Let’s talk
Tell us about your situation. There is no fee for a brief call. 888-220-4400 We will help you find a way forward. Or, visit the Consultation Page.
If you need help with an intervention right away, call 313-882-6921. Otherwise, read on and learn how to intervene with love.
When we do a good, structured family intervention for addiction, we use the power of love and concern in a specific and organized way to break through our loved one’s denial and defenses, and bring them to a moment of clarity, so they can accept help. The goal is treatment. Furthermore, we want to bring the whole family system into recovery — to make a home for recovery in our home.
Whether you are working with a professional interventionist or not, developing a comprehensive plan of action is vitally important. Bargaining and threats don’t work. We need the power of a group.
Feeling ready vs. Getting ready
One of the greatest blocks to taking action is the false belief that we have to feel ready to take action. We don’t need to feel ready–we need to get ready. We need new information and a new strategy so we can take action. If everyone waited until they felt ready, nothing would get done.
Taking action is an act of faith.
As Helen Keller said: “Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.”
Faith in the intervention process is what gets us ready for action. We learn what works. We come together as a family and we make plans.
Intervention as Spiritual Negotiation
Intervention becomes a true spiritual negotiation when we pledge to act with integrity. We don’t use anger, judgement, or blame. Instead, we reach out with love, compassion, honesty, and a vision for the future. Love First is the method, and preparation is the key.
Beneath the addiction, inside the heart of our loved one, the spirit hears the voice of love calling.
In that moment, our loved one stops listening to the voice of addiction. They listen to our voice instead and they trust us. In that moment, we move the person into the first stage of recovery. This is the power of the well-prepared group process we call a Love First Intervention.
Working Together Works
Love First intervention starts with the basic premise that working together works. Great accomplishments are not achieved alone.
Vince Lombardi, the famous football coach, pointed out that individual commitment to a group effort is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
It also makes a family intervention work. The group has more power than any individual.
Underestimating the Power of Addiction
Before attempting an intervention, learn how to do it properly. It’s not unusual for some families to resist new information. They prefer to think up solutions on their own.
This is a sign that the family is underestimating the power of addiction. They want to help their loved one, but they don’t have the necessary skills.
We need to put our homespun ideas aside and let someone show us the way. Keep reading to learn more.
“Intervention, like most everything in life, depends more upon our willingness to prepare than our desire to succeed.” –No More Letting Go
Meet our Team
Jeff and Debra Jay have been helping families since 1993, and they have assembled a great team of professional interventionists. Meet our clinical team.
Listen
We offer very informative podcasts that are all 5 minutes or less. Listen to the Snap Trainings for Families.
Podcasts & Videos
Free tools to guide you through the process–the Intervention Workshop podcasts & videos.
Read "Love First"
Love First is the best-selling book on intervention since 2000. Order from amazon in multiple formats.
Checklist
Preparing with a professional or working on your own, you will benefit from our Intervention Checklist.
Putting the Family Back on Course
A Love First intervention changes a family’s thinking patterns. It is thought realignment, moving us toward a sense of purpose, productive behavior, accurate thinking, and clear goals. Intervention gets us to connect with knowledgeable people and communicate on a meaningful level.
When our thinking is straightened out, our lives return to order. Intervention is not just for the benefit of addict. It is a way of thinking that helps everyone who participates. A Love First intervention puts the entire family back on course.
In the words of entrepreneur W. Clement Stone: “Have the courage to say ‘no.’ Have the courage to face truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”
