{"id":379,"date":"2023-03-20T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peggy-sue.com\/post\/hoe-gaat-een-familie-interventie-in-z-n-werk\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T14:49:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T14:49:07","slug":"how-does-a-family-intervention-work","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/peggy-sue.com\/en\/post\/hoe-gaat-een-familie-interventie-in-z-n-werk\/","title":{"rendered":"How does a family intervention work?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAll Posts<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

5 min read<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

How does a family intervention work?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

How does a family intervention work? Mar 21, 2023 | 7 min read Your child’s, partner’s or another family member’s addiction problem does not only have far-reaching consequences for the person with the addiction. Your own life is turned upside down too. It is not without reason that addiction is also known as a 'family disease'. You want to help your loved one get back on track and prevent something irreversible from happening to them. A family intervention can be used when the person concerned continues to refuse help and is afraid to face their addiction. In this form of professional intervention, family members collectively confront their loved one about their alcohol or drug addiction. The number of preceding steps demonstrates that an intervention is anything but spontaneous. Preparing for a family intervention A family intervention is always preceded by an entire process, from a pre-screening and follow-up consultations to the actual confrontation with the person with the addiction. The intervention process consists of the following steps: Telephone pre-screeningIntake consultation with everyone involvedVarious follow-up consultationsDocumentation and intensive preparationSetting a date for the pre-intervention and interventionProject management and practical preparationThe actual interventionFollow-up process, depending on the outcome of the intervention The pre-screening First, a telephone pre-screening takes place with the person who contacts us, such as the partner, mother or brother of the person with the addiction. This preliminary consultation is intended to give us a clear understanding of the situation. The mental state of the person with the addiction plays an important role in this. Experience has taught us that people with psychiatric problems often fall through the cracks. They may end up somewhere that provides psychiatric care but pays too little attention to the addiction as we understand it. A good example is someone who develops cannabis-induced psychosis and remains trapped in it. You can imagine that an environment where others are allowed to drink alcohol or smoke cannabis is not conducive to recovery. The costs of the intervention process are also discussed during the telephone pre-screening. Both the intervention and the residential placement must be paid for, so the costs can be considerable in this case. A family intervention often requires swift action. Follow-up consultations on site or online If those involved wish to proceed, various follow-up consultations take place online or in person at our practice. We invite all loved ones to these follow-up consultations. Ultimately, we may sit around the table with a large group, including parents, brother(s), sister(s), an (ex-)partner and best friends. If we determine that a family member is not suitable for this part of the process, we choose not to invite that person to the follow-up consultation. This prevents the person with the addiction from being negatively influenced and deciding not to accept the appropriate help after all. Most of those present ultimately take part in the family intervention. Stichting Peggysue verslavingszorg GGZ draws up a contract which those involved must sign. The contract contains specific agreements with which they must comply. For example, they are not permitted to tell the person with the addiction about the forthcoming intervention. The contract also provides a clear starting point and describes the request for help and the best achievable outcome we consider appropriate. Writing impact letters Expressing clearly and powerfully, at a vulnerable moment, how someone’s addiction has affected you is not easy. We therefore ask those involved to write what are known as impact letters. In these letters, they put into words how the addiction affects them and what the consequences will be if the person with the addiction does not agree to treatment. During the confrontation, everyone reads their own letter aloud. Setting a date Once all preparations have been made, we set a date for the actual confrontation. We always advise those involved to keep the entire day free. The confrontation may take longer than expected and, above all, is a highly emotional event. We therefore advise taking the day off work and making no other appointments. What happens on the day of the family intervention? The interventionist leads the day of the intervention. Friends and family members have the opportunity to confront the person with the addiction directly with its consequences. This is the time to set clear boundaries and explain what will happen if they refuse to accept help. A loving approach is important. The ultimate aim is to persuade the person with the addiction to accept help and undergo treatment at a clinic. A family intervention does not always go smoothly. Manipulative patterns or mental health problems can make the situation complex. The pre-screening and consultations are intended to minimise such risks. A family intervention has two aims: to encourage the person with the addiction to accept treatment and to educate the family about the disease of addiction. Is an intervention always successful? In most cases, the intervention has the desired outcome. After hearing the family’s moving accounts, the person with the addiction recognises the seriousness of the situation and is willing to accept help. Our foundation currently has a 90% success rate in helping family members persuade their loved one to accept addiction treatment. In our view, an intervention is always successful: if the person with the addiction is unwilling to accept help, we can focus on the