Addiction is a subtle force that patiently hijacks families. Non-discriminative, it robs from individuals of all backgrounds and walks of life. 

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Why Can't They Just Stop?

Addiction rewires the brain so that the amygdala enlargens and the hippocampus atrophies. Or in other words, the part of the brain responsible for reacting and executing our fight/flight response becomes the dominant neurological function, whereas the passageway to our good thinking brain becomes less accessible. 

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What this looks like:

• Impulsivity, despite knowing better

• Acting out in anger or rage when held accountable for actions

• Emotional reactivity that encourages others to avoid "rocking the boat"

• Engaging in behaviors that are incongruent to the person's personality or value system

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Over time, loved ones in the orbit of the person with a Substance Use Disorder begin to have similar changes in their brains due to the persistent level of tension (fight/flight energy).

 

This looks like:

• Bottling up emotions

• Displacing emotions on other parts of the support system

• Hypervigilance over their family member's behaviors

• Gaslighting and persistent second guessing oneself

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Families become governed by the ancient rules of addiction:

Don't talk. Don't trust. Don't feel.

When living by these rules, friends and family members begin to lose their sense of self, their ability to speak their truth, and their confidence to get their needs met.

 

Addiction is Treatable.

When families come together to reclaim their truth, their lives, and ultimately their sanity, they create a culture of recovery. A recovery culture draws from the deep connections and emotional bonds that exist within a family to create and enforce healthy boundaries, transparent communication, and appropriate role definition. Such an environment is hostile to using behavior.

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The creation of a recovery environment takes time, perseverance, self-compassion, willingness, and bravery. It can take years to repair the relationships that have been damaged by addiction and establish a sense of "normal" that is conducive to the life you wish to live. Recovery is so much more than detoxing poisons from the body. Recovery is about respect, individuation, and authenticity. 

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Together, we will expand your family's support system to bring water to the dry well. We will walk side by side with you to find and reclaim your voice, without blame and without shame. We will provide clinical recommendations to top tier national resources, and invite you into a community of others who've been where you are. 

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Why Can't You Just do Therapy with Them?

Early recovery is about learning the skills to manage emotions without the use of a substance, building tolerance to the shame that's been repressed for years, developing insight into how substances became the answer in the first place, and internalizing the tools necessary to abstain from old behaviors., None of this can be done effectively while the brain remains under the influence of substances. It's imperative that an individual engages in a treatment model where the intensity of treatment matches the intensity of their presenting symptoms.

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About Us.

Our team of interventionists possesses the highest training in mental health and trauma in the Richmond area. This allows us a unique perspective and ability to assess for dual diagnosis, underlying conditions, and specialized needs that other intervention professionals are unable to address.

 

We pride ourselves on being led by a licensed clinical mental health professional, ensuring that a code of ethics is upheld throughout our professional relationship with you.

 

In addition to being a licensed clinician, our leader is a national trauma expert - training treatment centers and other clinicians on trauma-informed addiction treatment. We view substance use as a branch of the trauma tree, taxing the kidney/adrenal system of the entire family through toxic stress. We integrate this framework every step of the way through a nurturing and respectful relationship together.

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We draw from our nearly 50 years of combined personal recovery experience to reduce the traumatization of the intervention process, and to bring family members together through emotional bonds, rather than shame. We utilize our advanced training in family systems, neurobiology, generational trauma, internalized role atoms, and attachment to inform the complex work of harvesting recovery.