Addiction Therapy
Our Family Workshop

At Immersion Recovery Center, we believe that addiction recovery is a process that should involve the entire immediate family, seeing as addiction is a far-reaching disease that tears the family apart and deeply affects everyone involved. In addition to offering family therapy and keeping family members in the loop during every step of the recovery process, we have developed a comprehensive and highly involved Family Workshop.

Our Family Workshop is a highly involved, three-day workshop overseen by one of our highly trained, licensed therapists. The workshop takes place at our clinical office in Delray Beach, Florida. Michael Herbert, the group facilitator, has nearly three decades of experience as a drug and alcohol counselor. He is a certified recovery coach, certified addiction counselor and certified interventionist. Herbert has developed an effective and highly involved method of family counseling, which is broken up into three main components. These components include understanding the existing family dynamic, breaking down the existing family unit and understanding the role of each individual family member, and ultimately restructuring the family dynamic into something healthy, functional and beneficial for all involved. At Immersion Recovery Center our main priority is equipping each of our clients with the tools they need in order to maintain sobriety for years to come. In order for recovery to be as fulfilling as possible, the family must heal as a unit.

The Family and Active Addiction

The sad truth of the matter is that most families do not know how to effectively encourage their loved one to seek the addiction treatment they need and deserve. Addiction is a powerful and insidious disease, and simply encouraging a loved one to seek help will rarely be effective. Everyone wants what is best for their loved one; a healthy and productive life, free from the devastating grasp of substance dependency. The family members of the addicted individual may experience the same personal consequences over and over again due either to a lack of understanding, knowledge or resources. They may put their hearts and general well-being on the line repeatedly, hoping that “this time will be different.” They may attempt to set boundaries only to find themselves once again enabling their loved one after several days or weeks. Family members may wonder why their loved one continues to relapse in the face of numerous treatment attempts, never fully grasping their own involvement.

During our Family Workshop one of the main goals is helping the family members of our clients stop this vicious cycle. We believe that once an in-depth restructuring of the family dynamic takes place, the family can begin to recover as a unit. In order for the client to recover, the family must simultaneously heal.

The Process
Day One

During the initial day of Immersion Recovery Center’s Family Workshop we spend ample time getting to know the individuals that we are working with. During the first day of the workshop the client will not be present. All of the therapeutic work is focused on the client’s family members. It is important to understand that before a change is made and before healing begins to occur, the underlying issues must be identified and addressed. The first part of the day revolves around an in-depth introduction to the disease model of addiction. We work hard to educate the families on the ins and outs of what their loved one is actually experiencing. We make sure they understand that disease is an addiction of obsession and compulsion; that no matter how much support a client was getting before entering treatment, the disease of addiction was undeniably more powerful than rational decision making.

It can be difficult for the family members of a drug addict or alcoholic to truly grasp why their loved one continues to make the same mistakes over and over. Unbeknownst to them, their loved one likely has no idea why he or she continues to make the same repetitive mistakes either. Next, we turn our attention to the personal experiences of each individual family member. We learn how they have been reacting to stressful situations and how they have been coping with having an active addiction within the family. This will help us to further understand the role that each family member plays in the comprehensive family unit.

The Process
Day Two

On the second day of our Family Workshop the attention will start to shift to the client who is suffering from addiction. We will examine how the client exists within his or her role, noting how he or she interacts with family members and reacts to the messages that they are conveying. This helps our licensed family therapist further understand why self-destructive behavior has become repetitive and how to best change negative behavioral and communication patterns. This information is thoroughly assessed by the therapist and broken down even further.

The Process
Day Three

The final day of the Family Workshop is focused predominantly on changing the family dynamic. Rather than spend time repairing a broken familial system, we completely start from the ground up and build an entirely new, healthy and productive way of functioning. We teach the family members of the client how to set and maintain healthy boundaries, and we teach the client to respect these boundaries and change his or her behavior when warranted. The process itself is not always a straightforward one. Our Family Workshop is characterized by intensive therapeutic care and careful attention paid to many seemingly minor details. At Immersion Recovery Center our main priority is helping men and women avoid relapse – not just relapse into substance use, but relapse back into old, unhealthy behaviors. This goes for each individual client and for his or her family members.

Immersion’s Family Workshop
The Outcome

By the time the three days conclude families will have a far better grasp of why they react the way they do, and they will have the opportunity to continuously expand upon the healthy coping mechanisms and means of effective communication they have learned. One of our main priorities is helping families understand that it is not so much about what is said, but what is done. The families who are most successful will continue applying the strategies they have learned in real-life situations on a daily basis. No matter how dysfunctional a family has become, they can recover if each individual family member is dedicated to continuous self-betterment. It is absolutely crucial that family members understand the role they play in the recovery process of their loved one, as well – without this knowledge, the chances of long-term sobriety are rather slim. It is possible to attain a family unit that functions harmoniously – we look forward to seeing you at our next Family Workshop, and remember that you can reach out to us with additional questions at any point in time!

Addiction Therapy
Continued Family Support

Immersions Recovery Center focuses on providing services to the family in order to give you the best chance at getting better. At Immersion, we understand with proper guidance your family can be instrumental in recovery. Continued family support for recovery will require your family to work closely with one of our primary therapists during the intake process, throughout the stay, and after treatment has concluded. Our staff educates and orients family by discussing healthy boundaries, describing the step-by- step treatment process and supporting their own recovery. We will guide your family through the process of building a healthy and effective recovery contract as a guide during your stay.

Our Extended family services include:

• Restoring a healthy dynamic in your family
• Healing broken relationships in your family
• Interactive therapy sessions with family members
• Dedicated family programs during recovery

During the workshop we work with the families to develop a long-term recovery plan which includes emergency measures to ensure a timely and meaningful response to worst-case scenarios as well as appropriate limits to the support guests receive from families. The plans offer our guests clear guidelines for how to progress in recovery and how to begin making “living amends” to their families by becoming more responsible and independent themselves.

Ending the cycle of addiction can be very difficult, but having the support of family helps. We remain available to family to answer questions and provide updates on progress. At Immersion Recovery Center we provide men and women of all ages and walks of life with an addiction recovery experience unlike any other. Our clinical staff members and licensed therapeutic staff members have worked tirelessly to develop a comprehensive and integrated program that will pave the road for a lifetime of fulfilled sobriety. Our program is highly individualized, and we give each individual client the unwavering attention and personalized care that he or she deserves. Give us a call today at (888) 693-1604 and talk to one of our Treatment Advisors who is standing by for you 24/7 to answer your questions and give you advice on your treatment options.