Intervention

Intervening on a loved one’s drug or alcohol abuse is complex, however, it does not have to be complicated. An intervention can be a powerful and life changing event therefore it deserves careful planning and a thoughtfully crafted approach.

It is possible to conduct an intervention without a professional therapist. So why would a person hire a professional therapist? It can become difficult to weave through hot emotions and hurtful times caused from painful past events brought on by the addicted loved one.

A well planned intervention takes place in stages. The first meeting is to evaluate the therapist and see if it is a good fit for you. In this appointment you will have the opportunity to talk about your needs and that of your family. If this meeting goes well you may decide to schedule another appointment to begin the planning process. Bringing along key family members who are receptive to the idea of an intervention is a good idea in the next meeting.

In the next meeting all of the intervention “team” will be present. This meeting is where the actual intervention is planned. Expect this meeting to take several hours as you will be discussing strategies in terms of how the intervention will unfold. Each member of the team will be writing a letter to share with the loved one. “Bottom lines” will be discussed and an additional letter or note will be written. All letters will be shared with the intervention team to eliminate angry, critical and unloving statements.

Depending upon the progress made in the planning session with the intervention team the next session will be either an additional planning session or the intervention itself. I encourage a member of the intervention team to take the role of transporting the loved one to treatment. In cases where this is not possible, alternatives will be determined, which can include the therapist accompanying your loved one to treatment.

Before embarking on an intervention there are some helpful ways to prepare yourself. The first is to do some reading. I would recommend the book “Love First.” Here you will find information to help you understand the steps involved in a well planned and compassionate intervention. I use the steps outlined in this book as a model for the intervention’s conduct. In the course of my work I have found the addict highly responsive to a loving and rational approach that focuses on his or her addiction and on getting treatment not on his or her faults.