Executive Director – Kathryn Del Guidice CAC, ICADC, CET
When you come to Boca Recovery Center, we want you to know that you’re in the care of people who care about helping you overcome your addiction. While in treatment, you’ll have the pleasure of working with Kathryn Del Guidice. Originally from Williston Park, New York, Katheryn has spent years studying the disease of addiction to better help those who are afflicted with it. Her education background includes becoming a Certified Addictions Counselor (CAC), International Certified Addictions Counselor (ICADC) as well as a Certified E-Therapist (CET).
We sat down with Kathryn so you can get to know her a little before you or your loved one comes to Boca Recovery Center for treatment:
What made you interested in helping those who suffer from addiction?
My personal life experience has taught me that recovery is possible and that those with mental health as well as addiction disorders can lead successful and meaningful lives. I am inspired by those that come from rock bottom places to a place of victory.
What type of approach does Boca Recovery Center take with the structure of its program?
The structure of our program is to use the most empirical validated clinical approaches, compassion; professionalism to individualize treatment approaches for all clients that we serve. Client welfare is paramount.
Boca Recovery Center has a bunch of amenities for the clients in their spare time. How does having fun play a role in addiction treatment?
Environmental influences play an important role in addiction. One of the first things a client learns is the benefits of changing people, places, and things that they associated with while using. Having fun in sobriety is important because first it is a distraction from the initial self-pitying thoughts “I can’t drink or use again.” Secondly, it awards the clients an opportunity to build new relationships “sober support” and to realize that they can have fun without the aid of substances/alcohol. Lastly having fun in sobriety helps the clients grow in self-esteem because sober they are not compromising their values and they are aware of the positive choices they are making. I often hear our clients say and “I had so much fun and the best part is I remembered what I did last night”
Can you explain what dual diagnosis treatment is and why it’s so important for people struggling with addiction?
Dual diagnosis is a co-occurring condition in which a person has both a mental illness and an addiction issue. Either condition, when dealt with alone, could be devastating or fatal but when put together, the conditions tend to reinforce and interact with one another, increasing the obstacles for long term recovery without help.
You have a history of bringing awareness to the opioid epidemic in the United States. Why do you think people are still unaware or have misconceptions of this issue?
Unfortunately, many people do not actively get involved until tragedy strikes in their own back yard. Some common misperceptions people hold are that addiction is prominent only in low income societies. We often see our adult and elderly population become addicted on prescription medications because they suffer with chronic pain. Another personal favorite of mine is that insurance companies often deny coverage for treatment based on a “person’s readiness to change”, It is a fallacy to assume that treatment only works when the recipient is ready. Counselors are trained to start at the Pre- contemplation stage on the behavioral 6 stages of readiness for change.
What role do parents play in their child’s recovery?
Parents and family members play a significant role in their loved one’s recovery. Addiction affects the family dynamic. When an active addict seeks treatment, it is imperative that the family is educated on their negative behavior patterns and can recognize area’s where they may have been enabling the addiction cycle. The family unit needs a safe arena to share about their hurts, resentment and expectations. It is not unusual for 1 parent to be the enabler and the other to be one that has had strong boundaries. The conflicts inter relationally, financially, emotionally and spiritually must be addressed for the family unit to recover.
Come to Boca Recovery Center to work with Katheryn Del Guidice as well as the rest of our passionate staff. Our goal is to not only help the person afflicted with the addiction, but we also want to help the entire family begin to heal. Whether you’re struggling with an addiction or have a loved one who is, we want to let you know that there is hope, and it starts by giving us a call today.