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ABOUT US>
L I F E Crisis Recovery Strategies aspires to be the modern, client orientated psychosocial and psycho-educational resource and therapeutic training program.
Staffed by experienced and accredited health professionals who specialize in the total recovery process of clients.

LIFE RECOVERY CONCEPTS
Therapists are only beginning to understand the intricate web of human emotions and experiences that accent each of our lives. Answers to many interesting psychological questions have not yet been found, or even sought. These questions represent clear boundaries in our understanding of life. Such boundaries, when viewed in another light, are actually frontiers – thresholds of knowledge and understanding that beckon therapists to explore and discover.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

* Introduction and Philosophy

LRC Specialized Training Programs
* LECTURES, WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES
* LRC Specialized Client Programs
* Program Summary

Section I
* Chemical Addiction
* Alcoholism
* Drug Addiction

Section II
* Marital and Family Therapy

Section III
* Stress Management

Section IV
* Career and Vocational Counselling

Section V
* Cross Cultural Counselling

Section VI
* To the Reader

PREFACE

My justification for developing L. I. F. E. RECOVERY CONCEPTS is an overriding aim to merge rigorous modern therapeutic methods with a broad humanistic perspective that engages the spirit, mind and body.

To achieve my goal, it is imperative to analyze and incorporate therapeutic procedures focused on these objectives:

* clearly set forth current methodologies and processes of modern therapy
* address the inability of the therapeutic field to provide necessary support to meet escalating client treatment demands
* incorporate cultural anthropology and social psychology methodologies when designing cross-cultural programs
* remain sensitive to client needs
* approach client dysfunctions with a total support network

I believe very strongly that the LRC program we have designed is a solidly viable training and therapeutic vehicle aimed directly at servicing the needs of all clients. LRC was designed by cross-cultural counselling specialists who have dedicated their careers to educating and counselling people of all nationalities. Our unique formats and literacy methods can be utilized to train any individual or group, and our personnel clearly respect and understand client needs and dysfunctions.

I am certain that, presented with an opportunity, LRC programs and specialists can and will impact your L. I. F. E. in a positive, productive manner.

JD Lewis
Founder/ LRC 1984

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many people have contributed an enormous amount of energy and thought into the development of L. I. F. E. Recovery Concepts. They undertook extensive networking, research, needs assessment and other critical program tasks.

Needless to say, the program could not have achieved my lifelong objectives, without the creative and knowledgeable assistance of George B. Phee PhD. – program writer/researcher, Kimberly Mac Mullian – Editor, and their team of research assistants. I commend them for their efforts and commitment to the project.

Lastly, but most importantly, I would like to thank God for effecting change in my L.I.F.E. and giving me the strength and will to achieve my dream. L. R. C. is dedicated to all the people who are experiencing dysfunctional, chemically addicted lifestyles and who continue to wait for change.

L. I. F. E. – RECOVERY CONCEPTS

Introduction and Philosophy

L. I. F. E. RECOVERY CONCEPTS is a modern, client-orientated psychosocial and psycho-educational resource and therapeutic training program. It is staffed by experienced and accredited health professionals, who specialize in the total recovery process of clients.

L. I. F. E. RECOVERY CONCEPTS is based on the belief that all dysfunctional and chemical-dependent people are treatable. L. I. F. E. provides complete consultation and training services to individuals or groups through a network of health educators, researchers, and therapists who are dedicated to helping people cope with any societal difficulty.

L. I. F. E. RECOVERY CONCEPTS will not duplicate services, but will “fill the void” that currently exists in the therapeutic community, by increasing the availability and accessibility of modern treatment options. LRC is a proven successful treatment method that counsellors and therapists can utilize to effect change in people’s lives by providing a total support network for clients.

The professional personnel at L. I. F. E. RECOVERY CONCEPTS are exceedingly well qualified to deal with all your psychosocial and psycho-educational questions. It is not only our expertise, but the methodology and nature of how L.I.F.E will respond to your needs that makes us unique. L.I.F.E counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, psychoanalysts, and other health-related professionals are not only specialists in their fields, but educators, writers, researchers, advisors, and perennial students. This is apparent by the qualifications of our personnel and their knowledgeable participant observations of the national and international scene.

Our information and specialized personnel are unique and contemporary - we actually review cross-cultural and worldly data that is imperative for the long-term success of rehabilitation programs. The only challenge that you, the public or client may encounter is "Why should I call on L. I. F. E. Recovery Concepts?" Our response: "For health, an enriched life, and total support networks."

Contact our office to discuss and reflect on the strange and ambiguous relationship between social and chemical abuse, family dysfunctions and other health-related crises, the negative impact of which is almost beyond calculation.

