Professionally facilitated, family-led interventions.
An intervention is a meeting designed to help someone recognize the negative effects their substance use is having on themselves and those around them.
My team and I specialize in planning and facilitating invitational interventions.
These are not like the surprise interventions you’ve seen on TV.
This approach is rooted in an awareness that lasting change starts with vulnerability, and vulnerability is tied to trust. We don’t want to surprise someone who is suffering or put them on the defensive.
Instead, we want to convey a sense of hope and possibility. Because an intervention is about giving your loved one the opportunity to change.
Breaking an addiction or pattern of substance use is incredibly challenging.
To be successful, an individual must:
My approach centres around opening the door to that awareness and possibility, through a process that builds upon trust and support.
Awareness, trust, and support are the 3 ‘pillars’ that lasting behavioural change is built upon. Let’s look at each of these 3 pillars more closely, and consider their roles in an invitational intervention.
Awareness refers to the recognizing the negative effects an individual’s substance use is having on themselves and those around them.
Trust is the method through which we will approach an intervention, focusing on invitation, empathy, support, and understanding.
Support centres around building a connection with your loved one by displaying your care and desire to help them reevaluate their relationship with drugs or alcohol.
Often, individuals with addictions (or those who present substance use behaviour patterns) aren’t aware of the impact their actions have on those around them.
I frequently see the same three patterns in individuals when working with families or friends to support their loved one to make meaningful change.
The individual thinks they are successfully hiding the addictive behaviour from those around them.
They recognize the pattern, but view it as either functional, practical, or even as a part of their identity.
They recognize their addiction as a problem, but don’t realize the full extent to which it is impacting those around them.
An intervention helps to address these patterns and create awareness by connecting the dots between substance use and the harm this behaviour is causing.
This helps the individual recognize the negative effects their substance use is having on themselves and those around them:
The success of my approach to interventions is rooted in building trust.
Building trust begins by communicating with openness and honesty. This is why I use the family-led Invitational Intervention model, originally developed by board-certified American Interventionist Brad Lamm*.
When a family I’m working with extends an invitation to their loved one to attend a family meeting, we start the recovery process from a place of trust. We’re not being confrontational, or springing a trap on anyone.
This approach allows us to focus all of our attention on empathizing with and supporting your loved one towards recovery.
*Brad Lamm is one of the world’s most acclaimed interventionists. My team and I have trained under Brad and other top leaders in the field.
Family members often worry that their loved one won’t participate in the intervention. In my experience, most do choose to participate.
However, please know that even if they choose not to attend, we are still initiating positive change by displaying your desire for connection and willingness to provide support.
Whether they choose to to attend or not, my team will hold the family meeting, and will create a care plan that will best support your situation.
This process sends a powerful message to your loved one.
You show that you care deeply about their wellbeing, while also establishing a loving boundary that helps them reevaluate their relationship with drugs or alcohol.
Recovery and positive change don’t look the same for everyone, so your intervention will be tailored to your family’s specific situation.
When you reach out, I will listen to your situation to truly understand your situation in order to create a care plan that meets your needs.
In general terms however, the intervention process does follow a tried-and-tested approach, which is outlined below. For a more detailed description of the intervention process, click here.
The first step is for my team and I to evaluate the circumstances of your loved one’s substance use, as well as your family system.
I will help you to understand and become comfortable with the intervention framework as we prepare for the upcoming conversation together.
During the intervention itself we follow our prepared plan to address the negative impacts of your loved one consuming substances and broach the idea of recovery.
Post-intervention, my team and I will continue to work closely with your family and any doctors, counsellors, treatment staff, and support services involved in your loved one’s recovery journey.
It’s natural to have lots of questions when trying to make sense of substance use concerns.
I offer a complimentary 30-minute consultation call focused on discussing your family and your loved one who is experiencing substance use or mental health concerns related to substances.
My team and I provide virtual support across Canada, and can facilitate in-person interventions in most major Canadian cities. Reach out to get started today.
Did you know I can also work directly with your loved one? To learn more about Recovery Coaching or Sober Companionship, please visit my partner site at MichaelWalsh.com
RECOGNITION: I strive to create an inclusive environment for all, while also recognizing the historical and ongoing relationship between Indigenous communities and their lands. I acknowledge and respect the Indigenous peoples of the unceded and traditional territories on which our offices operate. In Victoria, we recognize the Lekwungen-speaking peoples, including the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. In Duncan, we acknowledge the Cowichan Tribes, which include Quw'utsun', Si'em Lelum, S'amuna', and Penelakut. In Vancouver, we honor the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
