A plain-language guide to the intervention models, methods and terms families encounter when researching help for a loved one.
When a loved one struggles with addiction, it can be overwhelming for families and friends to know how to help. Addiction is a complex issue that affects not only the person using but everyone connected to them. A professional interventionist brings structure, objectivity and experience to a moment when the family is often too emotionally involved to lead the conversation themselves.
Read our full guide to understanding the role of a professional interventionist in addiction recovery, or learn how our own process works on the professional intervention services page.
The ARISE model is a softer, more supportive approach with less confrontation; this model is often used with spouses and partners in the intervention. An ARISE intervention is invitational: the loved one is invited to participate in the process from the beginning rather than being surprised at a meeting. The family works together over a series of sessions, gradually increasing the level of commitment asked of the person struggling.
Because it is collaborative, the ARISE approach can preserve trust within the family while still moving steadily toward treatment. Read more in our glossary entry on the ARISE model.
The Johnson Model is a popular professional intervention technique that uses a mix of direct confrontation, establishing boundaries and tough love to get the addict into rehab and treatment. The family prepares in advance with the interventionist, writes statements describing how the addiction has affected them, and presents a unified request that their loved one accept help that same day.
The Johnson Model is what most people picture when they hear the word intervention. In experienced hands it is delivered with compassion, not shame. Read more in our entry on the Johnson Model.
Interventions using the Love First technique have a smaller intervention team: at least 3 participants but no more than 7. Several meetings led by a certified interventionist occur, leading up to the intervention itself. As the name suggests, the approach front-loads expressions of love and specific positive memories before any discussion of consequences, lowering defensiveness and opening the door to acceptance.
Read more in our entry on the Love First method.
Interventions using the Systemic Family Intervention Approach are based upon traditional intervention tactics with some modifications. All intervention meetings are held with a certified interventionist and include the alcoholic or drug user as a participant rather than a target. The premise is that addiction lives inside a family system, so the whole system, roles, reactions, boundaries and communication patterns, is addressed together.
This approach pairs naturally with our Family Recovery Course and with interventions for families. Read more in our entry on the Systemic Family Approach.
Enabling is any action, however loving, that shields a person from the natural consequences of their substance use, making it easier for the addiction to continue. Codependency describes a pattern where a family member's sense of worth and daily life become organized around managing the addicted person's crises.
Detox is the medically supervised process of clearing substances from the body; it is a starting point, not treatment itself. Levels of care range from residential (inpatient) treatment to partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and outpatient programs, followed by sober living and aftercare. Our treatment navigation service helps families understand which level fits their loved one.
Raising the bottom means using a structured intervention to bring the consequences of addiction forward in time, so a loved one does not have to lose everything before accepting help. If any of these terms describe your family's situation, call (850) 563-9776 or reach out through our contact page. We provide free consultations and advice to every caller.
One confidential conversation with a professional interventionist. No pressure, no obligation. We'll help you find the right next step for your family.
