No matter what path you follow to personal recovery from addiction, invariably, a part of that journey is grounded in connectivity to those that have come before you…those that have found the freedom that you now seek. There is a power that lives in the hearing of another’s experience, strength, and hope for the person suffering, and a gift in sharing the experience as the one who has found their freedom. And the story of how Malibu Wellness Ranch recovery center came to be, falls into that same spirit.

Malibu Wellness Ranch is a family business founded by Dr. Allan and Phyllis Detweiler to create a new recovery center of hope for those suffering from substance use disorder. Their drive to convert what was once a historic dude ranch into the now 800-acre recovery campus was born from Dr. Detweiler’s personal experience of finding his own path to peace and serenity at the Ranch.

At the age of 5, Allan Detweiler started to experience behavioral issues and challenges that were causing him difficulty at home and in school. As these progressed, his parents stepped in to see how they could best help their son. At the end of that conversation, his father concluded that perhaps something was missing in Allan’s life, something that he could joyfully connect with. As a result, he asked him the age old question of “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Allan’s response was, “a cowboy!”

His father, Colonel Edward Detweiler, granted that wish the following summer. He found a place called Malibu Dude Ranch in Milford, PA that offered people the experience of staying on the ranch and experiencing what the cowboy life was like.

Allan had a remarkable experience at the Ranch that summer, and in the next ten summers that followed. He connected with the staff and ranch hands; with the serenity of the wilderness and wildlife; and most of all with the horses. The bond he formed with the horses brought him a calm and joy that had been missing in his life.

From this new place of internal serenity, Allan was able to learn and incorporate many other foundational skills from his time at the Ranch. As time went on, he became less of a guest and more a member of the Ranch team. As part of this team, he learned the value of discipline, responsibility, respect, accountability, patience, balanced temperament, and the spirit of teamwork.

Armed with the set of new skills that Ranch has instilled in him, Allan Detweiler set out in the world to build his life. He completed college and medical school, culminating with the award of his Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine. He married a girl from his neighborhood that he had known most his life, Phyllis, and together they brought two beautiful and brilliant daughters into the world, Priscilla and Victoria.

Dr. Detweiler, starting with one practice serving an impoverished section of New York, grew that to multiple practices over the next ten years. These practices operated with such high efficiency and patient satisfaction outcomes, that a large medical group came along and acquired them.