Divine Light

“The most important thing is to get to the root of their issues.” -Sakina Dean

A light in the community Today, Divine Light has five recovery residences for men and women and last September, opened a LGBTQ shelter and recovery facility, the first of its kind in Philadelphia. All together, Divine Light’s recovery facilities serve 170 men and women, and there is a waiting list for admission. “This has become my passion,” says Dean, who estimates that about 60 percent of Divine Light clients have a dual diagnosis of addiction and mental illness, and need services to address each area. Long-term recovery from addiction is not something that comes easily to anyone. But Dean is proud of Divine Light’s success rate in treating the addicted: at least 80 percent of Divine Light’s program graduates remain clean and sober a year after completing treatment, she says. She’s proud that Divine Light has “one of the highest therapeutic success rates for recovering people in the city.” Looking back at Divine Light’s short history, Dean has learned a lot about her chosen field. One principle that stands out is “love heals all.” And in helping people recover from addiction, “the most important thing is to get to the root of their issues. If we don’t get to the core, then the client will just keep repeating the (relapse) cycle.” In helping clients in treatment, one tool Divine Light’s program uses is journaling to help each client clarify what he or she needs to do to recover and why they want to recover. Clients are asked to think about and write down their thoughts on questions like, “‘What got me here?’ ‘What makes you keep coming back to places like Divine Light?’ ‘Have you been emotionally traumatized by something?’” Dean says. The technique not only helps clients identify their personal needs, it’s also a way to tap into the inner wisdom they need to lead them out of the wilderness of addiction.

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