Inclusive Specialty Services

This group, led by a psychologist with 20 years of DBT experience, helps clients learn more effective ways to cope with the stressors and challenges in their lives.  The skills taught in this group center around four main areas: Core Mindfulness Skills, Emotion Regulation Skills, Distress Tolerance Skills & Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills.  Clients will be able to learn and practice skills in order to find personal ways to use them in their own life to change negative behavioral, emotional and thinking patterns.  Practicing these skills over time can help a person feel calmer, act less impulsively, have more emotional stability, decrease intense reactions, improve relationships as well as help with many of the challenges specific to recovery such as dealing with triggers or urges. Clients will be expected to use and practice the skills learned outside of group.

Culinary Arts and Nutrition Group:

Led by a Registered Dietician, clients plan and prepare a healthy, organic dinner in the NYCFL Kitchen and eat it together, family style.  Determinants of food choice are discussed and clients are encouraged to think about their attitudes, beliefs and knowledge about food and health.  Clients explore the various influences that affect their food choices and learn how to incorporate balanced and healthy eating into their daily diets.  The effect of making healthier choices regarding food as related to sustained recovery is also discussed. Clients will receive education about different ways to improve their nutrition and will be given support as they process feelings regarding food and the role food plays in their lives.

Led by two of our primary therapists, the goal of this parent only psycho-educational therapy group is to educate parents on addictive and dual diagnosis disorders.  This group helps parents develop new coping skills to use when dealing with their children. This group provides a safe outlet for parents to address specific issues that have come up at home and encourages them to share and process with others.

This process group focuses on the current issues that NYCFL clients are dealing with throughout the week as they live a sober lifestyle free of drugs and alcohol. Clients discuss their experiences in recovery with each other and give and receive feedback from peers and group counselors.  This group provides mutual support and encouragement. Clients receive the necessary education regarding the effects of their alcohol and drug use.  Skills for living a sober life are discussed at length.

Attended by parents and their children, the objective of this group is to identify and develop new coping skills for the family in recovery. The ultimate goal of multi-family group is to improve family dynamics and communication in order to strengthen the relationships within each family. Families engage in a discussion together and are encouraged to share and identify with one another in order to ultimately strategize and implement healthy coping skills.

This is primarily a business meeting where clients and staff discuss issues that relate to the entire NYCFL community. The goal of this group is to foster the development of a sober community of individuals who support one another in their respective recovery processes.

As NYCFL is an abstinence based, 12 step oriented program, the purpose of the 12 Step group is to introduce clients to the program and discuss the principles and objectives of it.  Two 12 step meetings are held on site at NYCFL weekly.

After the intake process, clients are assigned a primary therapist who they will meet with on a weekly basis to discuss any issues that arise during treatment.  Clients will also work with their primary therapists and their parents in developing a treatment plan and personal recovery goals. Individual sessions are also available on an as needed basis in addition to the weekly session.

All clients receive an initial psychiatric evaluation at the start of treatment by our on staff Medical Director. Those who require continued monitoring, medication management and/or additional treatment will see the psychiatrist on a regular or as needed basis.

Sober activities are planned on a regular basis to teach clients different ways of having fun without drugs or alcohol. Clients are also taught and encouraged to build solid sober support networks. Teens will participate in activities that create and foster a sense of belonging: trips to museums, outings to parks, bowling, movies, amusement parks, barbecues and gardening. Community service activities are also arranged and planned by clients in a collaborative effort.

Designed for clients in early recovery, the goal of the group is to develop a relapse prevention plan in which clients can identify triggers for relapse and learn different ways to deal with urges and cravings for drugs and alcohol.

Life Skills Group:

Curriculum based groups focused on particular self-help and practical life issues in order to help clients live productively on their road to recovery from drugs and alcohol. Topics include but are not limited to self-awareness and emotional literacy.

These groups aim to empower females and males to explore issues pertaining to gender identity, relationships, sex, and intimacy without fear of being judged or distracted by members of the opposite sex.

This group offers our clients a safe and fun environment for the constructive identification and expression of feelings and emotions through a variety of artistic mediums and journal writing.  This group fosters creativity through art and promotes the discovery of art as a hobby and/or talent.

This group focuses on identifying educational and vocational needs for the clients who have left school prematurely due to substance use issues, are struggling to succeed in school or work, or need support and direction in taking the next step towards a more productive lifestyle. With the help of a vocational/educational specialist, the clients set clear objectives and identify strategies to implement them.

Yoga Group: 

This group encourages mindfulness, meditation and physical activity.  The yoga groups at NYCFL are led by a certified yoga instructor and incorporate an energetic, soulful vinyasa flow practice that includes a gentle warm-up, basic standing and seated postures as well as a guided meditation to relax the body and focus the mind. The group atmosphere is playful and non-judgmental. No prior experience with yoga is necessary as the benefits of this practice can be felt all clients regardless of their physical strength or flexibility. The practice of yoga encourages an open mind, focus and relaxation: each of which are important in the recovery process and help clients adapt better to life’s challenges.