Williamsville Wellness 2 stars

Surrounded by 400 acres of lush farmland in rural Virginia, Williamsville Wellness is one of the more secluded and picturesque rehabs in the country. Some former residents claim that it's also one of the best.  Housed in a creaky but comfortable plantation house, the facility was founded in 2007 by a flamboyant Richmond businessman named Bob Cabaniss. After overcoming alcoholism and a gambling addiction, Cabaniss converted his family residence into a treatment center that specializes in treating compulsive gamblers and clients suffering from a broad range of other addictions. His parents, who once owned the manor, are discreetly buried in a small plot on the premises. But two imposing portraits of them are prominently displayed in the lobby, solemnly gazing down on every new arrival.

During the Civil War, Williamsville played host to Union General Ulysses S. Grant and members of his militia, who camped out in tents on the premises. These days it attracts a more modest crowd. During high season, the facility treats up to 16 drunks, drug-addicts and roulette players of assorted classes and ages. In leaner times it hosts just three or four clients.  Most of the center's residents are from Virginia or neighboring states. Others fly in from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and California.

While it's not as famous as more-established institutions such as Hazelden and Betty Ford, Williamsville's treatment program is hailed by industry professionals as one of the most effective in the country. In contrast to the A.A-centric group therapy provided by similar facilities,  Williamsville relies heavily on individualized counseling sessions that seek to uncover the psychological underpinnings of its client's addictions. It's staff-to-client ratio is considerably higher than that of similar rehabs. Residents attend five or six hour-long sessions a day with a crew of top-flight therapists and psychologists.  While some clients are exhausted by all this relentless self-scrutiny, others say that the rehab's therapy-intensive approach provided them with valuable insights.  “The first rehab I went to was strictly group-oriented," says a recent alumnus.  "At Williamsville I had to sit through a half-dozen hour-long sessions every weekday. When the day was over, I sometimes felt like killing myself. But ultimately their program really worked for me. The attention you receive there results in the kind of self-knowledge you can't find anywhere else.”

 Williamsville is notably less strict than most other rehabs, a fact that earns it both criticism and praise from former clients. Many rehabs ban caffeine or sugar, forbid contact between genders, restrict phone time and prohibit residents from reading non-recovery literature. But clients here are encouraged to walk the grounds, watch television, listen to their i-Pods and use their laptops and cell phones at appropriate hours. They're also permitted to freely use the coffee machine. "It's much more adult than other places I've been to, says a recent veteran. "You feel like a human being instead of a prisoner."

Is so much freedom an effective antidote to addiction? Purists may demur, but ultimately, the proof is in the pudding. Billing itself as the “best treatment center for gambling in the world,” Williamsville claims that 70% of the patients it treats for compulsive gambling are still successful a year later. The facility boasts equally impressive success rates for alcoholic and drug-addicted patients— 65% and 50% respectively. (By contrast, Betty Ford claims a success rate of 40%.)

While such claims are hard to corroborate, Williamsville's unique treatment plan wins praise from even cynical observers. ”I've rarely met staffers who are so deeply committed to what they do," says a patient who arrived at the rehab acutely addicted to multiple substances. "It sounds corny, but you get the sense that this isn't just a job for them. It's a calling. All the therapy you get there sometimes seems annoying, but somehow it works.They throw out so many ideas at you that eventually one of them gets under your skin."

Fitness and nutrition play a major role at Williamsville. The food is good but not fancy. Meals tend towards fresh and tasty low-carb fare. Clients prepare their own meals for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, an amiable in-house chef serves up wholesome meals heavy on fish, chicken and fresh vegetables, but she is amenable to individual requests. The facility also boasts a fully-stocked gym, where an experienced yoga coach and personal trainer puts clients through their paces.

The plantation is occasionally drafty or overheated, which is not surprising for a 200-year-old residence.  But the colorful tapestries and paintings scattered throughout the residence lend it a homey and comfortable vibe.  Patients who prefer more modern accommodations may opt to stay at the facility's sister site, where rooms go for a slightly higher rate. Located several miles away from the plantation, the Williamsville annex features bigger bedrooms and private bathrooms, as well as a sauna and jacuzzi.

Wherever you choose to stay, however, your time at Williamsville will probably be well-spent.  “I felt a calmness and a comfort there that I hadn't experienced in a long time,"  reports one former client, who recently celebrated nine months of sobriety. "The whole place is really holistic: they're into yoga, massage, nutrition. The staff there is incredibly capable and caring. When I first arrived I was detoxing badly and morbidly depressed. When I left, I was a happier, almost normal person."