Family therapy · Addiction treatment in Costa Rica
Addiction affects the whole family. Recovery can too.
At CRTC family therapy is not optional additional support. It is a formal and central part of the treatment program. Because addiction does not happen in isolation and recovery is most durable when the family system heals alongside the patient.
Addiction rarely exists in a vacuum. It develops within a family system and it affects every member of that system.
Patterns of enabling, codependency, unspoken rules, communication breakdowns and relational wounds often form part of the context in which addiction has flourished.
For recovery to be lasting, those patterns need to be addressed alongside the individual clinical work. A client can do powerful work in treatment and return home to a family system that, through no fault of its own, recreates the conditions that drove the addiction.
Family therapy creates the opportunity for real change at the system level. It helps families understand what has happened. It opens communication that may have been closed for years. It addresses the pain and damage that addiction causes to those closest to the person in treatment. And it helps build the kind of home environment that genuinely supports sustained recovery.
Family therapy at CRTC
Structured, skilled and coordinated around distance and time zones
Family therapy sessions at CRTC are conducted by our clinical team and are scheduled as a formal part of the treatment program. Sessions are coordinated to accommodate the fact that most of our clients' families are in the United States, Canada or elsewhere, which means sessions are conducted via video call when in-person attendance is not possible.
The content of family therapy sessions is determined by the clinical team in coordination with the patient. What gets addressed, when and how is shaped by what the team knows about each patient's family system and what is most therapeutically useful at each stage of treatment.
Family therapist Mariana Charpentier holds a B.A. from Texas A&M and an M.A. from the University of San Diego and brings significant clinical experience in family systems work to the program.
Mariana Charpentier, Family Therapist. B.A. Texas A&M, M.A. University of San Diego.
Many families dealing with addiction develop communication patterns built around the addiction. Avoidance, conflict, denial and enabling are common. Family therapy creates a safe space to begin communicating differently.
Enabling and codependency
Understanding the difference between support and enabling. Helping family members develop healthier ways of relating that support recovery without fostering dependence.
The family's pain
Family members carry their own wounds. The fear, the grief, the anger, the exhaustion and the hope that has been tested over and over. Family therapy acknowledges and addresses the experience of the whole family, not just the person in treatment.
Preparing for reintegration
Helping families understand what to expect when their loved one comes home. How to support recovery without recreating old patterns. What the research says about the family environment and long-term recovery outcomes.
When I arrived at CRTC, I was hopeless and broken. The night before, I had almost ended my life with a bottle of methadone pills just to make the pain stop. I didn't really feel like I deserved another chance at recovery.
Before coming to…
I'm so grateful I chose CRTC. They gave me the knowledge to understand, address and change my self destructive behaviours. I really liked the holistic approach to heal my mind, body and spirit. The program content was comprehensive enough…
Life changing, world class luxury recovery treatment center. Are you ready to fly far from home, touch down in San Jose International Airport, drive through lush rainforest to a luxurious million dollar property in the heart of the Costa…
Family therapy is a formal part of the clinical program and strongly encouraged. The specific structure and content of family involvement is discussed with each patient and shaped by the clinical team's assessment of what is most beneficial.
Can family participate remotely?
Yes. Family therapy sessions are coordinated to accommodate distance and time zones. Most sessions with families in the US and Canada are conducted via video call.
What if my family does not want to participate?
Family participation is encouraged but individual treatment continues regardless. The clinical team will discuss how to approach family involvement sensitively and helpfully given each patient's specific family situation.
Are there resources specifically for families?
Yes. We have a dedicated section for families with resources, guidance and a direct pathway to speak with our team.
