One of the unique aspects of the Guiding Light Recovery program is the emphasis we place on the spiritual development of clients. In many similar rehabilitation programs for substance abuse issues, the path to sobriety is often purely about teaching clients how to physically and mentally heal themselves.
Concepts such as coping skills, identifying psychological triggers, and establishing healthy thought-patterns make up the majority of the curriculum. At Guiding Light, things like these are a huge part of our program, and the importance of cognitive behavioral exercises, having regular appointments with licensed therapists, and the process of attacking the physiological and psychological roots of addiction at their source is very much emphasized. But something that really sets us apart is how we make spiritual development a key part of the programming here. Once a week, clients gather for Lectio Divina (divine reading in Latin.) Lectio Divina “is a traditional monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God’s word.”[1] During this time the men sit together in silence as the facilitator delivers a short scripture or spiritual reading. They are encouraged to rest in contemplation and search themselves for their own interpretation and deeper understanding of the reading, and what it means to them and their own sense of faith and direction.
In addition to working individually with clinical therapists and a life coaches, clients in the Recovery program spend an equal amount of time meeting with a Spiritual Director as well. Spiritual Directors are volunteers that meet with men in the program once a week for an hour long, one-on-one session. The purpose of working with a Spiritual Director is to have an experienced guide to walk through the process of healing your soul in sobriety. “My spirituality has really flourished with the help of my spiritual director. He along with my life coach, therapist and sponsor are showing me a new way to live. I’m learning to live in the now. To pray and be still. To listen to my heart and see where God is working in my life and have a deeper connection with him,” said one client.
One of the unique aspects of our Recovery program is that we approach men’s problems with addiction as a spiritual sickness just as much as a physical and a mental one. We believe this is one of the primary reasons for the remarkably high success rate of our clients relative to other programs. 81% of men that come through the four-month Guiding Light Recovery program, find work, and move to our sober living apartments at Iron House, stay sober over a year. Through faith and community support, our mission to help men struggling in our community to achieve sobriety is continuing to move forward through these uncertain times. We would like to thank our generous donors and volunteers for making it possible for men to experience this. For so many, it is the first time in their life they have had a chance to form a relationship with a God of their understanding, and we are so grateful to be able to facilitate this. From all of us, clients and staff alike, thank you so much for all that you do for us at Guiding Light.
[1] Thompson, Marjorie J.; Howard, Evan B. (2005-04-19). Soul Feast: An Invitation to The Christian Spiritual Life. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 24.
