Adolescent Treatment

Addiction is an issue for many young people in Ireland today, and regrettably this number is on the increase.  However here in Aiséiri we offer one of the few residential treatment services for young people between the ages of 15 to 21 years of age suffering with addiction in our Kilkenny treatment centre, Aislinn.

Aislinn was established in 1998 and was the country’s first Adolescent Residential Addiction Treatment Centre. Our highly qualified staff believe in the priceless potential of young people and work closely with families to help them understand more about addiction so that they can support their loved ones win back bright futures.  We also provide additional support to families by offering a residential family programme on a monthly basis.

A range of the following therapies are incorporated into the Resident’s Treatment:

One-to-One Counselling, Group Therapy, Psychodrama, Creative Art, Education, Recreational Therapy, Behavioural Therapy, Peer Groups, Crisis Intervention, Motivational Interviewing, Meditation, Brief Therapy, Interagency Conferences, Family Conferences, Preparation for Independent Living, Social Skills, and Life Skills.

Family Day Wednesday

Each Wednesday is a family day at our centres. This special day is an integral part of our programme to assist families while a person is in treatment. Everyone who is close to an addicted person is affected in a unique way; so too each person can play a key and different role in promoting recovery.

In addition to all of the above, in 2012 we established a unique and vital service, a residential detoxification service to meet the specific needs of young people.

Keith – My Journey

The two big doors scared me.  I felt what’s the point? “When I first came to Aiséirí l was broken mentally, physically but most of all emotionally.  The two big red doors scared me.  I felt what’s the point?

I am 19 now and I have tried drug treatment before.  I had no idea how my life would change around.  I had no self-esteem, confidence and I didn’t know who I was.  I had lost all the trust in my family by lying about relapsing.  I had gone into my own world where nothing mattered, not even me.  I couldn’t tell anyone about me and what I had done so I tried to sit back and hope nobody would find the real me.  But I was noticed and I talked about my addiction and related to everyone in some way.  I was no longer alone.”