LRC – SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAMS, LECTURES, WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES

LRC is a social service training agency that specializes in developing and facilitating programs for individuals or groups. Listed below are LRC training programs:

* alcohol and drug intervention counselling
* child sexual abuse and adult trauma
* health education and AIDS awareness
* suicide intervention counselling
* stress management and depression
* grief and bereavement counselling
* marital and family therapy
* community assessment and development
* cross-cultural awareness
* Native healing strategies
* anger management
* care for caregivers
* recreation as a form of therapy
* career and vocational counselling
* dual diagnosis counselling

LRC SPECIALIZED CLIENT PROGRAMS

* outpatient counselling
* assessment, diagnosis and referral
* group counselling sessions
* dual diagnosis counselling
* module counselling services
* intervention assistance training and counselling
* recreation as a form of therapy
* cross-cultural counselling specialists

L. I. F. E. RECOVERY CONCEPTS personnel have presented their "Total Recovery Concepts" method at the provincial, national, circumpolar, and international levels, yet we are community–oriented and use the community development approach to ensure knowledge is retained in local hearts and minds.

PROGRAMS SUMMARY

There are many programs on psychosocial and psycho-educational rehabilitation concepts, but what we really need is a program that is responsive to some current issues...a program that provides a clarification of certain puzzling aspects of destructive socially acceptable behaviour, (usage of chemical substances) as well as a program that recommends current therapeutic procedures while also providing a total support network. LRC is the multi-faceted solution to these absences. If you "Dare to share with L. I. F. E." Our specialized personnel and modern client-oriented programs can enhance your life in a positive manner. Please call our office at your convenience, before the dysfunction gains control of your life.

SECTION I:

ALCOHOLISM and CHEMICAL ADDICTION

Alcoholism is a fatal disease – 100 percent fatal if left unchecked. We estimate that, without therapy, more than 10 percent of alcohol abusers will not cease drinking. It is a myth that all alcoholics have spontaneous insight that forces them to submit to treatment. Typically, most come to their recognition senses through a building up of crises that crash through their almost impenetrable defence system. They are forced to seek help, but if they don’t, they perish.

Alcoholism is a forgotten disease, an illness thought of as a medical problem. Yet it is increasing and spreading throughout Canada in epidemic proportions. More and more people are turning from drugs to heavy drinking; becoming alcoholics in their early twenties. It is estimated that more than 500,000 Canadians suffer from alcoholism. According to Statistics Canada, the number of deaths blamed directly on alcohol in 1992 was 5317. Long-term abuse of alcohol can also lead to cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, brain damage and possible reduced life expectancy (by 10 to 20 years).

The disease involves the whole person - physically, mentally, psychologically and spiritually. It is primary, progressive, chronic and fatal, but alcoholism can be arrested. Patients can be recovered, not cured. The effects of this hardheaded, pragmatic approach are documented in the recovery of thousands of alcoholics. They are alive and they bring hope for countless others. Their return to a normal lifestyle is empirical evidence that alcoholism is not too complex a disease to be systematically tackled and successfully surmounted.

DRUG ADDICTION

Why should women and men of today prefer chemical gratification to the joys of physical fitness, to the challenges of life, to the marvels of nature, and to great voyages across the ocean and space? Why should they resign themselves to becoming anonymous prey to the unscrupulous international drug trade? L. I. F. E. Recovery Concepts’ specialists, who come from many health-related professions, and from all walks of life, have designed a psychosocial and psycho-educational program to respond to your questions and rehabilitation needs.

Our rehabilitation program emphasizes the pharmacological, psychological and physiological effects of addictive drugs on their primary target...the brain. The human brain, by its very nature, especially in adolescence, is most vulnerable to the drug- induced “high”. Its temptation to re-create this effortless exhilaration results in the immediate loss of awareness and instinct of self-preservation, and if sustained over the long term, in mental illness and impairment of reproductive function. Yet adults in offices, factories, the armed forces, athletics and police forces alike, are the victims of these fashionable poisons. Recent surveys show that an increasing number of school-age children are consuming drugs - many on a daily basis. The resulting harm to the genetic heritage of humankind is a terrifying threat to future generations.

Serious efforts to control drug addiction began after the turn of the century. Over the years, a variety of arguments have been advanced to justify the need for strict drug control. Addiction is an immoral and degrading vice; it produces individuals who are dangerous both to themselves and to others. It creates significant economic losses through reduced productivity, morbidity and accidents. Furthermore, there is documented correlation between sharing needles, and the spreading of AIDS, hepatitis and other fatal communicable diseases. It is the link between addiction and AIDS that is the most visible and the most emotional.

