At the initiative and with the blessing of Archbishop Makarios of Australia the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia District of Northcote Victoria has launched a new program called the “Rising STAR (Spiritual, Therapeutic, Addiction, Recovery) Program”, which aims to provide therapeutic and spiritual support and assistance to people who have gone through the stage of addiction to addictive substances and other addictions, and are now faced with the great difficulty of returning to their normal lives.
As it is known, Archbishop Makarios, upon his arrival in Australia, foresaw the urgent need for the Church to create a special support structure for those facing problems with addictions and to offer them the necessary tools, on the one hand for detoxification and on the other hand to avoid relapse, which will mean their return to substance use.
With this in mind, the Holy Archdiocese has launched the establishment and operation of two Detox Centers, in Melbourne and Sydney, while the “Rising STAR Program” is essentially the forerunner of this ambitious project.
The program has been piloted in recent months and Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia District of Northcote is now pleased to announce an open call for participation.
The counsellors who take part in the implementation of the program are well trained to provide scientifically proven methods, along with the spiritual reinforcement of the Orthodox faith.
Counselling sessions are private and confidential, and are offered in a completely secure environment.
For more information, those interested can contact the program managers, by sending an e-mail to: risingstar.elpis@gmail.com.