A Place to Unburden – 12-Day Therapeutic Program

We organise 12-day Therapy programs four times a year. At these programs, we seek to provide an opportunity for participants to identify and address the negative impacts of addiction in their lives. This short-term therapy aims to stop substance use and dependent behaviour while also laying the foundations for life without addiction. It also addresses the co-dependency issues of family members. We seek to do this in a supportive community environment. While men struggling with addiction are more numerous, it also affects women. At the 12-day Therapy, both men and women receive attention and have the opportunity to deal with their dependency in a mixed therapeutic group.

We recognise that addiction is a relational disease affecting the family members of the addict. In most cases, this develops a co-dependency, which is equally dangerous for the family. Addiction is also a bio-psychosocial-spiritual disease. Therefore, we have built our recovery program around this. We start each day with a morning lecture to educate and challenge participants to look at life in the light of God’s Word. Our pastoral staff or guest ministers deliver these addresses. Next, we form small groups where participants introduce themselves and share their life story and the problem for which they are seeking solutions. Addicts and family members work in separate groups. Individual counselling takes place after lunch, where we discuss the client’s problem and analyse their relationship network. Seminars and lectures accompanied by discussions take place in the afternoon. These aim to help the clients understand the nature of addiction, its consequences, and the recovery process. We cover topics like communication, relational aspects of addiction, and relapse prevention. At each meeting, couples and recovered addicts are invited to share their stories of healing.

As the organiser of this program, I experience each meeting as a new experience. I meet new people who come with their own stories. Despite the diversity of people who come to these programs, we build a united and secure community. After the program ends, we seek to continue to offer guidance and support. The final 12-day Therapy program in 2023 marked the 94^th as we celebrated 30 years of being able to offer this program.

Dóra Gergely
Social Worker