New year means new opportunities, new potential for change and growth and greater capacity for freedom and joy. In my last blog post, I urged you to consider getting professional help in fighting your addiction so that you wouldn’t go at it alone.
I encouraged you with several compelling reasons why you might need professional help (either a counselor, an impatient program or a local church ministry). In this second post, I’d like to ask (and help answer) the question: “How do I find the perfect counselor/program/ministry in 2017?”
Too many people barely get started in their journey to freedom without giving enough thought about how to evaluate whether or not their program, counseling, or ministry choice is even working.
What ends up happening is that you find yourself discouraged and unmotivated before you’ve barely even started. Here are three questions you must ask for evaluative purposes as you seek an addiction free 2017.
1. Does the program, counselor or ministry have a track record of success?
One way to decide where you’ll invest your time, energy, money and resources is by looking at the track record of those who’ve used it’s service in the past.
- Do you have any friends, family or acquaintances that can give a testimony about the program/counselor/ministry?
- When you “google” this recovery option what pops up?
Doing your homework on the front end, and figuring out the track record of the recovery option you’re looking into, is a critical first step in picking your perfect program in 2017.
2. Does the program operate on a “truth and grace” principle?
Too many programs are all love, no discipline. Other programs are more like glorified boot camps shoving discipline down people’s throats with no love.
- Does the program you’re looking at know how to be both authoritative (and therefore strict) but also tender and parental in it’s delivery method?
- IF you went to a gym and weren’t sore the next day you went – too light. If you can’t walk because of how messed up your body feels you went – too hard.
You need a program that will know how to take you the edge to deal with the real hurts without pushing you off the cliff. It’s all love, it’s flattery, if it’s all truth, it’s cruel. Find a program that believes in grace and truth.
3. Is there a way out of the program?
Too many of these recovery programs and ministries have put too little thought into how you do “re-entry” into real life after you complete the program. You need to find a program that has thought seriously about these issues and knows how to address “re-entry” back into real life.
The point of therapy and professional help isn’t to be a “lifer” rather it’s to get help and get healed so you can dive back into the real world of parenting, marriage, employment, friendships, etc. and walk towards those roles in your life with a fresh confidence and perspective.
In other words you want to find a program that doesn’t call you “from” the world, but one that empowers you “to” your world.
Community Discussion – Share Your Thoughts Here!
What do you think are key factors to keep in mind when searching for an addiction recovery program?
About the Author:
Ryan Moffat is the teaching pastor at Vast Church in Sisters, OR and is currently working on his Masters in Theology at Western Seminary in Portland, OR
Ryan received his BS in Bible and Theology and a minor in counseling from Multnomah University. He has pastored students, families and is passionate about Christ-centered recovery and healing. He’s been married to his beautiful wife Michelle for 13 years and they enjoy raising four crazy, unique and special kids together.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of addictions. These are not necessarily the views of Addiction Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Addiction Hope understand that addictions result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an addiction, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on January 24, 2017
Published on AddictionHope.com