The HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM is a comprehensive, multidimensional alternative holistic counseling/coach approach to healing from addiction on an individual basis. This program was just launched in July, 2009, by Lifestyle Changes Counseling Services as an alternative to more traditional programs: http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com. This is an ongoing blog to educate the public about this new approach to addiction treatment, and to welcome feedback and suggestions for strengthening what has already been developed.
________________________________________________
As mentioned in previous blog entries the HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM utilized NIDA’s basic goals of treatment to develop this new model. NIDA’s basic goals include:
1. Maximizing motivation for abstinence
2. Maximizing physical and mental health
3. Rebuilding a drug-free (healthy) lifestyle.
Today we look at how the HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM address NIDA’s second basic goal.
NIDA GOAL TWO: Maximizing physical and mental health
Clients are assigned a HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION COUNSELOR that will be with them throughout their program.
During the first six months of treatment, HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION COUNSELORS guide the client through the detoxification process, develops a healing environment, share knowledge of addiction, strategize individual approaches for relapse prevention, address core issues and helps identify client’s religious/spiritual path.
Next time I will discuss NIDA’s third basic goal: Rebuilding a drug-free (healthy) lifestyle.
This blog is to provide information about the HEALTHY HEALING program, share test cases already completed, and follow the year long test case presently in progress.
Learn more about the HEALTHY HEALING OUTPATIENT ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM at
http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
Send comments, feedback and inquires to
maxfabry@lifestylechangescounseling.com
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
HEALTHY HEALING GOALS
The HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM is a comprehensive, multidimensional alternative holistic counseling/coach approach to healing from addiction on an individual basis. This program was just launched in July, 2009, by Lifestyle Changes Counseling Services as an alternative to more traditional programs: http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com. This is an ongoing blog to educate the public about this new approach to addiction treatment, and to welcome feedback and suggestions for strengthening what has already been developed.
________________________________________________
As mentioned in a previous blog entry the HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM utilized NIDA’s basic goals of treatment to develop this new model. NIDA’s basic goals include:
1. Maximizing motivation for abstinence
2. Maximizing physical and mental health
3. Rebuilding a drug-free (healthy) lifestyle.
We begin to address NIDA GOAL ONE: Maximizing motivation for abstinence during the admission process. Motivation techniques and areas that are addressed are in goal setting, finances, addressing fears of moving into the unknown, importance of structure, education/knowledge, building integrity.
GOAL SETTING: The biggest goal the client commits to is living a healthy lifestyle. Goals are reviewed and reset at least monthly with the client. Goals include health, abstinance, family, relationships, career, education.
FINANCIAL MOTIVATION:
Lifestyle Changes also sees money as an extrinsic motivator for meeting lifestyle changes goals. Individuals must financially commit to the entire one-year program with payment in advance. Most services are projected and included in the cost; there may be services unique to the individual that would be extra. The program has been priced at an affordable discount rate while establishing efficacy points.
MOVING INTO THE UNKNOWN:
One of the first tools clients are given in the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM is identifying, understanding, and developing strategies to deal with their fears. Understanding that fear of failure and/or fear of living life without self-medicating, this tool is utilized throughout the process. Clients are constantly reminded that they are not on this journey alone. Clients are encouraged to change their thinking using positive words even to describe the program they are in: ie: This isn’t about relapse, this is about living a healthy lifestyle.
ONGOING ACTIVITY:
The HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM is very structured. Within that structure there are always changing activities: exercise, counseling sessions, family sessions, field trips, etc, that are used to keep the client interested in the process and to help the client experience healthy changes and reactions to those changes. Many healthy “rewards” are given at different points of the program. Ie: Massages, facials, dinners.
KNOWLEDGE:
During the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM assessment process it is determined the best way that the client learns: reading, writing, seeing, touching, hearing. Information is disseminated in the best form for the individual client. The clients are also taught how to research information, access resources, and network to find answers they need to make healthy lifestyle changes.
INTEGRITY:
Learning to build integrity through reclaiming the self of the spirit.
Next time I will discuss NIDA basic two: Maximizing physical and mental health
This blog is to provide information about the HEALTHY HEALING program, share test cases already completed, and follow the year long test case presently in progress.
