overcoming addiction

Jodi Takhar
RTC, CIPc, NTHP
Family Addictions Counsellor

Do you feel like you've tried everything to fix, change or help your addicted loved one and nothing is working?

I've been there! I helped them by doing a few simple (not easy) things.

I know how much it hurts to watch your addicted loved one spiral out of control and you feel like the enemy.

I am a granddaughter, daughter, sister, foster parent, wife and ex-wife, cousin and friend of people in either active addiction or recovery.

I understand the dilemma of not wanting them to die, while not knowing how to help them get well.

Discover what you can do to help yourself find some sanity, while leading your loved one towards the path of recovery.

If you are like most family members I work with, you will relate to this:

You love your loved one more than anything.
Everything you do is because you love your addicted loved one.
You are strong and resilient, and you don't give up easily.
You are creative and intuitive, especially when it comes to your loved one and their addiction.

But even when you love your addicted loved one, that doesn't mean you will be able to stop them from using drugs and alcohol or change their self destructive behaviour.

"I met Jodi when my daughter was going through the throws of severe alcohol addiction. We mostly just talked on the phone when I was absolutely exploding with panic and anxiety. I didn't know which way to turn. I felt like I had lost a daughter who had always been close to myself and my husband. It was the most traumatic period of my life. I came to refer to Jodi as my angel. Whenever we would talk I started to calm down and feel like there was some hope. Jodi was always positive and supportive; I never felt judged.
Jodi walked with me and held my hand like no one else could do. Her own experiences that she shared with me helped me to see that there may be a light at the end of the long dark tunnel."
~JK, Vancouver

If you are struggling with any of the issues below, Families Do Recover can help you become empowered to help your addicted or recovering loved one.

If you have an addicted loved one...

you feel like you are drowning in your loved one's consequences.
you jump every time the phone rings.
you feel like you are working harder to get them into recovery than they are.
you live in fear that your loved one will die.
you are constantly on edge, not knowing what will happen next.

If you have a loved one in recovery...

you still jump every time the phone rings, just waiting for them to relapse.
you are tired of waiting patiently for them to get their "act together."
you find yourself always giving advice and frustrated because they don't listen.
you are hurt because they haven't made amends to you yet.

My programs and courses can help you understand your role in the cycle of addiction and I can work with you to develop a course of action that works for you and your family.

"Jodi was there as a counsellor who really helped me cope with the trauma of my daughter relapsing 3 times, ending up repeatedly in hospital and even jail. Jodi was kind, compassionate, and understanding. Most of all, she was there for my daughter and I."
~ CMS, Vancouver

I Can Help

"Addition begins with pain and ends with pain."
~ Dr. Gabor Maté

Originally, Dr. Maté was speaking about the addict, but I have found this to be true for everyone affected by the cycle of addiction. I believe in working form the inside out in a compassionate, non-judgemental way. To heal the outside, we have to work form the inside, even in the crisis of active addiction and alcoholism.

Through a variety of tools, modalities, methods and exercises, the process of healing and change can begin.

Change can be scary. Often it leads to the unknown. At Families Do Recover, I understand how scary it can be. Starting where you are emotionally without judgement is important. I can help you move forward with baby steps, one at a time.

You can choose one program or a customized combination that you believe will work for you and your family.

Book a Discovery Session

Counselling

Keeping all your cards so close to the vest is hard, especially when you don't have anywhere to talk about your addicted loved one. At Families Do Recover, my aim is to give families a soft place to land - a safe space to talk about how your addicted loved on affects you and what you can do to help them and yourself.

In The Moment Coaching

Coaching is a way of getting direction in the moment. When you don't know what to do, you can pick up the phone and get direction easily. Coaching can help you find language and immediate strategies to help you through a challenging situation with your addicted loved one.

MORE ABOUT COACHING

Interventions

An intervention is usually a family’s last resort and is done out of love and fear. Love for the addicted person and fear the addicted person is going to die unless they stop using drugs and/or alcohol. It is a loving act that can raise an addicted loved one's bottom and save their life.

MORE ABOUT INTERVENTIONS

Self-Study Online Course

Not ready to be with people or share your story yet? That's okay. If you are still looking for information or want to learn how to help your addicted loved one, you can enroll in one of my online courses. All these courses offer phone and email consultation if you wish to have some support.

There is No Magic Bullet

I wish there was a quick fix or a magic bullet. It would make this journey much easier.

There is a combination of education, counselling and coaching that can help you build your strength, come up with a plan of action and find your way through to the other side. Life with your addicted loved one will get easier and you will find your way.