Philosophy and Goal

PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of VHYTC, “Every Participant deserves an opportunity for holistic health”, is the foundation of our program.  Holistic means the treating of the whole person including mental, physical, spiritual, and social factors rather than just the symptoms of the illness.

We follow the popular thinking that “We don’t treat alcohol and drug misuse – we treat Participants who are struggling to overcome the challenging effects of alcohol and drug misuse”.  Therefore, our philosophy places emphasis on a Participant-centered approach using a Biopsychosocial Model, which focuses on the present, combines social learning theories, and performance management to create a basis of structure.  Structure is developed through setting limits, routine consistency, and the overall process ofnormalization.

GOAL

The goal of the healing and Recovery program is to teach Participants effective life skills such as behaviour modification, honesty, loneliness versus solitude, problem solving, compassionate communication, and managing and overcoming depression, through self-discovery.  We demonstrate alternatives to alcohol and drug misuse and encourage Participants to participate in healthy, stimulating, and engaging activities and interests.

We teach ways to cope with transition, fear, and stress as they begin to work through the process of reintegrating back to home or elsewhere.  The tone of the Healing and Recovery program is enquiring, logical, and compassionate.

We avoid fruitless discussions on why Participants should not use alcohol and drugs.  Instead, we teach Participants to explore safely what has drawn them to alcohol and drug misuse.  This interactive process reveals specific behaviours and settings that trigger the decision to misuse and allows the Participant to redirect consciously their actions toward a healthy and fulfilling life.