How can society protect its fabric against the use of addictive drugs? Where can concerned citizens find sober and factual appraisal of such a grave problem which all of us have to face and solve for the sake of our progeny? Please contact our office for further information and direction. We are certain that our personnel can and will provide the necessary research and psychosocial/psycho-educational programs to meet your needs.

Section II: Marital & Family Therapy

MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY

Marital and family therapy is a challenging and meaningful endeavour. Its purpose is to make a significant difference in people’s lives and to help them move toward personal health and a healthier family system.

It is an exciting time in the history of marital and family therapy, because it is now being accepted by health professionals as the key approach to effecting change in dysfunctional families. Just as a typical Canadian family has a family lawyer and physician to service specific needs, they may also have a marital and family therapist they can consult on a regular basis or at a crisis point in their relationship.

Marital and family therapy is the treatment of choice for the acute care of problems such as marital conflict, the conduct disorders of youth, anorexia nervosa, and other family related illnesses. In addition, marital and family therapy is often part of a multi-method treatment plan to increase family support and to comply with treatment regimens of patients with such chronic illnesses as cardiovascular disease and cancer. As healthcare systems shift towards and emphasize bio-behavioural mechanisms, marital and family therapy will increase in popularity.

Marital and family therapists are involved in both the treatment and prevention/reconciliation of health and dysfunction. Surveys clearly demonstrate that marital and family therapy does make a significant difference in dysfunctional families’ coping skills. As a starting point, therapy is any treatment intended to remedy or alleviate a disorder. In marital and family therapy, the subject of that treatment is a couple, a family or even an individual. Contrary to what one might believe, marital and family therapy can encompass individual therapy from a family point of view.

Treatment differs from more traditional approaches, because it focuses on the individual as part of an interactional network (couple or family). Thus, marital and family therapy encompasses services provided to individuals, couples and families, and focuses on improvement or enhancement of interpersonal relationships. Such therapy functions from a broader point of view in terms of individuals and how they interact or relate within systems - namely as part of a couple, a family, a community or a society. This approach makes marital and family therapy much more effective for marital/family conflict than other treatments – such as individual psychotherapy. It is also often more beneficial than individual treatment for problems presented as intrapsychic.

Section III: Stress Management

STRESS MANAGEMENT

In recent years, the topic of stress has become a cliché. Popular literature abounds with articles and books alerting the public to the dangers of stress, and advocates a variety of remedies to counteract its evil effects. Often, these "sure cures" are based on anecdotal evidence – testimony of those who have struggled with stress and have managed to find relief, and subsequently wish to share their knowledge with others.

The professional literature, although extensive, is by no means immune to such testimonial writing. In addition to a wide variety of work completed over the last twenty years, (which describes the human stress response and its effects) there has been a surge of interest in job-related stress. It is this literature in particular that presents an often confusing array of conceptualizations of this elusive phenomenon called stress, and often also includes a wealth of anecdotal remedies and ways of contending with stress.

Given this murky state of affairs, what then is the orientation of L. I. F. E. Recovery Concepts, and how does it relate to what has proceeded? L. I. F. E.'s purpose is to discuss stress from the perspective of the organization...specifically, business, family and other dominant factors in our society. L. I. F. E. Recovery specialists will clarify the psychological, social and emotional effects of stress on individuals, then explore its implications for society.

To understand the repercussions of stress and an institution's responsibility in monitoring and controlling it, the impact of what individual and professional groups bring to the situation in terms of their own socialization experiences must be analyzed. What is a source of stress to one individual, may not be to another. Thus, a major contribution of our work is to examine the influence of professional socialization and its role in perceived organizational stress. Coping strategies used by different professionals and their relationship to stress symptomology and vulnerability are also explored.

L. I. F. E.'s psycho-educational methods of coping with stress will help administrators and workers achieve a better understanding of the complex problems of organizational and individual stress. These methods will also stimulate creative thinking and effective stress management. Organizations do indeed precipitate stress...some of which is exhilarating and challenging for their employees. However, they are also responsible if their employees incur unnecessary harmful stress.

It must be recognized that individuals may be a source of stress to themselves and to their colleagues. While organizations do have climates and cultures that impinge upon their employees, individuals also bring with them their own self-images, values, expectations, and non work-related stress; including a whole host of vulnerabilities that also interact with the organizational environment. To understand stress, it is necessary to understand the peculiarities of the organization, the individual, and the relationship that exists between them. L. I. F. E. Recovery Concepts’ specialists are eminently qualified to assist individuals or organizations in the implementation of a structured program to cope with this societal emotion.

