The Troubled Teen Industry: Legal Kidnapping in America

Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast

Moms got ya covered-feed

True Crime

4.6 • 8.8K Ratings

🗓️ 1 January 2026

⏱️ 79 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

*Subscribe to our youtube!* For decades, desperate parents have sent their struggling teens to residential treatment programs that promise to help them overcome everything from behavioral issues to substance abuse. But for many, these programs deliver years of trauma and abuse, rebranded as discipline and growth. This week, we are pulling back the curtain on the billion-dollar Troubled Teen Industry. What happens when a parent’s last resort becomes a child’s worst nightmare? We explore the slick marketing and manipulative tactics used by these facilities to lure in terrified families, and the shocking reality of what goes on behind closed doors. From isolation and psychological abuse to a system where compliance is mistaken for healing, we uncover the repeatable, cult-like model that defines many of these programs. We also discuss the tragic case of Taylor Goodridge, a 17-year-old who died at a Utah facility just days after her arrival, and the fight for justice and regulation that continues today, championed by survivors like Paris Hilton. This is a look into an industry that operates in the shadows, and the fight to bring it into the light. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Start the new year off on a great foot with your kids! Start your risk-free Greenlight trial today at Greenlight.com/moms. For 50% off your order, head to DailyLook.com and use code MOMS50. Right now IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. To get your 20% off, text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Get organized, refreshed, and back on track this new year for WAY less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home! Whatever challenges you’re facing, Grow Therapy is here to help. Sessions average about $21 with insurance and some pay as little as $0, depending on their plan. Visit GrowTherapy.com/MOMS today to get started. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	There once was a woman who lived in a shoe. A size too snug, but what could she do? But that's not where her story ends. Thanks to a little help from her Experian friends, she got her score into much better shape and relocated to a box fresh new place, with room to grow and a mortgage to suit. Now, she lives in a spacious four-bedroom cowboy boots.
0:23.3	Better your Experian credit score to help get mortgage ready. Experian. Better your score. Better your
0:29.3	story. For decades, struggling teens were sent away to places that promised to help them
0:33.8	overcome everything from behavioral issues, substance abuse, and family problems.
0:39.0	But what they ultimately got were years of trauma and abuse rebranded as discipline and growth.
0:45.2	Today, we're talking about the troubled teen industry and the shocking reality behind some youth treatment programs still operating today.
0:59.7	Yeah. treatment programs still operating today. Hey guys, and welcome to the Moms and Mysteries podcast, a true crime podcast featuring
1:05.0	myself, Mandy, and my dear friend Melissa.
1:07.2	Hi, Melissa.
1:07.9	Hi, Mandy.
1:08.4	How are you?
1:09.0	I'm doing well.
1:10.2	I am very happy to be back after a couple,
1:13.1	well, we didn't really have a couple of weeks off, but we had a couple of lighter weeks to
1:18.3	celebrate the holidays with our families. And I'm very excited. It's January 1st, and I just love
1:26.5	a new year. I am one of those people who loves a new year every
1:30.2	single time. And every year you almost seem shocked by it. Well, you do because you have calendar
1:36.1	like amnesia or something. I do. I do. No, but I love it. And I'm so excited to be here
1:42.7	in the new year. This is going on our eighth year. This year is our eighth year. Right? Or ninth? No, this is our ninth year. Wow. Okay. This summer will be our ninth anniversary. Crazy. Yeah. So we are going into our ninth year. We are moving hosting companies. You shouldn't notice anything different. But if you just happen to stumble upon us, just check and make sure you're following us. That would be a great way to get all of our new episodes again on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Also, find us on Spotify. All those places. We'll get into it at the end, but I just wanted to make sure we said
2:17.5	that the top of the show about following, because that's an important one. Yes, absolutely.
2:23.1	So we have a lot to cover in this week's episode. This is a topic that I only really knew a little
2:30.6	bit about because of seeing certain documentaries and things like come across Netflix
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Moms got ya covered-feed, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Moms got ya covered-feed and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.