INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
Upon admission to New Directions, each client will be assigned a primary
counselor with whom he/she will work on an individual basis for the entire
length of the Program. This one-to-one counseling relationship is crucial in
that it provides the client with an intimate, personalized setting in which to
explore particular thoughts, feelings and behavior patterns that impact on
sobriety. It also provides the client with an opportunity to integrate
learning experiences derived from the other components of the Treatment
Program and from self-help programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
GROUP COUNSELING
Substance
abuse can be seen as a process that occurs within a social context, even if
the abuser's
behavior seems to be oriented to a position of social withdrawal and
isolation. It might even be said that regression in interpersonal coping
skills is often the abuser's most dramatic indicator of his/her illness. It is for this reason that
Group Counseling plays a major role at New Directions. Group Counseling
provides a setting in which the client interacts with other abusers in an
ongoing group established to explore shared concerns, feelings and experiences
related to addiction. In the group, the client both gives and receives
insights, support and direct advice from other group members as he/she
simultaneously builds greater social confidence and more constructive
interpersonal skills.
FAMILY COUNSELING
Substance
abuse is frequently described as a family illness in the sense that all family
members and significant others are affected by and play a part in the abuser's
behavior. Very often, family members unwittingly find themselves taking on
roles that enable the addicted person to continue the pattern of abuse that
becomes so pervasively destructive to all concerned. Family counseling
provides a group forum for the abuser, family members and significant others
to express concerns and emotions regarding the interpersonal difficulties in
the family, especially as they relate to maintaining sobriety. An attempt is
made both to resolve family conflicts as well as to develop and maintain a
motivational environment for the successful recovery of the substance abuse
MULTI-FAMILY GROUP
COUNSELING
Part
of the treatment approach at New Directions is to involve the family of the
abuser in a supportive group counseling experience with other families. Unlike
Family Counseling, in which the group is solely comprised of the abuser and
his/her family, Multifamily Group Counseling involves several families or
abusers meeting together without the designated clients.
This
approach allows those who are affected by the abuser to develop, through
mutual support and the sharing of experiences, an awareness of how their own
behavior helps or hinders the abuser process in the family.
FAMILY CONSULTATION
SERVICE
A
related service that New Directions offers is embodied in the Family
Consultation Service. This service is specifically designed to meet the
pressing needs of non-abusing family members and other loved ones actively
dealing with treatment-resistant abusers who may or may not be affiliated with
our facility.
FAMILY MEMBER EDUCATION
The
problem of alcoholism and substance abuse is often seen as a family
environmental problem. The relationships and interactions of family members
with the abuser often support, and even unwittingly encourage the use and
abuse by the client. This is a process which is referred to as "enabling".
The process of treatment is thus enhanced by educating family members as to the
didactic of alcoholism and substance abuse. This educational intervention
promotes a better understanding as to how the client's
behavior is affecting them and how their behavior is affecting the client.
NUTRITION
AND RECOVERY
Research has shown that alcoholism, eating disorders and many drug addictions are
associated with abnormal glucose metabolism. The body is not able to maintain
a stable concentration of glucose in the blood in such a way that the brain is
often alternately flooded with and starved of food. When blood glucose levels
drop (hypoglycemia), the addicted person can experience drastic mood changes-
particularly depression. Every time blood glucose levels drop below a certain
point, these individuals feels depressed, anxious, and moody, and they may
experience cravings for their drug or behavior of choice. The effects of this
blood glucose roller coaster can continue even after the drinking (or drug
use, or binging and purging) stops. The recovering person continues to feel
fatigued, depressed, anxious, and beset with cravings.
NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTION
The Nutritional Support Group is an on-going group that meets monthly. The purpose
of this group is to provide support for people who want to learn how to improve
their diet and nutritional intake. The group provides a consistent opportunity
to share information on healthful eating including recipes, cooking techniques
and skills. Information will be discussed to help members switch their overall
food intake to a more appropriate Health Supportive Diet. Information on
fats, oils, and sweeteners considered with regard to health and health problems.
The goals of this group are to help people gain optimal health through learning
how to eat foods that nutritionally support health, as well as learning which
foods nutritionally do not support health and why this is so.
AURICULAR ACUPUNCTURE AND RECOVERY
Acupuncture is a therapy which was developed in China over 300 years ago and has been used
successfully to treat a variety of illnesses. It is now used worldwide.
The goal of Acupuncture is to help the client achieve balance. Symptoms are seen as the
body/mind trying to get some attention and help. Illness is perceived as a loss
of harmony or balance in the body, and may come from an overactive or
underactive functioning of an organ.
Treatment is performed by an acupuncture detox therapist. Five new, sterilized,
disposable, solid (this is, no hollow core) needles are inserted in specific
points in each ear. Each point stimulates an internal body organ or function of
the nervous system (kidney, liver, and lungs) that in turn assists in reducing
the craving for alcohol or drugs. Needles remain in the ear for 40 minutes.
Inserting the needles in the ear causes only minimal discomfort if any at all.
Acupuncture helps to reduce symptoms and aids in long-term recovery of those with substance
abuse problems. Acupuncture does not cure alcoholism or drug addiction. It helps
to alleviate symptoms so that mental and physical stability are achieved as soon
as possible.
PHARMACOTHERAPY
Pharmacotherapy is a service offered at New Directions under the supervision of the Medical Director. To be seen for
a medication evaluation, the client must be actively enrolled in treatment at New Directions,
and must not be receiving psychotropic medication elsewhere. Clients in the
intake evaluation phase are not eligible for Pharmacotherapy.
ART AND CREATIVE THERAPY
Art therapy is a treatment modality that utilizes art media images, the
creative process and client responses to the created products as reflections of
an individual's developmental abilities, personality, interests, concerns and conflicts.
A client, therefore, does not experience art therapy in a vacuum. The client may
be involved in a group or individual experience on a short-term or long-term
basis. Art therapy is intended to help the client express him/herself and to
communicate his/her issues while engaged in comprehensive treatment.
Clarification of matters introduced in art therapy may give the
substance abuser an increased sense of mastery over them. Not feeling so
controlled by his or her problems, the client experiences them as less
overwhelming, By taking ownership of his or her own expressions, the client
takes ownership of a way to learn about him/herself.