family. Intervention-process methodologies Various methodologies can be used for an intervention process. At Stichting Peggysue verslavingszorg GGZ, we use a combination of methodologies. ARISE intervention The ARISE model was developed by Dr. Judith Landau and Dr. James Garrett in the early 1990s. In this model, family members and others are closely involved in the intervention. It is characterised by its comprehensive and loving approach. An ARISE intervention is a lengthy process lasting from several weeks to several months. It has been shown to help people achieve long-term recovery. Johnson model The Johnson model is one of the most common forms of intervention. It was developed by Vernon E. Johnson, a priest who was himself recovering from alcohol addiction. A loving approach and early intervention are central to his intervention style. His philosophy was that a person with an addiction does not necessarily have to hit rock bottom before accepting help. The aim of the Johnson model is never to make the person with the addiction feel ashamed of their behaviour. Reproaches are replaced by consequences. Family members make it clear what they will or will no longer do if their loved one refuses treatment. They do so not out of resentment or anger, but out of love. Can I organise a family intervention myself? It is possible to organise a family intervention yourself, without professional assistance. However, we strongly advise against this. An intervention has the greatest chance of success when conducted under the guidance of an expert. Emotions can run high during a confrontation. If the person with the addiction feels cornered, they may become aggressive and create an unsafe situation. It is also important to organise the next steps in advance in a structured, project-based way. If the person with the addiction says they are willing to accept help, everything should be ready as far as possible. The family system has also often become part of the problem. A professional approach, lived experience and a fast track to treatment can then make a major difference. It is not unusual for the person with the addiction to become angry and try to leave. A trained interventionist knows how to handle such situations. Moreover, as care professionals and an intervention team, we are not emotionally or personally involved with the person. Finally, as professionals, we make thorough preparations. Thanks to our many years of experience, we know exactly what to do to make the process run as smoothly as possible. Meet our intervention team Is it time to seek professional help for your child’s, parent’s, brother’s or partner’s addiction problem? Peggy-Sue Figueira can help you. She has frequently appeared as an expert on television programmes and talk shows and has extensive experience of international interventions, with a focus on the family system. Drawing on her professional knowledge and personal experience of recovery, she carefully guides families through the intervention process.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Share: LinkedIn \/ Facebook \/ Email<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Recent Posts<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Avoiding\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Detox and withdrawal from addiction<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Overcoming\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Addiction treatment in South Africa<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"How\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Overcoming alcohol addiction: How can you break free from your addiction for good?<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All Posts 5 min read Hoe gaat een Familie-interventie in z\u2019n werk? Hoe gaat een Familie-interventie in z\u2019n werk? Mar 21, 2023 | 7 min read Het verslavingsprobleem van je kind, partner of ander familielid heeft niet alleen ingrijpende gevolgen voor de verslaafde zelf. Ook je eigen leven staat op zijn kop. Niet voor niets […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"parent":354,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Hoe gaat een Familie-interventie in z\u2019n werk?","_seopress_titles_desc":"Het verslavingsprobleem van je kind, partner of ander familielid heeft niet alleen ingrijpende gevolgen voor de verslaafde zelf.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"https:\/\/peggy-sue.com\/post\/hoe-gaat-een-familie-interventie-in-z-n-werk\/","_seopress_social_fb_title":"Hoe gaat een Familie-interventie in z\u2019n werk?","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"Het verslavingsprobleem van je kind, partner of ander familielid heeft niet alleen ingrijpende gevolgen voor de verslaafde zelf.","_seopress_social_fb_img":"https:\/\/static.wixstatic.com\/media\/28ad58_4627df500c7740ca9170729a351c57b1~mv2.jpg\/v1\/fill\/w_750,h_500,al_c,q_85\/28ad58_4627df500c7740ca9170729a351c57b1~mv2.jpg","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":750,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":500,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"Hoe gaat een Familie-interventie in z\u2019n werk?","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"Het verslavingsprobleem van je kind, partner of ander familielid heeft niet alleen ingrijpende gevolgen voor de verslaafde zelf.","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"https:\/\/static.wixstatic.com\/media\/28ad58_4627df500c7740ca9170729a351c57b1~mv2.jpg\/v1\/fill\/w_750,h_500,al_c,q_85\/28ad58_4627df500c7740ca9170729a351c57b1~mv2.jpg","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":750,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":500,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-379","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peggy-sue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peggy-sue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peggy-sue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peggy-sue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/peggy-sue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1044,"href":"https:\/\/peggy-sue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/379\/revisions\/1044"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peggy-sue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peggy-sue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}