Why Choose Harmony?

  • Clients are gender-separated to avoid distractions and to promote deep sharing of difficult issues.
  • Apart from comfortable shared bedrooms and two community sitting rooms, we offer upmarket individual private suites for clients who seek privacy.
  • The latest developments in the field of addiction are showing that most addicts /alcoholics leave treatment with huge amounts of unresolved trauma, which in many cases results in relapse. To address this, most of the Harmony team have undergone extensive training by the world leaders in this particular field (The Refuge, in Florida), and are all Board Registered in the United States. Currently this is the only clinical team in the world, outside of America that can boast of this achievement. In week 2 of treatment all clients begin trauma work, and it is an integral part of their ongoing recovery experience.
  • Although Harmony does employ recovering addicts to assist with patients’ daily needs, and for 12 –Step facilitation, NO lay people are allowed to work individually with patients. All counsellors hold a relevant University Degree (ie Social workers, Psychologists etc) and have extensive backgrounds in working with Substance abuse. Combined with specialist Consultants, and 24 hour Nursing staff, this makes for a world class Clinical team that can address the varied needs of a very complex population. A large amount of patients with an Addictions problem also suffer from a Co-occurring psychiatric disorders, and as such, deserve to be treated by suitable Professionals only. This is not the realm for lay people with only an amount of sobriety time under their belts, or in many cases having done a part-time diploma in counselling, who now think that they are able to call themselves Addictions Counsellors.
  • Very few facilities do this properly.  The world renowned Hazelden Foundation invented this treatment model that has consistently been found to be the foremost treatment model for those suffering from Addiction. Numerous studies have been conducted over the years and the model comes out on top time after time. Not only does Harmony visit Hazelden at least once a year, we have had visits from both the Dean, and their own  12 Step expert, who has been with them and implementing their model for over 33 years.This forms the foundation of the work that we do, but also lays a very strong foundation for when patients leave treatment. Patients are uniquely taken through all 12 Steps in their first 4 weeks.The Spiritual foundation to this being carried out by Father Harry Wiggett, himself a recovering alcoholic, and former chaplain to Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, when they were incarcerated on Robben island.
  • The only facilities in the country that can LEGALLY detox patients are Registered Psychiatric facilities, or Hospitals. Harmony is very proud of the fact that they are the only stand alone Addictions facility in the country that has been given a licence to medically detox patients by the Department of Health.

    With 24 hour Registered nurses on site and a Doctor who trained in the UK, specifically in the field of opiate detoxification, we are able to assist clients with a relatively peaceful medically assisted detox, with no risk of medical complication.

  • If a patient has a private suite, family members are welcome to stay over for a night or two. This also gives us an opportunity to work with family members.
  • Our 28-day-programme is based on the Minnesota Disease Model of Addiction, including the 12 Step Programme as followed by Hazelden, U.S.A. We offer group counselling, educational lectures, 12 Step Meetings and written 12 Step work.
  • In accordance with our improved holistic programme, we also offer Yoga, Full Body Massage, Indian Head Massage, Hot Stone Therapy, Acupuncture, Reiki, Drumming and NIA Dance Technique.
  • Harmony Addictions Clinic is situated in the rural, lush valley of Hout Bay, surrounded by mountains and the sea. The clinic has a country feel and the grounds, with its water features, miniature lake, and farm animals, provide a tranquil environment beneficial to the healing process.
  • Harmony Addictions Clinic, a primary care facility, also provides clients with the choice of going to secondary care (Harmony House) and tertiary care (Serendipity). These options are especially recommended for those who are from out of town or overseas.
  • In addition, there are Sober Living Houses for addicts who are ready to enter the outside world, but with the advantage of a safe support base, in tandem with a community of fellow recovering addicts.
  • The primary facility includes a gym, swimming pool and tennis court, and there is table tennis and a pool table in the games room.
  • There is a tranquil meditation well and spiritual guidance by two of South Africa’s highly regarded spiritual leaders.
  • Apart from the programme activities, clients go for mountain hikes, therapeutic walks on the beach and visits to the World of Birds.