no clear diagnosis or lasting solutions despite seeing countless professionals.
Desperation and Dead Ends
We Googled "boys homes" for the first time and called everywhere. Finally, a spot opened at a boy's ranch, a Christian-based working ranch. It sounded ideal. We drove him there in the middle of the night. He stayed 6 months, but there was no progress—daily physical restraints, fights with staff leaving bruises and black eyes. We felt hopeless, credit cards piling up to nearly $100k. We hired an educational consultant for $10k.They offered three high-cost options ($12k–$33k/month). Desperate, we chose the wilderness therapy option in Idaho—the priciest but with the strongest reviews. My husband picked him up from the boys ranch; I met them at the wilderness therapy program. He spent 2 months in the program. We appreciated the approach, but he wasn't ready to engage, progress was limited, and we'd run out of funds—$170k in debt. We brought him home.
I homeschooled him for 10 months, bringing him to work with me daily. Twice-weekly counseling, biweekly psychiatrist visits, new meds and still no diagnosis. I got him caught up academically. Things stabilized mostly, aside from one physical incident with his brother leading to another police call. We gave public high school another shot—9th grade. After 3.5 weeks: daily calls, then a knife threat against his sibling. Devastated but resolute, we pressed charges for the first time. He spent 5 weeks in juvenile detention.
We hired attorneys—for him and us—and searched again. Hundreds of calls. Finally, a boys home —a Christian program that seemed perfect, with a bed opening. Less than 2 months into his placement there, he was kicked out and transferred back to detention. County and state programs rejected him. At first the courts were unwilling to help or seek state placement because he wasn’t deemed bad enough and now after the Kerrville placement expulsion he was deemed too violent. Our experience with the court led us to finding out the system is broken. Group homes, ranches—nothing accepted him due to his history. The court was ready to release him to us on house arrest and another opened CPS case. We were terrified: our other children feared him; we couldn't risk going back to square one and we were tens of thousands of dollars in debt again.
The Turning Point We Never Imagined
A recommendation led to a placement outside the country. No U.S. program would take him because of past placements and expulsions. We begged the court for permission—6 weeks of denials, then finally yes. After 5 months in detention, my husband and brother flew him there. I never dreamed we'd leave the country for help, but it was what our son needed. After 10 months, he's transformed: mature, compassionate, eager for family. This placement was the best fit by far—the structure, therapy, and support finally clicked.
What We Learned and Why We're Building This
We've spent hundreds of thousands, endured years of heartbreak, fear for our family's safety, and guilt over decisions made in desperation. We've seen the best and worst of the system: dedicated professionals who tried, programs that didn't fit, and the exhaustion of starting over.
Now, healed and stronger, we're committed to helping others avoid this cycle. We want to create a resource—community, coaching, guidance—for parents facing troubled youth: honest insights from lived experience, vetted options, support to find effective help the first (or second) time, not the sixth. No family should rack up debt and despair searching alone.
If our story resonates, know you're not alone. There is hope, even after the darkest chapters. Our son is proof—and we're here to help light the way for yours.
Our family: Imperfect, together, and thriving.
