Holistic Wellness Programs are the Future of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment

(I-Newswire) April 2, 2009 - Clearwater, Florida - Alternative Treatment International (A.T.I.) (http://www.alternative2rehab.com), a leading American non-12-step, holistic treatment center located in Clearwater Florida, believes that the future of addiction and mental health treatment must focus on the whole person philosophy and move away from the disease, sickness model so prevalent in today's treatment programs.

According to Dr. Alan Meyers and Julia Stewart, Founders and developers of the A.T.I. Perception Therapy� Wellness Model, "Addiction and Mental Health treatment today primarily promote disease, sickness and a fear-based life where relapse is only a moment away. It appears that 12-Step and disease model programs get poor results, (some report an 80% relapse rate), because they focus their attention on the addiction, depression, behavioral use patterns, etc., and not on the cause of the problem which is the way a client perceives and thinks. Treatment programs today and for the future must alter their protocols to make the primary therapeutic target the "Whole person" Mind-Body-Spirit-Environment� wellness approach. Given such an array of complex causes and symptoms in addiction and mental health clients, considering that one approach will work for everyone lacks insight and does the client and field in general a disservice. It is impossible to know what approach a client may latch on to that may change their life in the most profound way. It is important to teach clients to take an approach of well-being to their problems focusing on the thinking that produces the dysfunctional behaviors, as well as a healthy body, a spiritual understanding and an elevated state of awareness.

At Alternative Treatment International, therapeutic time is not spent on the focus of a drug or alcohol lifestyle or psycho-emotional behaviors and client's past use history. This only serves to reinforce "negative and sickness". Our programming focuses solely on the positive and hopeful resolution of client life problems, which include the addictive behaviors and psycho-emotional dysfunction using an empowering and total wellness approach.

"Rehab" is really on its way out and "life transformation" through total wellness is the lead treatment model in mental health and addiction programming. Third party payers on which the treatment industry relies will embrace the wellness protocols and will be more likely to approve coverage for their clients because they will see lower recidivism, less claims and a healthier clientele."


About Alternative Treatment International Inc.:
A.T.I. (http://www.alternative2rehab.com) is an internationally known addictions and dual-diagnosis treatment program and premier non-12-step, holistic treatment center located in Clearwater Florida. For alcohol and substance addictions, depression, trauma, and other emotional and spiritual disorders, A.T.I.'s wellness therapy treats the "whole person". For more information call 1-800-897-8060.

Contact Information:
Dr. Alan Meyers, Founder,
Alternative Treatments International Inc.
300 S. Duncan Ave., Suite 263
Clearwater, FL 33755
1-800-897-8060
http://www.alternative2rehab.com
info@alternative2rehab.com

Company Contact Information
Alternative Treatments International