For fifty years, The Bridge to Recovery has become known as a “place to go when there is nothing else.” Many of our clients have tried a variety of other interventions, including:
And many more.
Many clients who have tried other interventions do very well in our program, and thus our reputation has become solidified as a program that works for those who feel hopeless in their efforts, restricted in what is available for their specific needs, and/or have tried countless other things with little to no perceived results. Some have referred to us as the last hope, or even the last house on the block.
We are a place of refuge for those who have tried many other interventions.
As already mentioned, many of our clients have tried a variety of opportunities, yet often experience the same negative behavior patterns, feelings, and stories they tell themselves that they cannot break free from.
Sobriety vs. Recovery
Sometimes, our clients have attended a rehabilitation program and experience sobriety from their “drug of choice” – alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography, food, etc. They have learned how to be sober (simply, abstaining from the behavior), but never experience the joys of recovery – feeling physically and emotionally free from the negative behaviors that have held their lives hostage, and the shame that contributed to the behavior and then further deepened it.
This is what we do at The Bridge to Recovery – we help people experience the joys of recovery. And, this is beneficial for people who have an identified drug of choice, or those who struggle in a variety of other ways, such as:
And many more.
So, how do we do this at The Bridge to Recovery, and what sets us apart from other interventions? Let’s break that down.
Time Restrictions
One-on-One therapy with a trained and credentialed therapist is a fantastic resource for those needing to address a wide variety of issues in their life. For our clients, many of them have found great success working with a therapist. Unfortunately, for both the client and the therapist, sometimes they experience an impasse - they feel stuck in their progress, and unable to move forward in their treatment plan. This can often happen because of deep seeded, unresolved historical trauma. And, while the therapist is fully trained and able to help the client discovery, uncover, and heal from such trauma, time restrictions often inhibit this. It just is not safe for the client to open such wounds in an hour time slot.
In these situations, we often get referrals from therapists who recommend The Bridge to Recovery for their clients, since we are a safe place without these time constraints. Clients can safely open up these wounds, uncover their pain, discover their truth, let go of their shame, and experience recovery. The client is then recommended to return to their referring therapist, as they are now able to continue their healing journey having cleared those hurdles keeping them from doing so. This is one example of how we aren’t the last house on the block, but instead a partner to the client, their therapist, and their ongoing recovery journey.
This same time constraint problem applies to many of our clients who have entered rehabilitation programs. Many of those programs work to help clients discover and experience sobriety but limitations require clients to leave after 30, 60, or sometimes 90 days. Some programs also begin to identify and address unresolved trauma, as research shows that it is a direct indicator of recovery success. These programs often will refer to our program, recognizing that a client needs continued trauma as part of their ongoing recovery plan.
Level of Care
Sometimes, our clients have tried other interventions, only to realize they need more. This may occur when attending a 12 Step Program, such as Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous, and finding that their behavior is not improving or they are engaging in other new types of inappropriate behavior (such as inappropriate boundaries or relationships with other 12 Step members). Or, they may participate in a family program with a loved one who is struggling with a specific behavior, only to find that they themselves are in a deep state of unresolved pain, and need to attend to their emotional health. There are a variety of reasons why people find they need more – but, we help clients needing to get deeper, more intensive emotional care.
The truth of the matter is that we are a program where clients experience recovery.
As mentioned earlier, there is a difference between finding sobriety and finding recovery. And, at The Bridge to Recovery, we help clients experience recovery. Part of that experience brings the understanding that recovery is an ongoing process. The 12 Steps teach us that there are different parts of recovery to work through, including creating a personal and moral inventory and being of service to others. Healing takes time, and as we experience new life events, we traverse different needs and paths of recovery.
What this means is that while we help clients achieve recovery, we also help them discover the tools and build the toolbox to continue their healing journey. We will not be their last house on the block. We are their partner-in-healing, their safe place, and their resource for ongoing support.
We are humbled and grateful to a part of our clients’ journey. WE are not the journey.
We are not the end-all-be-all, and any program that promises they are is not being honest with their abilities, and with the reality of the recovery process. For fifty years we have helped thousands discover their story, walk their path to recovery, and successfully continue their recovery journey.
By: Neena Wilcox
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Call Today 1-877-866-8661“ Honestly the Bridge taught me something I already knew but had to remember. I am so damn special, valid, and important. Everyone in my life saw it, but me. The Bridge just showed me how to look in the mirror to see for myself. ”
- Jewel, Alumnus
