Primary Programme

Bethesda’s Clinical Primary Programme is deeply rooted in the first five steps of the 12 Step Recovery Programme. These steps are the absolute foundation of every successful recovery programme and are therefore our entire focus. Our lengthy written assignments are all geared towards and focused on taking clients deep into the destructive root system of their addiction, with the view to empowering the client towards maturity into a chemical-free lifestyle. Our addiction specialists closely monitor each of the client assignments and work together to create group therapy and one-to-one counselling sessions directly related to our observations.
One-to-one and group sessions run daily and are often called spontaneously in order to address surfacing personal needs when identified through dysfunctional in-house relational dynamics.
Every interaction between staff and clients is of a therapeutic nature. We are not here to make friends.

On the whole, a typical day consists of:

• Group Daily Devotion Quiet Time & Thought for The Day
• Recovery Lectures leading to extensive Personal Assignments
• Topical Growth Groups followed by One-to-One Counselling
• Group Psychotherapy (mixed and gender-specific)
• Recovery and Relational Topical Groups
• Relapse Awareness and Prevention Groups
• Life Skills and Post-therapy Conflict Preparation
• Educational DVD’s and Lectures
• In-house 12 Step (AA/NA) group run by the clients

At the hub of the Bethesda Addiction Treatment Centres we have internationally esteemed clinical social workers, registered addictions counsellors and psychotherapists who bring over 30 years of addiction and family therapy experience. Although our programme is not an eating disorder treatment programme, we have Helen Schaffer, Bethesda’s eating disorder specialist. For those people who come to us for addiction treatment, during which an underlying eating disorder presents, Bethesda has developed a very successful Eating Disorder Management Programme. ED’s are expertly monitored whilst we address the co-existing addiction, prior to a concentrated focus on the ED with Helen. For the more severe ED’s, Bethesda Addiction Treatment Centre collaborates with and refers through to the highly acclaimed ED Specialists at Montrose Manor (link) in Cape Town.

Bethesda also maintains close relationships with various male and female clinical psychologists and psychiatrists along the Garden Route, in the event of problems extending beyond the addiction. Each client is assessed by Dr J. Olivier, Bethesda’s consulting GP. “Dr O” specializes in addictions and personality/psychiatric disorders and will refer a client on to the relevant specialist wherever he feels to be appropriate and necessary.

On-site clinical staff at the Bethesda Alcohol and Addiction Treatment Centres therefore comprises of addiction specialists, nursing staff, clinical social worker and psychotherapist only. Medical, psychiatric, and psychological requirements are met individually, as and when necessary, and are supplementary to Bethesda’s addiction treatment programme. This prevents diversionary tactics of clients requesting attention aside from their addiction treatment programme.

Bethesda Addiction Treatment Centres recognise that many new clients arrive with the need of specific medications for their various personal issues. Our aim is abstinence, but only in the right way, at the right pace, under strict supervision.