Learn more about the HEALTHY HEALING OUTPATIENT ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM at
http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
Send comments, feedback and inquires to
maxfabry@lifestylechangescounseling.com
________________________________________________
As mentioned in a previous blog entry the HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM utilized NIDA’s basic goals of treatment to develop this new model. NIDA’s basic goals include:
1. Maximizing motivation for abstinence
2. Maximizing physical and mental health
3. Rebuilding a drug-free (healthy) lifestyle.
We begin to address NIDA GOAL ONE: Maximizing motivation for abstinence during the admission process. Motivation techniques and areas that are addressed are in goal setting, finances, addressing fears of moving into the unknown, importance of structure, education/knowledge, building integrity.
GOAL SETTING: The biggest goal the client commits to is living a healthy lifestyle. Goals are reviewed and reset at least monthly with the client. Goals include health, abstinance, family, relationships, career, education.
FINANCIAL MOTIVATION:
Lifestyle Changes also sees money as an extrinsic motivator for meeting lifestyle changes goals. Individuals must financially commit to the entire one-year program with payment in advance. Most services are projected and included in the cost; there may be services unique to the individual that would be extra. The program has been priced at an affordable discount rate while establishing efficacy points.
MOVING INTO THE UNKNOWN:
One of the first tools clients are given in the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM is identifying, understanding, and developing strategies to deal with their fears. Understanding that fear of failure and/or fear of living life without self-medicating, this tool is utilized throughout the process. Clients are constantly reminded that they are not on this journey alone. Clients are encouraged to change their thinking using positive words even to describe the program they are in: ie: This isn’t about relapse, this is about living a healthy lifestyle.
ONGOING ACTIVITY:
The HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM is very structured. Within that structure there are always changing activities: exercise, counseling sessions, family sessions, field trips, etc, that are used to keep the client interested in the process and to help the client experience healthy changes and reactions to those changes. Many healthy “rewards” are given at different points of the program. Ie: Massages, facials, dinners.
KNOWLEDGE:
During the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM assessment process it is determined the best way that the client learns: reading, writing, seeing, touching, hearing. Information is disseminated in the best form for the individual client. The clients are also taught how to research information, access resources, and network to find answers they need to make healthy lifestyle changes.
INTEGRITY:
Learning to build integrity through reclaiming the self of the spirit.
Next time I will discuss NIDA basic two: Maximizing physical and mental health
This blog is to provide information about the HEALTHY HEALING program, share test cases already completed, and follow the year long test case presently in progress.
Learn more about the HEALTHY HEALING OUTPATIENT ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM at
http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
Send comments, feedback and inquires to
maxfabry@lifestylechangescounseling.com
Thursday, September 3, 2009
HEALTHY HEALING: GROUPS
The HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM is a comprehensive, multidimensional alternative holistic counseling/coach approach to healing from addiction on an individual basis. This program was just launched in July, 2009, by Lifestyle Changes Counseling Services as an alternative to more traditional programs: http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
This blog is to provide information about the HEALTHY HEALING program, share test cases already completed, and follow the year long test case presently in progress.
________________________________________________
An adjustment that was difficult for my case study to make was not “going to meetings”. She had been attending 12-step meetings for 15 years; even though she agreed that the program wasn’t working, she enjoyed the socializing that went along with belonging to the group. She said that she also liked “listening to others stories…..knowing I’m not the only one screwing up.”
The HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM initially did not have a group component to it. Looking at the 12-Step program and the format of the meetings, I had a few problems with the concepts of the program. Having knowledge of how the brain functions provided my biggest challenge with the 12-step meetings. Having someone standup (sometimes three or more times per day) and say “Hi, my name is John; I’m an alcoholic(/drug addict)” made me cringe. I kept picturing strong pathways in the brain being negatively reinforced with “This is who I am.”
Another problematic area in the meetings was debating what “Higher power” meant. What if someone is an atheist? Do they not get to be healthy? Many long-time programmers admit that “the meetings are my higher power.” Since this is Step 2, does that mean people can’t get healthy until they accomplish that step?
I am building an addiction treatment program that will address the needs of individuals. I hear my clients saying they miss groups. So the challenge was to come up with a group that would be open to everyone, whether in addiction or not (after all, everyone is working on being healthy on one level or another: physically, emotionally, spiritually); a group that would provide the social aspects; but, more importantly would nurture an atmosphere of positive growth.
I have been dropping in at different groups in search of one that would meet my three requirements. Most recently I attended an Intenders of the Highest Good. The Intention Process is the power of everyone supporting each other’s positive intentions. People that attend the Intenders Circles learn how to set positive intentions to achieve their “desires easily and effortlessly as possible”. The group helps people to become clear about the power of words and thoughts. This group is not attached to any one specific religious beliefs.
