Who we are Approach and Impact Approach and Impact About us Photo of Breaking The Cycle of Addiction What we do At The Living Room we provide free, facilitated group therapy, using psycho-dynamic, psycho-therapeutic, CBT, person-centred approaches. We support the 12-step programme and actively encourage people accessing our service to attend 12-step fellowship groups alongside our treatment programme. Registered charity from 2000 Supporting Hertfordshire adult residents committed to abstaining from their addiction All addictions supported: drugs, alcohol and behavioural Additional specialist groups for Disordered Eating and Drugs Family and Carers weekly, facilitated, peer support group Professionally trained counsellors with lived experience (Level 3+) Daytime services which are free and non-time-limited Three location-based hubs in Stevenage, St Albans, Watford Delivering Families Living in Recovery (FLiR) project in partnership with Relate and Family Lives We have supported over 7000 people to full recovery over 24 years Semi-anonymised reporting to National Drug Treatment Monitoring Service NDTMS Monitoring tools used: Recovery Wheel (inc.NHS PHQ-9 Depression Scale, NHS GAD-7 Anxiety Scale), TOP form, questionnaires, client stories and evaluations How we do it Collaborative working with Spectrum (CGL) and Emerging Futures Mindful Employer Charity Excellence Framework Quality Mark Real Living Wage Employer Disability Confident Committed organisation Fundraising Regulator registration Background Our person-centred approach is defined by seven principles: Safety: people feel physically and psychologically safe. Abstinence: people are committed to stopping using their drug of choice and gaining sobriety and sustained recovery. Peer support: peer support and mutual self-help are vehicles for establishing safety and hope, building trust, enhancing collaboration, and utilizing lived experience. Trustworthiness and transparency: decisions are made with the goal of building and maintaining trust. Collaboration and empathy: importance is placed on mutual support and levelling power differences. Cultural, historical, and gender issues: services are offered moving beyond stereotypes and biases. Empowerment, voice, and choice: a belief in the role of the people we serve to heal and promote recovery from trauma and pain. Recovery The Living Room defines recovery as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential without the use of addictive substances or behaviours. Journey Health: overcoming or managing one’s dependency, and making informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being. Home: having a stable and safe place to live. Purpose: conducting meaningful daily activities, such as a job, school, volunteering, family caretaking, or creative endeavours, and the independence, income, and resources to participate in society. Community: having relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope. Recovery promotes the expectation that all individuals, including those with addictions and mental illnesses, can thrive. Recovery is more than abstinence or symptom remission, rather it is based on the goal and expectation of living well and thriving. Photo of The Living Room 'Theory of Change' for people accessing our services Our approach incorporates: Therapy within a group with that has a shared commitment to the goal of abstinence The powerful motivational effect upon people living with addiction that comes from this shared aspiration cannot be underestimated, as they are supported and challenged on a daily basis to grow, develop and overcome their addiction. Well recognised counselling and therapy practices Our structured day treatment employs cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and solution focused therapy to enable people accessing our services to maintain motivation, manage their using triggers and sustain recovery. "When you’ve come from a place of isolation and then step into a room where everyone understands and shares with you it’s amazing.” A spiritual dimension to recovery We actively encourage and support our clients to embark on a spiritual journey as part of their recovery. In the 12-Step tradition we encourage clients to develop a relationship with a higher power (whether this be their own particular religion’s conceptions of God, or something more abstract such as human potential, love or nature). We have many times seen the inspiration, joy and comfort that clients have found through exploring the spiritual dimension to life, whether through meditation, worship, prayer or contemplation. "When you then go into group and everyone introduces themselves to you it’s a feeling of total love." Recovery services for all addictions Whilst many come to us with addictions to drugs and alcohol, we also help those with behavioural addictions. The benefits of recovery: Photo of The Benefits of Recovery Fully qualified counsellors that are themselves in long term recovery from an addiction The Counsellors on our team are all fully qualified (diploma level or higher) and have each at least five years of long-term recovery from their addiction. This personal experience of addiction helps reinforce the integrity of the approach in the eyes of the clients. "You come here broken, scared and nervous and the first counsellor you meet is someone who says, ‘I’ve been there too’. When they said that to me I felt special." Help with practical matters We provide support and advocacy with, amongst other things, reuniting with children in care, money management and debt, re-entering the workplace, family mediation, family relationship building, and access to other services. Reporting and Analysis: Annual Reports Our annual returns are submitted to the Charity Commission and can be viewed here: 2023/24 Annual Report 2022/23 Annual Report 2021/22 Annual Report 2020/21 Annual Report 2019/20 Annual Report 2018/19 Annual Report 2017/18 Annual Report Impact Analysis Impact Analysis Report 2024 Impact Analysis Report 2023 Impact Analysis Report 2022 Impact Analysis Report 2021 Impact Analysis Report 2020 Manage Cookie Preferences