Advanced Recovery is an approach to addiction counseling designed specifically for those in a more advanced stage of recovery, including family members and significant others. The advanced stage of recovery begins after residential, inpatient or intensive outpatient treatment. These services are also ideal for people who have maintained sobriety, often with the help of 12-Step programs, but continue to relapse or experience life and relationship problems related to addiction and its aftermath.
A commitment to personal growth, positive change, relapse prevention and rebuilding supportive relationships.
The focus and goals of Advanced Recovery include the following:
- Relapse prevention assessment (discover each person’s early and hidden warning signs and addiction triggers)
- Relapse prevention plan (new coping and decision making skills; managing destructive emotions, thoughts and behavior; the practice of powerlessness and serenity)
- Self-care, self-acceptance and self-love (the “cure” for guilt and shame)
- Forgiveness and making amends to others (the other “cure” for guilt and shame)
- The Family Cycle (childhood family of origin — current family and relationship patterns)
- Heal and rebuild damaged relationships and create new, healthy relationships
Advanced Recovery is committed to recognizing and promoting each individual’s unique strengths and resiliencies as building-blocks of transformative growth.
The specific services available in Advanced Recovery include:
- Individual and family assessment (generally one or two sessions)
- Individual (one-on-one) relapse prevention counseling sessions
- Advanced Recovery Group (small counseling and support groups)
- Couples and Families in Recovery (see below)
Couples in Recovery
Addiction often wreaks havoc in our closest relationships. Research studies show that many couples and marriages struggle to survive after successful rehabilitation. The “normal” patterns in a relationship with addiction problems often change dramatically after treatment. All couples struggle at times with hurt feelings, anger and conflict, as well as physical and emotional distance. These struggles are usually submerged under the more obvious weight of chemical and behavioral addictions. Couples need to learn new, healthy patterns of interaction, and this can be a stressful process.
Couples in Recovery, our unique program of couple and marriage counseling, was created to support and guide couples as they repair and rebuild their most important relationships. Our primary focus is helping couples to create a safe, secure, and mutually supportive relationship. Specific goals include:
- Rebuild trust and safety in the relationship
- Reduce anger, blame and conflict
- Reconnect with empathy and emotional intimacy
- Improve communication skills
- Address unmet needs
- Develop new skills for conflict resolution
- Create a safe and mutually respectful sexual relationship
Families in Recovery
Addiction affects the entire family, not just the family member addicted to alcohol, drugs or other compulsive behavior problems. It’s commonly said that addiction is a “family disease” which requires treatment and lifelong management. Research studies show that successful addiction recovery is much more likely with the support and understanding of the family. Our Families in Recovery program is designed to address a wide range of concerns unique to addiction in families, including:
- Co-dependent relationships (a cornerstone of addiction in families)
- Reactive family behavior (such as denial, enabling or persecution)
- Parenting issues (do’s and don’ts for parents of those in recovery)
- Control and powerlessness
- Boundaries and emotional detachment with love
- Intervention — timing, strategies and support
The services available for Families in Recovery include family therapy sessions with the recovering family member, spouse, partner and age-appropriate children. And our unique Families in Recovery Group is a safe and supportive setting for family members only. In this group, families meet together to discuss their journey with others who understand the challenges in recovery. Group members share their experience, strength and hope in breaking the patterns of denial, co-dependency, and enabling — and how to set healthy boundaries while creating a new kind of love and family partnership.