In some cases, people battling addiction don’t realize the full extent of their problem. In such a case, it’s critical to stage an intervention to help your loved one realize that they need to seek treatment. At Southworth Associates, we offer a range of intervention services. To learn more about intervention services in Idaho, please contact our team today at (866) 460-9014.
What Is an Intervention?
An intervention is a collective, planned interaction between a suffering individual and a group of people who care for that person. We consider an intervention to be a powerful expression of love for an individual, where personal friends and family support a person’s recovery.
In most cases, people use the term intervention when a traumatic event involves addiction to drugs or other substances occurs. Intervention can also refer to the act of using a technique within a therapy session. Intervention programs may address a range of personal problems, including:
- Alcoholism
- Compulsive gambling
- Drug abuse
- Compulsive eating and other eating disorders
- Self-mutilation
- Tobacco smoking
- “Workaholism”
In some cases, people have conducted interventions due to personal habits. These habits aren’t considered seriously harmful in such cases, though they do need assistance to control them. Examples of such habits include video game addiction, excessive computer gaming, and out of control shopping.
An intervention often occurs when a traumatic event happens. The loved ones of an addict become aware of the person losing control of their lives due to the problem they are facing. Loved ones often seek out help from an interventionist when they recognize their own behaviors as enabling, but still want to find the best way to help the one that they love.
The Goals of an Intervention
Ultimately the goal of an intervention is to encourage an individual to get treatment. Often a suffering individual will need motivation for treatment to come from somewhere outside of their own family. The dynamics in familial relationships can often be challenging and, despite good intentions, can often hinder rather than help. Part of an intervention is to help create boundaries both for the suffering individual and their family and participants within the intervention group.
Understanding the Role of an Interventionist
A professional interventionist is someone who is an expert on addiction and other mental health issues. Interventionists do not have to be qualified counselors or therapists, nor do they explicitly provide counseling services. However, they should be well informed and capable of giving the family members any necessary information on addiction or any other mental health condition the individual is suffering. Our founder John Southworth believed that an interventionist’s role was more that of a coach than anything else. He states, “While I am termed an Interventionist, I prefer to be thought of as a coach. It is my feeling that when I work with families and companies to help them make the right decision, I want to be viewed as a guiding agent to individuals suffering from addictions rather than an authoritarian figure.”
Thus, The Southworth Associates team has developed a caring, proven approach to interventions that has a high recovery rate with dependent individuals who work with a member of the team through the entire coaching process.
Reach Out to Southworth Associates
At Southworth Associates, we strive to give you the care and support you need as you help your loved one get treatment. Our services are wide-ranging and can assist people of all ages, races, and economic statuses. We offer several intervention programs, including:
- Alcohol abuse intervention
- Drug abuse intervention
- Family intervention
- Medical intervention
- Mental health intervention
- Bilingual intervention services
- Multi-age intervention services
To learn more about our intervention services in Idaho, the US, and globally, please reach out to Southworth Associates today at (866) 460-9014.