After a lovely dinner at a nice eatery in San Francisco with two therapist friends, our young waiter came by to inquire if we wanted dessert.  "What do you have?" one us posed.  The young man quickly began to recite the selections when he came to the last one, an ice cream taste-tempter with "cocaine sha . .  ." to which I quickly jumped in "Cocaine??  That was a Freudian slip!!!" and then promptly burst out laughing.  He caught himself and said "I mean Coconut . . .  Coconut shavings."  Yes, indeed.  Fowled up by the coconut.  I just couldn't let it go and said with a huge grin, "We'll all take that one!"  A quit whit he had and replied, "It will keep you up all night!!"  By this time everyone was howling.

 

We all wound up ordering the flourless chocolate cake and when he returned, still smiling from the experience, one of my pals said "I have to tell you that 2 of us are addiction therapists and have worked at a local treatment center; my friend here (pointing to me) is an interventionist."  The young man smiled broadly and said, "My sister has 5 years in the program."

 

When placed our bill on the table he laughed again and said "Thanks, ladies.  I took one of the desserts off for you!"

 

Bless his heart~

Are you concerned about a loved one who is spiraling out of control with the use of alcohol and/or drugs? Perhaps you have heard of intervention or someone you know has recommended it to you. But you don't know any interventionists? Where do you start? How do you find someone? How do you know if they are competent?

The best source of referral is a personal one or one obtained from a reputable professional source, often a treatment center. The web is also a source, but it does not come with a personal recommendation.

Once you have located someone, now what? Start with finding out which model they utilize. Does it sound like the model you wish to have utilized in your situation? Does the interventionist travel? Talk with the interventionist and you will get a feel for how you "connect." Ask questions. Are you comfortable with this person and the answers you are getting? If so, you can ask for professional and personal references.

Do not make price or location of the interventionist the primary criteria. Good, private, independent interventionists travel. The person you hire to conduct this very important process should be someone you are comfortable with who is willing and able to give you the highest quality service.

Good Luck!

Alice Tanner
Interventionist
Get Help Now 415-717-3675