This is one group that I am considering. Do you have any other suggestions? The three criteria for the group would be: (1) open to everyone that wants to improve their lives and be healthy; (2) provides a nurturing atmosphere for positive growth; and, (3) has a healthy social component.
I look forward to receiving your feedback.
Learn more about the HEALTHY HEALING OUTPATIENT ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM at
http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
Send comments, feedback and inquires to
maxfabry@lifestylechangescounseling.com
This blog is to provide information about the HEALTHY HEALING program, share test cases already completed, and follow the year long test case presently in progress.
________________________________________________
An adjustment that was difficult for my case study to make was not “going to meetings”. She had been attending 12-step meetings for 15 years; even though she agreed that the program wasn’t working, she enjoyed the socializing that went along with belonging to the group. She said that she also liked “listening to others stories…..knowing I’m not the only one screwing up.”
The HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM initially did not have a group component to it. Looking at the 12-Step program and the format of the meetings, I had a few problems with the concepts of the program. Having knowledge of how the brain functions provided my biggest challenge with the 12-step meetings. Having someone standup (sometimes three or more times per day) and say “Hi, my name is John; I’m an alcoholic(/drug addict)” made me cringe. I kept picturing strong pathways in the brain being negatively reinforced with “This is who I am.”
Another problematic area in the meetings was debating what “Higher power” meant. What if someone is an atheist? Do they not get to be healthy? Many long-time programmers admit that “the meetings are my higher power.” Since this is Step 2, does that mean people can’t get healthy until they accomplish that step?
I am building an addiction treatment program that will address the needs of individuals. I hear my clients saying they miss groups. So the challenge was to come up with a group that would be open to everyone, whether in addiction or not (after all, everyone is working on being healthy on one level or another: physically, emotionally, spiritually); a group that would provide the social aspects; but, more importantly would nurture an atmosphere of positive growth.
I have been dropping in at different groups in search of one that would meet my three requirements. Most recently I attended an Intenders of the Highest Good. The Intention Process is the power of everyone supporting each other’s positive intentions. People that attend the Intenders Circles learn how to set positive intentions to achieve their “desires easily and effortlessly as possible”. The group helps people to become clear about the power of words and thoughts. This group is not attached to any one specific religious beliefs.
This is one group that I am considering. Do you have any other suggestions? The three criteria for the group would be: (1) open to everyone that wants to improve their lives and be healthy; (2) provides a nurturing atmosphere for positive growth; and, (3) has a healthy social component.
I look forward to receiving your feedback.
Learn more about the HEALTHY HEALING OUTPATIENT ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM at
http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
Send comments, feedback and inquires to
maxfabry@lifestylechangescounseling.com
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
PREDATORS ONLINE
ONLINE PREDATORS & SCAMS:
What Every Practitioner Needs to Know
A Report by OWA Member: Michael McKinley, C. Ht.
Nearly every day we hear the horror stories. Some are about predators who engage and victimize young people online. Others, show trusted counselors, who have betrayed their adult clients through fraud or exploitation. Currently, the Internet has flooded cyberspace with online practitioners preying on the unsuspecting and vulnerable person in crisis who does not know how to verify the credentials of “professionals” who advertise their services online. Who do you trust?
This is a natural consequence of our modern technological society. Therapists, counselors, and other wellness providers are now able to reach right into our living rooms by offering services online, often in communities where services are not currently available. Just as it is easy for qualified practitioners to offer services, it is easy for the unqualified, uncredentialed, or even criminal individual to attract people in an unregulated environment such as the Internet.
How can the average person know for certain whether or not an online professional has the education, experience, or credentials to provide services?
Who am I?
Read this entire article FREE at http://www.onlinewellnessassociation.com
What Every Practitioner Needs to Know
A Report by OWA Member: Michael McKinley, C. Ht.
Nearly every day we hear the horror stories. Some are about predators who engage and victimize young people online. Others, show trusted counselors, who have betrayed their adult clients through fraud or exploitation. Currently, the Internet has flooded cyberspace with online practitioners preying on the unsuspecting and vulnerable person in crisis who does not know how to verify the credentials of “professionals” who advertise their services online. Who do you trust?
This is a natural consequence of our modern technological society. Therapists, counselors, and other wellness providers are now able to reach right into our living rooms by offering services online, often in communities where services are not currently available. Just as it is easy for qualified practitioners to offer services, it is easy for the unqualified, uncredentialed, or even criminal individual to attract people in an unregulated environment such as the Internet.
