At A Home Away we understand that your time with us is just the beginning of helping you and effecting the change in your life you sought.

For example, with addiction, anybody can stop using or drinking. It is easy to quit and you’ve probably done it a thousand times. The hard part is to stop starting. We understand that your long-term and sustained sobriety is important to you and your family.

We are dedicated to help you discover and experience the kind of life you’ve always dreamt of. Change, renewal, and recovery are lifelong processes that requires a lot of attention, and we offer you just that.

Your individualized planning begins the moment you arrive at A Home Away. Throughout your retreat process, you will be guided to develop a vision for your renewed life, and an after program plan which will be your individual Design for Living.

We don’t just wave goodbye and say good luck as you walk back into your life. Everyone’s circumstances ‘back home’ are different. You are an individual, with needs that are unique to you. By working with us, you will tailor your own personalized Design for Living that works for you.

We will also assist you with putting important supports in place including professional counselling or recovery coaching, in person or online, to help you Bridge the Gap of transitioning into your new life at home, work and community.

Your individualized renewal and relapse prevention ongoing plan of support consists of :

1. You are welcomed back to A Home Away Retreat to further solidify and refresh your progress.  After the honeymoon phase of excitement about your new life passes, many find that life presents new challenges, particularly in years 2 to 5. We recommend you to return for a refresher during that time.
2. When appropriate for support in twelve step fellowships, you will be connected with a person in your home community to help you adjust to your new life in recovery. You will be connected with this person before you leave A Home Away, so that your initial interaction feels friendly and supportive.
3. You will be guided to find a support groups, meetings, or other professional resources in your home community. You will map out attendance for your first week home, right down to addresses and times. Having this solid plan before you leave creates a sense of security.
4. You will go home with your own copy of a basic recovery text book that you had studied as part of your retreat at A Home Away. To complement this information and to serve as a reminder of important concepts on an ongoing basis, you will receive a full year’s monthly subscription to The Grapevine Magazine, an excellent recovery resource.
5. Your Design for Living will address all areas of your life including nurturing body, mind and spirit. If you follow your own well laid plans, you cannot help but succeed.
6. When appropriate and supportive of your goals, you will be introduced to the twelve steps of recovery that, when followed, is one of the best ways to ensure your success. A Home Away has developed a proven, unique Step Four Guide that we will share with you. This is a critically important step that many people fail to follow through, out of fear and confusion as how to complete it. This guide will walk you through, step by step, very simply, and is available to you for downloading from this website when you are ready.
7. Telephone Recovery Coaching is a cutting edge way to continue the recovery process you began during your program, and to stay focused on your new life of sobriety after you leave your retreat. Some of your sessions may be used for family members while you are still in your program to help them understand how to deal with change and be supportive of you in your recovery.
8. Stay connected with us and your friends you made at A Home Away Retreat through our Blog. You are encouraged to check in and share with us frequently, especially at the beginning of your return home. Depending upon your unique needs, desires, and requests, we will initiate further continued interactions of support.
9. You can schedule ongoing individual or couple counselling or online sessions to help you and your family adjust to your new life of recovery and the many changes that many experience. Issues often relate to one or more of: self esteem, peace of mind, relationships, family, career, achievement, behaviours, addictions, marriage, codependency, sex, smoking, finances, anxiety, fears, depression, self image, grief and loss, or anger and forgiveness. Our focus is on living in the solution.
10. You are invited to our annual gatherings – a chance for you to come and celebrate yourself with your fellow guests and counsellors at A Home Away. Renew friendships and catch up on what’s new.

Recovery Books is a good online bookstore to access a wide range of alcoholism and other addiction related recovery literature to support you in your ongoing journey of self discovery and recovery.