CAREER AND VOCATIONAL COUNSELLING

The world of work has undergone many significant changes in the last twenty years. Increasing size and complexity are the rule rather than the exception in most enterprises. Such conditions create job invisibility, worker anonymity, and make employment and training transitions difficult for professionals and college students. In addition, people upgrading their education or vocational skills are allowed little more than disjointed contact with the world of work by both educational and occupational barriers. Their perceptions of educational, industrial, and business operations tend to be diffused and distorted.

To help cope with these conditions, career and vocational educators/counsellors must assume a major responsibility for providing articulated career orientation and exploration programs designed to foster career awareness for all ages. Research and commentary on career and vocational development emphasize that programs should begin in elementary school and continue through high school, college and working life. To avoid premature educational and occupational decisions, people need continuous opportunities to explore their attitudes, aptitudes and interests in relation to the wide range of career choices available to them.

The role of educators/counsellors in meeting career and vocational development needs of today’s society is threefold:

1. to determine client needs
2. to develop programs and mobilize resources
3. to design evaluation procedures that test program validity and suggest ways to improve and extend program impact.

Facilitating the career and vocational development of modern society is the responsibility of all educational and counselling personnel. This responsibility requires that career exploration activities be approached in a manner commensurate with other major educational and counselling objectives.

Human and societal needs and challenges of today and tomorrow underline the need to continue to set, to improve, and to extend the theory and practise of career and vocational counselling.

SECTION V: CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS

CROSS CULTURAL COUNSELLING

Within the past decade, the counselling professions have become increasingly aware of the cultural implications of counselling. Books, articles and workshops have all addressed the issues of cross-cultural counselling, but in several respects, these programs have been weak. For example, many of the leaders in this field have been professional counsellors or therapists who have expertise in counsellor theory and methodology, but often know little about social psychology or cultural anthropology. As a result, there is sometimes insensitivity to the attitudes and perspectives of people in other cultures or distinct societies; often there is an awareness of the need to first study and understand a culture before attempting to make therapeutic interventions in other people’s lives.

Most of the literature in North America about cross-cultural counselling is limited to discussions of how to help people inside the boarders of the United States. There is emphasis, for example, on how White counsellors can help Blacks or Hispanics, how middle class people can reach the poor, or how Western therapies can be adapted to Vietnamese or Haitian refugees. This literature does not serve the counselling resource needs of Canadian health professionals, because it eliminates Native Indians and other prominent cultures within the borders of Canada. Additionally, the literature is of limited value to religious personnel who move into another society and seek to give counselling or counsellor training to nationals living and experiencing problems within the context of their own cultures.

Because of the specialized personnel we have at L. I. F. E., their living and counselling experiences, and their familiarity with current cross-cultural programs, we are able to go beyond, and offer psychosocial and psycho-educational programs to service all cultures, races and religions. L. I. F. E. brings a modern viewpoint to a new field that to this point has been almost exclusively White. We discuss cross-cultural counselling from a psychosocial, anthropological perspective, which focuses on helping all people.

The cross-cultural counselling field is growing with interest both from a psychological and mission viewpoint. It is time for all Canadian health professionals to recognize the need to study cross-cultural societies before implementing counselling programs that can and will impact the lives of people residing in remote communities, Indian Bands, and other urban centres.

SECTION VI: TO THE READER

TO THE READER:

At times in our lives when we experience the need to develop capacities that we have not previously possessed, we often need to explore new, unknown areas of our world and ourselves. Because such explorations demand that we deal with information which does not belong to the realm of our past experience, we must rely for direction on a part of ourselves that we feel can act as a guiding light in the field of the unknown. This part of ourselves is known by many names: A Higher Power, God, Allah, the Unconscious Mind, our Higher Self, Buddha, etc. The members of L. I. F. E. Recovery Concepts strive to recognize the same guiding force existing behind the different expressions used to describe it.

Often the times during which we most need to get in contact with this source of guidance are difficult, scary, or even crucial periods. It is in recognition of the frequent need for individuals to receive help during such trying times, that L. I. F. E. Recovery Concepts opens its arms to all who feel the need to share their joys or difficulties along this therapeutic spiritual journey.

The members of L. I. F. E. Recovery Concepts also hope to inspire individuals with different preferred therapeutic paths to respect all individual or group endeavors and to experience a sense of oneness with each other through recognizing the similarities in intentions underlying different therapeutic and spiritual movements and growth.

Upon your review and evaluation of L. I. F. E. Recovery Concepts, we welcome individuals, groups and organizations from all sectors of our society to contact our office to discuss any of your psychosocial and psycho-educational needs. We are certain that, presented with the opportunity to assess your needs, our professional and specialized personnel can design and implement therapeutic/preventative programs consistent with your adversities.

L. I. F. E. RECOVERY CONCEPTS

L.I.F.E. RECOVERY CONCEPTS E-BOOK
http://www.accesscashnow.com/LRC2004.doc