How can the average person know for certain whether or not an online professional has the education, experience, or credentials to provide services?
Who am I?
Read this entire article FREE at http://www.onlinewellnessassociation.com
HEALTHY HEALING:EXERCISE & NUTRITION
The HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM is a comprehensive, multidimensional alternative holistic counseling/coach approach to healing from addiction on an individual basis. This program was just launched in July, 2009, by Lifestyle Changes Counseling Services as an alternative to more traditional programs: http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
This blog is to provide information about the HEALTHY HEALING program, share test cases already completed, and follow the year long test case presently in progress.
The HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM addresses the three dimensions of every human being: physical, emotional, and spiritual.This is an update on the end of the first month of the year long test case for the HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM.
-Addicts, particularly long-term addicts, deplete their bodies of important nutrients, their eating habits are usually filled with non-nutritious foods. Sometimes they overeat, sometimes they go days without eating. Exercise is almost non-existent; they usually count their work as exercise--and, often, it is the only movement they have through the day.
For the first two months of the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM clients are focused on getting physically healthy—increasing oxygen to the brain. We do this by having the client work with a trainer a minimum of three times per week. We were fortunate to find an excellent facility, OZ FITNESS, Springfield, OR, http://www.ozfitness.com, with professional trainers that could work confidentially with our clients. So far, our client has kept all her gym appointments and has fully cooperated with the trainer. She also added jogging on her own, and is coordinating that with the trainers program at the gym. In the world of drugs being thin is important—thus, methamphetamine addictions. There are also mental health issues that are centered around image, like eating disorders, that must be evaluated. The Healthy Healing counselor reinforces that going to the gym is about health more so then appearance.
Clients also meet with a Health Coach to work on nutrition. Years of living an addiction lifestyle plays a toll on addict’s bodies including affecting the liver, pancreas, heart, and lungs. For this case we are using DR. DEBRA MARTIN BELLEVILLE, Eugene, OR. Drdebra82@yahoo.com. Dr. Debbie does blood work to determine what the client is going to need to eat to be healthy; she also checks for allergies. The client is given a food plan tailored to meet their individual need. The doctor works with the client to teach how to eat better, shop smarter, and understand the effects foods have on the body. Again, reinforcement by the Doctor and the counselor about diet and exercise being for health more so then appearance.
Lessons for this month from the exercise and diet piece is: what an important piece this is for any recovery program. After just the first thirty days, our client is so much more focused on the individual counseling sessions. The communication between OZ FITNESS and the counselor, and DR. BELLEVILLE and the counselor, helps the counselor pace how much he wants to push the talk sessions with the client. The focus on exercise and diet gives the counselor the ability to LISTEN in the first thirty days of treatment, and to allow the client to vent and express fears without feeling judged is extremely valuable. One of the important things to listen for is: what addiction the client may be transferring to. HEALTHY HEALING is about teaching balance in a person with addiction tendencies.
Tomorrow I will share some of the adjustments the client has to make in accepting a new style of addiction counselor.
Learn more about the HEALTHY HEALING OUTPATIENT ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM at
http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
Send comments, feedback and inquires to
maxfabry@lifestylechangescounseling.com
This blog is to provide information about the HEALTHY HEALING program, share test cases already completed, and follow the year long test case presently in progress.
The HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM addresses the three dimensions of every human being: physical, emotional, and spiritual.This is an update on the end of the first month of the year long test case for the HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM.
-Addicts, particularly long-term addicts, deplete their bodies of important nutrients, their eating habits are usually filled with non-nutritious foods. Sometimes they overeat, sometimes they go days without eating. Exercise is almost non-existent; they usually count their work as exercise--and, often, it is the only movement they have through the day.
For the first two months of the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM clients are focused on getting physically healthy—increasing oxygen to the brain. We do this by having the client work with a trainer a minimum of three times per week. We were fortunate to find an excellent facility, OZ FITNESS, Springfield, OR, http://www.ozfitness.com, with professional trainers that could work confidentially with our clients. So far, our client has kept all her gym appointments and has fully cooperated with the trainer. She also added jogging on her own, and is coordinating that with the trainers program at the gym. In the world of drugs being thin is important—thus, methamphetamine addictions. There are also mental health issues that are centered around image, like eating disorders, that must be evaluated. The Healthy Healing counselor reinforces that going to the gym is about health more so then appearance.
