Alberta Association For Better Communities dba  Centre for Wholeness & Well Being

"I distinctly remember the day I discovered my adult son was using drugs beyond his control and was addicted to cocaine.

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I came home one evening from work and my son’s car was in the driveway. When I walked in the back door from the garage I was faced with an array of needles and syringes on the kitchen counter. I went and sat in a chair in the living room, while not saying anything, trying desperately to gather my thoughts and make some sense to that which did not fit into any of my rationale thoughts. At first I did not know what to say. I called his name and he answered from upstairs. I went upstairs and spoke the obvious, stating “There are needles on the kitchen counter”. He responded “Yes, I am addicted to cocaine and using intravenously”.

 

Initially I was in a state of shock, attempting to comprehend how this had taken such a hold on him and how I had been so unaware of the depth of the addiction. I was devasted, yet fierce in my resolve to not let this destroy our family. Shame and confusion overwhelmed me. 

 

Talk about treatment, advice, and tough love only cut him off and the addiction was going nowhere.  I traversed many decisions, among which was letting him go, but always, always keeping a room in my heart that was just his size.  

 

I knew nothing about how to solve the problem and everywhere I turned I was faced with solutions that were counter intuitive to me. The conflict of whether I was helping or helping to kill him was very strong. But one day, I decided to toss aside everything but my intuition. That I would follow my heart. I learned to support with compassion and let go of my expectations.

 

We have come out the other side. It is my soul purpose to help other families, as best we can, do the same.

 

When my son returned from recovery centres, it became apparent there existed a gap in holistic services for people in recovery. At about the same time, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I became aware of the supportive community of cancer care with the Wellspring Centre in Calgary. Being grateful for the services and support I received so that “no one needs to face cancer alone”, I became set on providing similar services for people in addition recovery and their families. The Centre For Wholeness & Well Being is the cumulation of our work to fill that gap."

 

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Path to Success:

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Treatment of any kind is not enough to sustain a full recovery form any mental illness. Recovery is a long game requiring one to three years (or more) of support. Our model helps create connections within the community through a facility that devotes itself exclusively to the unique  needs that recovery from trauma and addiction present.

 

The founding purpose of our facility is to provide support programs and services for individuals and families living with mental wellness recovery.  We facilitate long-term success by providing support, information and tools so that no recoveree faces their unique circumstances in isolation.  At the facility, people in  recovery, their families, friends and supporters can attend workshops and retreats where they exchange information, develop a sustainable support system and create a sense of hope in a warm, caring and welcoming atmosphere. The treatment model embraces a trauma-healing approach in understanding addictions, trauma and PTSD. We embrace Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry therapeutic model in our healing modalities along with utilizing tools of The Brain Story and other holistic healing modalities.

 

A key to the long-term success of the recoveree is to unearth the root causes of mental health, taking a holistic approach to change and acknowledging the profound opportunity that recovery provides a person to rediscover their true self. Our certified coaches work with clients individually and in groups to integrate new insights and positive changes into their daily life and routines. Coaching provides the ongoing strategic planning, structure, accountability, life-skills training, and community to help work through the fears, pains, wounds, and burdens that underlie and perpetuate addiction. Through our programs and workshops, clients and their supporters are guided to strategically design a new daily discipline that supports them holistically so they can create the conditions of sobriety, resilience, connection and community.

 

Never give up on anyone. Miracles happen every day.

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Sue Snow

Founder of Alberta Association for Better Communities

dba Centre For Wholeness & Well Being

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