Below is a full breakdown of the treatment features in
Primary care and
Secondary care at Trust The Process Counselling.
Primary care at Trust The Process Counselling includes:
Detox
Many of our clients tell us that detoxing from alcohol or drugs was the part of the programme they had the most fear about before they came into treatment. Once in treatment, however, our clients find that they are fully supported by our doctors, counsellors and their peers.
You do not have to go it alone, which you may have tried to do before. You will have a medically supervised detox, if this is required. Detox-specific groups allow you to talk about what is happening for you. Living in our sober living community means that you are still very much in touch with reality, a very valuable learning experience which will strengthen your recovery.
Process
Our clients tell us that Process group helps them to look honestly at their thinking and behaviour, with the assistance of feedback from counsellors and peers. You will be able to talk about real life situations, in order to work out how best to resolve them. Learning to seek advice from other people and listen to suggestions, will help you to build trust in others and also yourself.
Step groups
The 12 steps have been in existence for 75 years, helping people suffering with alcoholism and addiction to find a new way of life, free from the obsession to drink or take drugs. It works for those people who apply themselves to the clear instructions within the 12 steps.
It is an inspiring programme: for those who practise it fully, it leads not only to a freedom from alcohol and drugs, but to seeing the world through a new set of eyes. Our relationship with others changes, as our relationship with ourselves evolves. The 12 steps give the individual a clear understanding of the illness of alcoholism or addiction, then sets out a straightforward solution.
The 12 step programme is an experience not to be missed – in fact, it is often said that anyone could benefit from the programme, not just people with alcohol and drug problems. It gives new hope, bringing with it increased self-respect. Our clients are given thorough instruction in all 12 steps as part of our 12 week programme. Written work is completed on each of the steps, which is then shared with their group. Counsellors and peers give feedback in group on all work completed, to enhance the learning experience.
121 counselling (as required)
Our philosophy at Trust The Process centres around groups working together to bring about cognitive and behavioural change in our clients. In some cases, 121 counselling is needed – where a client's focal counsellor thinks there will be a clear benefit to the client, sessions will be arranged with one of our 121 counsellors.
Client diary
Keeping a diary introduces the idea of monitoring our thoughts and actions in manageable daily units, rather than letting things build up inside us before we explode like a pressure cooker. Daily ‘inventory’, within a structured format, is an integral part of the 12 step programme. It helps recovering addicts and alcoholics to spot positive and negative patterns in the way they think, behave and react to the world around them. In order to recover, we must develop a mode of thinking which looks primarily at our motives behind our thoughts and actions, rather than what everyone else is doing around us – this helps us to spot what triggers the craving for mood-altering substances, such as alcohol and drugs, before we feel an overwhelming urge to use.
Counsellors read their clients’ diary sheet each day, giving them helpful insights into addictive processes and positive signs of change. At the end of treatment, clients are given back all of their diary sheets, so they can see the progress they have made.
Meditation
Meditation is a valuable skill for addicts and alcoholics in recovery. Each treatment day begins with an opportunity for clients to sit together in quiet meditation, practising the skill of calming the mind. Clients can also choose to sit in a quiet room and read, or work on their written assignments such as step work.
Art therapy
Art therapy is an alternative means to access feelings and emotions, uncovering new aspects about character which can lead to new awareness about how to build a solid recovery.
We give our clients themes to explore in art therapy sessions. They then prepare their canvasses and discuss their finished artwork with the group and the counsellor. The group then give their feedback, adding their fresh perspective to the piece. It is through this process that insights can be gained.
The drawings, collages and paintings are put up on the walls at the centre, to give recognition to those who would like to display their work.
Drama therapy
Drama therapy is used to explore the dynamics of inter-personal relationships. Role play helps our clients to practise new approaches to life situations, which might once have led them to picking up alcohol or drugs. New strategies for coping with our feelings, and those of people around us, can be explored in a safe way. Drama therapy can produce powerful reactions in people as they see, often for the first time, the effect of their actions on other people and also how they might do things differently next time.
Creativity
We are very proactive in terms of encouraging any creative activity which our clients express an interest in – including music, dance and writing. In the past year, we have seen a group of clients coming together to sing and perform at large events, dozens of clients contributing to a themed DVD in cast and crew roles and a play being written and performed. These activities help clients to increase their self-esteem and overcome fears.
Exercise and sport (optional)
Gentle exercise is very beneficial for promoting a positive approach in recovery. By taking a walk in the park or playing a team game in the good weather, clients experience the benefits of free activities which can help to quieten the mind and build physical strength. These activities also encourage peers to bond.
Social activities
Relaxing and socialising, without the prop of alcohol or drugs, is a skill which needs to be learned or relearned in recovery. Addicts and alcoholics can feel exposed in social situations, so this aspect of life needs to be addressed in treatment. We run weekly buffet nights with a quiz that clients prepare themselves. There are also ad hoc social activities such as trips to recovery-focused conventions. Senior clients have access to computers and the internet.
Peer support
Our clients are given the opportunity to take ownership of certain groups. Peer evaluations involve clients giving each other feedback on their progress in treatment. House and community meetings are forums to discuss aspects of living together in the community.
All clients are assigned a buddy upon arrival, who is someone living in the same house, of the same sex, who is at least a month into their treatment programme. The buddy’s role is to answer any questions the new client has and help them settle in quickly and get to know their way round. Primary Care clients are required to go round in groups of three or more at all times outside of the treatment centre and houses, to provide mutual support particularly for newer clients. Senior peer status is given to clients who reach a certain point in treatment, giving them additional privileges.
Family days
Our family days are an opportunity for family members to find out more from our counsellors about addiction and alcoholism, how the 12 step programme offers a solution and how they can support their loved one in the recovery process. It is also an opportunity for family members to voice their feelings in a constructive environment about how their relative's addiction has affected them. It's a great opportunity for family members to meet each other and create a new support network for themselves.
Step meetings
Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous – these are just three of the many 12 step fellowships which exist in the country and indeed across the world. With thousands of meetings across the UK, there is always somewhere to go once our clients leave treatment. The great benefit of our programme being 12 step orientated is that clients have a strong understanding of the concepts and principles of 12 step recovery when they leave us, so it is then very easy to slot into local meetings.
Whilst in treatment, clients are required to attend meetings in the evenings so they can practise attending AA, NA or CA and so they can network with people in recovery in the wider community, many of whom have many years of sobriety.
Secondary Care at Trust The Process Counselling includes:
Secondary Care is a totally bespoke programme – our counsellors create individual care plans for each client, which look at all aspects of the client’s life that need addressing. They may need to mend broken relationships, follow up with health appointments, find or change their career or sign up for educational courses – whatever the objectives are, they can be incorporated into the care plan, then monitored over the course of the programme.
The Secondary Care counsellors provide very focused support with real life issues, including:
- physical health goals;
- mental health goals;
- social goals;
- financial goals;
- recovery programme goals;
- personal / family relationship goals;
- life skills goals;
- education goals;
- career goals.
Approximately 14 hours per week is structured group work, with the rest of the week dedicated to goal implementation by the client. Secondary Care clients can also take part in all of the activities scheduled for Primary Care clients, which provides them with a forum to share their experience and help others, as well as continuing to strengthen their recovery programme.
