John Derry
B.Sc.Phm., M.A.
Free
Addiction and Recovery Expert
John Derry Quick Facts
- Main Areas
- counseling, coaching, addiction; recovery; spirituality; pharmacy; medicine
- Career Focus
- Visionary; Entrepreneur; Business Leader; Counselor; Role Model; Author; Speaker
- Affiliation
- Serenity Vista Rehab. (Founder, Director); National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers; Association of Substance Abuse Programs of British Columbia; American Counselling Association; Canadian Counseling Association; National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors; Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists, and Psychotherapists; Ontario College of Pharmacists (Licensed Pharmacist); Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists; Canadian Pharmaceutical Association; Ontario Pharmacist's Association;
Clients express gratitude for the compassionate, focused, and highly effective skill that John is gifted with. John is the founding director of Serenity Vista addiction recovery rehab in Panama.
Guests express gratitude for the compassionate, focused, and highly effective skill that John is gifted with helping guests find recovery and change their lives.
He has an impressive track record of success and is known for his outstanding interpersonal, communication and leadership skills. He offers a unique depth of expertise based upon his complementary proficiency in both pharmacy and addiction. His credentials and professional experience distinguish him as an expert in his field.
John is a licensed pharmacist and holds a Master of Arts degree in Addiction Counselling from the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies. The Hazelden Foundation is the world leader in the treatment of chemical dependency and the training of addiction professionals.
Articles by this expert
SelfGrowth articles and saved writing connected to this expert.
Article
What Causes Addiction?
Alcoholism and other forms of addiction were once considered to be a problem of morality or weak will. Unfortunately, much of society still holds these archaic views despite increasingly overwhelming evidence that addiction is a complex, multifactorial disease including biological, psychological and sociological elements. From a biological perspective, family, twin and adoption studies demonstrate that addiction has a biogenetic basis that is transmitted within families.
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Article
Is Addiction a Family Disease?
There is a growing body of research focused on the dynamics of addiction within the context of family relationships. Drinking parents have profound and lasting effects on their children's physical, social, and psychological development. Children of alcoholic parents are twice as likely as those with non-alcoholic parents to experience inadequate supervision, neglect, physical abuse, and imprisonment . Offspring of drinkers are more impulsive, less likely to delay gratification, and prone to aggression and hyperactivity.
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Article
Relationship Between Spiritual and Existential Dimensions in Addiction
Addiction has been referred to as a disease of mind, body and spirit. The role and affect of mind and body are relatively self evident, whereas the spiritual dimension seems more difficult to conceptualize.
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Article
Existential Dimensions of Alcoholics Anonymous
Recognizing an existential vacuum, the drug abuser experiences unhappiness and, as a maladaptive response, turns to drugs or alcohol for relief of emotional pain. In the tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), it is through the recounting of life stories that the addict learns how to interpret their past in a way that gives meaning to the past and hope for the future. From a phenomenological perspective, the past is relived, interpreted and created in the present experience of an AA meeting, and becomes a model for creation of the future.
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Article
The Role of Group Therapy in Primary Addiction Rehabilitation
Group therapy is complementary to, but distinct from participation in Twelve Step groups. Through the group process, growth is facilitated, isolation is reduced, and the concept of sobriety as an interpersonal experience is fostered. Indeed, group therapy is frequently considered the treatment of choice for addiction, allowing for positive peer interactions, improvement in communication skills, mutual support, confrontation of ego defenses and an overall substitution of the euphoric state of intoxication with the elation of the group.
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Article
Ethical Issues faced by Addiction Counselors
Codes of ethics and standards of practice are set forth by professional associations such as the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). Such codes define principles of ethical behavior required by the profession. Additionally, treatment centers such as the Hazelden Foundation defines requirements for employees designed to ensure consistent ethical behavior across the organization (Hazelden.org).
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Favorite Quotes & Thoughts from John Derry
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
You always see what you are looking for.
What you think matters.
The best gift you can give your loved ones is a healthy you.
Surrender to win.
You can only keep what you have by giving it away.
Contacting John Derry
How to get started
John Edward Derry, founder of A Home Away, is a dedicated, compassionate visionary, devoted to helping those who suffer from the disease of addiction. John has always been dedicated to his craft and achieved many successes early in life. An examination of his curriculum vitae will attest to a man rising to the top in all his endeavors. Hard work, determination and skill led John to be outstanding both in his personal and professional life. As a professional pharmacist, he was recognized for his leadership roles both in the public and private sectors. Successful in the corporate world, he achieved an abundance of material assets. His beautiful home was graced with family and two healthy children, he was active in his church, and he served on countless committees. Through the eyes of popular culture, he had arrived.
When telling his own story, John recounts the lonely, empty despair and brokenness of continuing to "try to look good on the outside", while feeling increasingly bankrupt, emotionally and spiritually, on the inside. When John reached out for, and received help, he treated his recovery with all the passion he had applied to the rest of his life.
During his healing process John began to question his life choices. Despite continued promotion and business success, John knew he was being called in a new direction. In his life changing decision, John chose to give up all the security and comfort of a "set for life" career with the world-leading pharmaceutical company. John took the leap of faith that few have the courage to do. Shaking off the chains of material wealth and security, he resigned from his position at Glaxo Smith Kline, and set off to follow his calling.
John's passion was to help others suffering from the disease of addiction. Half-measures have never been for John; he was prepared to do whatever it took. John set off from his home in Unionville, Ontario, to the highly regarded Hazelden Foundation in Minnesota. There he again rose to the top, graduating first in his class of the graduate studies program, and was valedictorian, achieving his Master of Arts degree in Addiction Counselling.
Returning to Unionville, John struggled with how best to apply his new career direction and passion to help those suffering with addiction. When it became clear that his 26 year marriage was over, John chose to take another huge leap of faith to manifest the vision that had been forming in his mind.
John came west, to the Okanagan Valley and through a series of auspicious 'coincidences' purchased a bed and breakfast with a spectacular view. A Home Away was born. Developing A Home Away took faith, trust and courage. John had no financial backing or the security of a salary as he had been accustomed to. There were no cheerleaders, nor was there a prototype to follow in establishing the model of care he developed. One of John's first moves was finding his first co-counsellor, and best friend, a pure-bred Chocolate Lab. Cocoa has become an integral part of A Home Away, where the family-like setting includes the unconditional love and affection of a devoted pet.
The full family-like dynamic at A Home Away was completed when John married a woman walking a similar path. With synchronistic careers in pharmacy and counselling, a passion for helping others and serving a Higher Power, Jane is the perfect compliment for John. They celebrated their new marriage at A Home Away in October, 2008 with family and loved ones, including current and past guests.
John and Jane share leadership of A Home Away, role-modeling a healthy relationship. Their own home is on site and they share meals and daily life with their guests.
More information: www.ahomeaway.org
Other highlights
John Derry is creater of the unique A Home Away process of recovery: The Derry Dynamic Life Model®. The process is a comprehensive, healthy interpersonal dynamic built upon trust, respect and dignity, in a compassionate, intimate home setting. This therapeutic approach is proven to deliver results. Guests (clients) experience a personal journey of insight and self discovery that yields transformational changes they are looking for in their life.
The Derry Dynamic Life Model® is the result of years of study and professional experience, comprehensive, holistic, and, most importantly, highly effective. By the completion of the program, we guarantee that guests will be free of addiction, clean and sober, and have a never-before optimism and excitement about their new, dynamic life, career, and family.