Clients also meet with a Health Coach to work on nutrition. Years of living an addiction lifestyle plays a toll on addict’s bodies including affecting the liver, pancreas, heart, and lungs. For this case we are using DR. DEBRA MARTIN BELLEVILLE, Eugene, OR. Drdebra82@yahoo.com. Dr. Debbie does blood work to determine what the client is going to need to eat to be healthy; she also checks for allergies. The client is given a food plan tailored to meet their individual need. The doctor works with the client to teach how to eat better, shop smarter, and understand the effects foods have on the body. Again, reinforcement by the Doctor and the counselor about diet and exercise being for health more so then appearance.
Lessons for this month from the exercise and diet piece is: what an important piece this is for any recovery program. After just the first thirty days, our client is so much more focused on the individual counseling sessions. The communication between OZ FITNESS and the counselor, and DR. BELLEVILLE and the counselor, helps the counselor pace how much he wants to push the talk sessions with the client. The focus on exercise and diet gives the counselor the ability to LISTEN in the first thirty days of treatment, and to allow the client to vent and express fears without feeling judged is extremely valuable. One of the important things to listen for is: what addiction the client may be transferring to. HEALTHY HEALING is about teaching balance in a person with addiction tendencies.
Tomorrow I will share some of the adjustments the client has to make in accepting a new style of addiction counselor.
Learn more about the HEALTHY HEALING OUTPATIENT ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM at
http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
Send comments, feedback and inquires to
maxfabry@lifestylechangescounseling.com
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
HEALTHY HEALING COUNSELORS
We have completed the first month with our subject client going through the entire HEALTHY HEALING ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAM. I would like to share a few of the insights so far starting with this one:
-Not only are the clients vested in 12-step recovery treatment plans, so are the counselors. On the counselors part it seems more reactionary then anything. All of the counselors presently working on this case are committed to offering an alternative approach to addiction. Yet, after their first meeting with the client and/or client’s husband, they each reached into their counseling tool bag and pulled out—you guessed it!—12-step! All the counselors were willing to back-up on what they did, and we had a great discussion about what happened. Reaching in their tool box and pulling out 12-step was more reactionary then therapeutic. Even if Healthy Healing had a 12-step component, it was not appropriate for either client or husband in this particular case. Following a few more sessions with each, the client and husband, two of three counselors stated “This is hard work.” And it is. Developing a treatment plan that is exclusively for a particular client IS hard work—for the client and the counselor. What I do know from years of developing this program is that, after a while, you wouldn’t think of doing it any other way. There are so many good therapies out there—both Western and Eastern—that we short the client if we try to make one plan fit all.
What I have learned from this insight is that I need to get really busy creating curriculum to train counselors for the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM. Also, addiction counselors for the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM will have to have a minimum of a CDCII (requires Bachelor’s Degree).
The other thing I personally learned from this first month is that I don’t like being a Program Director. Guess I also need to get busy on a job description for a Program Director.
Tomorrow I will talk about introducing exercise and diet up front into the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM.
Learn more about the HEALTHY HEALING TREATMENT PROGRAM at
http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
-Not only are the clients vested in 12-step recovery treatment plans, so are the counselors. On the counselors part it seems more reactionary then anything. All of the counselors presently working on this case are committed to offering an alternative approach to addiction. Yet, after their first meeting with the client and/or client’s husband, they each reached into their counseling tool bag and pulled out—you guessed it!—12-step! All the counselors were willing to back-up on what they did, and we had a great discussion about what happened. Reaching in their tool box and pulling out 12-step was more reactionary then therapeutic. Even if Healthy Healing had a 12-step component, it was not appropriate for either client or husband in this particular case. Following a few more sessions with each, the client and husband, two of three counselors stated “This is hard work.” And it is. Developing a treatment plan that is exclusively for a particular client IS hard work—for the client and the counselor. What I do know from years of developing this program is that, after a while, you wouldn’t think of doing it any other way. There are so many good therapies out there—both Western and Eastern—that we short the client if we try to make one plan fit all.
What I have learned from this insight is that I need to get really busy creating curriculum to train counselors for the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM. Also, addiction counselors for the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM will have to have a minimum of a CDCII (requires Bachelor’s Degree).
The other thing I personally learned from this first month is that I don’t like being a Program Director. Guess I also need to get busy on a job description for a Program Director.
Tomorrow I will talk about introducing exercise and diet up front into the HEALTHY HEALING PROGRAM.
Learn more about the HEALTHY HEALING TREATMENT PROGRAM at
http://www.lifestylechangescounseling.com
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