Sunrise Recovery Ranch Accepting New Clients for Personal Spiritual Workshops
Riverside, Calif. (PRWEB) October 9, 2008
Three hours sounds like a fleeting, almost inconsequential amount of time, especially when contrasted with the magnitude of problems as immense and insidious as alcoholism and drug addiction. But at Sunrise Recovery Ranch, spiritual advisor Timothy Bernardy guides recovering men through individual three-hour sessions that many believe have made the difference between lifelong sobriety and a descent back into addiction.
Sunrise is currently accepting new clients to participate in a 30-day recovery program that features the opportunity to participate in Mr. Bernardy’s unique personal spiritual workshops.
BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR RECOVERY
“At Sunrise Recovery Ranch, we work hard to build the strongest foundation (for recovery) that we can,” said Keith Miller, the program’s director.
A 30-day program that is designed to help addicted men stabilize their lives and prepare to pursue a healthy life free from drugs and alcohol, Sunrise focuses on four essential concepts: acknowledging the effects one’s disease has had on oneself and one’s loved ones; learning to communicate effectively and manage one’s emotions; understanding the principles of relapse prevention; and developing a spiritual connection with one’s higher power.
When it comes to the “higher power” phase of the Sunrise experience, Mr. Miller said, that foundation-building process is significantly enhanced by the presence of Mr. Bernardy. “Timothy is one of those incredible people that you’re occasionally fortunate enough to meet,” Mr. Miller said. “He brings the concept of God into focus for our clients, and he is a tremendous asset to our program.”
Though all men who stay at Sunrise Recovery Ranch are expected to progress through at least the first three steps of the 12 Step recovery model, many choose to advance significantly further by participating in the special workshops that Mr. Bernardy leads.
MOVING TOWARD GOD
The men who volunteer to participate in these workshops do so with the intention of accomplishing the following:
Step 4: Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Step 5: Admit to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Step 6: Be entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Step 7: Humbly ask Him to remove our shortcomings.
Step 8: Make a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
The workshop experience is an emotional one, Mr. Bernardy said, and is centered on the willingness of the recovering individual to acknowledge his shortcomings and admit his powerlessness over his disease. “It’s about committing to change and connecting with God,” he said. “That’s where the action is, where the progress is made.”
And though a belief in, and reliance upon, a higher power is essential to one’s progress through the 12 Steps, Mr. Bernardy is adamant that the process is independent of any particular religious belief. “I never discuss what religion I belong to, and I never tell anyone what to believe,” Mr. Bernardy said. “I don’t pin it down to any one faith. It’s just God.”
‘AN AWARENESS & AN AWAKENING’
In addition to leading the special 12 Step workshops, Mr. Bernardy also lectures on spirituality. Though he is widely respected for the lessons he imparts, Mr. Miller said, it is the special workshops and the connection Mr. Bernardy makes with the men who are recovering at Sunrise that are particularly inspiring.
“For many people, Timothy Bernardy’s special workshops are the highlight of their experience at Sunrise,” Mr. Miller said. “In fact, we’ve even had alumni who have returned to the ranch specifically to participate in the workshops.”
Mr. Bernardy downplays his own significance in the process (“The success (of the workshops) has nothing do to with me,” he said. “It’s all between the participants and God.”), but he acknowledges that the workshops he leads are both life-altering and life-affirming.
“There’s an awareness and an awakening that occurs when a person turns his life over to God,” Mr. Bernardy said. “You can see it in their eyes.”
ABOUT SUNRISE RECOVERY RANCH
Located in the foothills of the majestic Big Bear Mountain in Southern California, Sunrise Recovery Ranch offers specialized treatment for men who are struggling to overcome addictions to alcohol and other drugs.
Sunrise Recovery Ranch provides highly structured, personalized treatment plans in a peaceful and supportive environment that is staffed by a team of experienced, dedicated professionals. Through carefully structured programs designed to meet the needs of each individual, Sunrise combines the 12-Step program with group therapy and individual counseling to help residents understand their disease, accept responsibility for their recovery, and find an alternative to the emotional turmoil that previously characterized their lives.
Sunrise Recovery Ranch is part of the family of Sober Living By The Sea treatment centers (one of the largest residential substance abuse treatment programs in the United States), and is a proud member of CRC Health Group, which offers the most comprehensive network of specialized behavioral healthcare services in the nation. With the largest array of personalized treatment options, individuals, families, and professionals can choose the most appropriate setting for their behavioral, addiction, weight management, and therapeutic education needs. CRC Health Group is deeply committed to making its services widely and easily available to those in need, while maintaining a passion for delivering the most advanced treatment available.
For more information about Sunrise Recovery Ranch, visit www.drugrehabranch.com or call (866) 540-5242. For more about CRC Health Group visit www.crchealth.com or call (877) 637-6237.
###