a) An important and effective solution to addiction is through conscious awareness of the nature and causes of addiction, and

b) that the key-workers are addicts and alcoholics who are long term clean and sober, and one addict helping another is without parallel in terms of effectiveness.

The treatment is delivered through highly structured 'Schemes of Treatment' with detailed assessment procedures and indicators being recorded throughout. Methods of delivery include a wide variety of multi-media resources, group workshops and activities, and individual work.

We offer a twelve-week primary treatment, and a secondary treatment that can continue for as long as required, from twelve weeks to a year. We are able to offer shorter periods of treatment in primary if required.

Primary treatment involves exploration of addiction and solutions

Secondary treatment involves working solutions and exploring further holistic solutions.

Primary Treatment

Clients begin to identify what type of addict/acoholic they may be, and they begin a process of acceptance of their condition which continues throughout treatment.

Doubt and uncertainty are identified and challenged on a personal basis through a variety of multi-media workshop techniques.

Other important issues are also explored such as, pay-offs, consequences, how the mind works, reasons for using/drinking and the depth and level of the mental obsession, leading to a realistic client-centered assessment and acceptance.

This leads on to looking at psychological conditioning and belief systems (religious, psychological & philosophical) and their role in supporting addiction and as solutions to addiction.

Clients are then guided and challenged into taking responsibility for and changing their belief systems to fully support: continued recovery from addiction, a life of aesthetic meaning, psychological growth and maturity, an acceptance of life on life's terms, and motives for choosing participation and to take responsibility for psychological and emotional conditions.

Deeper causes of stress and pain that often trigger cravings for mood-altering substances & alcohol as an escape are explored, such as; low self-worth, immature perceptions, lack of healthy boundaries, fear, resentment, toxic shame, co-dependency, abandonment etc.

These kinds of issues are introduced to clients, with solutions in the form of post treatment recovery activities.

Throughout treatment the condition of and solutions to addiction are separated from causal and contributory factors, allowing the possibility of long-term solutions to addiction despite deep emotional issues and other difficulties and setbacks.

In the latter stages of primary treatment, clients complete a comprehensive 'Post Graduate Strategy' so that recovery can continue after treatment. This covers a whole range of recovery activities and strategies based on individual client's needs for post-treatment support or continuing into secondary.

Secondary Treatment

Secondary treatment is more about 'doing' than exploring.

By this stage clients have a few months of clean/sober time thereby allowing for a more pro-active approach to recovery.

There are a number of different groups in which clients may choose either to explore in more detail certain recovery techniques or actively work on these techniques for their recovery.

The groups include cognitive conditioning, step work, negative to positive cognition, transactional analysis and co-dependency.

In addition, clients are introduced to local services for further education, vocational training, budgeting skills and any other support services a client feels they need.

Throughout both primary and secondary treatment all clients recieve at least one hour of person-centered one-to-one key-working per week.

There is also a smoking cessation clinic that clients can opt to attend if they wish.