Empathy House has been celebrating the success of women in recovery since 1978. We offer long-term treatment and supportive residence for women in recovery. Our philosophy is a combination of the Empowerment Model and Creating Connection.

WHO

We treat women, 18 years and older, who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, may have a history of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, may have a concurrent disorder, may be homeless, have behavioural and cognitive disorders, are unemployable, inadequate social support, limited life skills, relapse prone and may have conflict with the law. The disease of addiction knows no boundaries. These women come from a variety of backgrounds such as homeless women, government workers, sex trade workers, university students and business owners. We regularly help women you know; friends, mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers.

WHAT

Our treatment program consists of individual and group counselling. Individual counselling focuses on assessments, developing and working on individual client treatment plans/goals and developing a discharge plan consistent with long-term sobriety. We also use group counselling facilitated to produce addictions treatment through experiential group participation, education and problem solving. This includes daily group therapy, as well as psychoeducational groups such as assertive communication, self-esteem, relationship, relapse prevention, spending, pharmacology, exercise, nutrition, leisure, creative expression and special topic groups. Also as a requirement of the program the women do household chores and attend three A.A./N.A. meetings weekly.

Client’s Sample Timetable

WHERE

The residences have an atmosphere conducive to recovery and reintegration. They are in a home like, community based setting, rather than a hospital setting, that encourages improved personal growth and social development. The groups are held in the dining room, living room and various locations for leisure activities. The post-treatment supportive residence is located in the Ottawa South area in close proximity to Empathy House.

WHEN

We are an intense therapeutic milieu program. Empathy House is staffed 24 hours day/ 7 days a week to provide the women with support and crisis counselling at any time when there is a need. The length of time a woman stays is based on individual treatment needs. The length of treatment is between 3 - 12 months.

WHY

The challenges facing the women we serve are that many women have outside pressures to return to family, children or work. We work with each woman individually, to educate them on their disease and that if not treated properly they will relapse. The women we treat have deep emotional wounds that are not visible with the naked eye. If these wounds go untreated they will continue in their disease and will eventually lead to death.