Choose Again Attitudinal Healing Center in Costa Rica

Residential Program

Underlying principles

An untrained mind can accomplish nothing and developing a disciplined mind is a significant part of our program. It is in fact a profound mind training.
At the center the clients are engaged daily in the process of transforming their limiting or negative core beliefs into the truth that they are whole and innocent. The intensive work at the center is guided by an approach that is both loving and focused.
This is not a Twelve-Step program. Many of our clients are AA based and find that what we offer could be considered the steps beyond AA. Recently, for example, we enjoyed the company of two AA members, both well over 20 years ‘dry’, who were dangerously overweight. While they had been ‘dry’ they had transferred their addiction (or attack on the self) from alcohol to food. In all the years of not drinking they had not explored what the underlying cause for their alcoholism might be. “It is a disease” closes the door on such exploration. We open that door and teach a methodology to correct the mistake beliefs.
Above all we teach 100% accountability. We teach and demonstrate that we are the author of entire experience, our experience is the result of our choices and our choices are based on our beliefs; we can always choose again. There is no-one to blame, not parents, not government, not genes and not ourselves. There simply is no blame.
The most powerful thing we do for our clients is to hold them as whole and complete in our minds; in other words, never lose sight of the truth within them regardless of what they believe to be true.

Who are our clients?

Clients come to the Choose Again Center with a wide variety of issues such as clinical depression, addictions, chronic anxiety, stress or relationship challenges. There is no ‘typical’ age, although the work does require a level of maturity and commitment. Perhaps, most importantly, the client has to have reached a stage in their lives where they realize that there has to be another way, nothing else has worked.

Client/Staff Ratio

The Choose Again center is a small facility. We accept no more than seven clients at any one time allowing for a very high staff to client ratio.

Local Medical Facilities and Support

The town of Tilarán, a mere 15 minutes away, offers complete medical care. There is a well-staffed and equipped clinic and we have developed a relationship with an MD/homeopath who is fluent in English. She has seen several of our clients for a variety of issues and has been most helpful and professional at all times. While we offer a non-pharmaceutical solution to issues such as depression we do not require clients to be medication free. We have found that most will choose to reduce their pharmaceutical intake and in many cases are completely medication free by the time they return to Vancouver.

The Staff

The program director is Diederik Wolsak RPC, MPCP, and co-founder of Choose Again Society. While Diederik resides mostly in Costa Rica he returns to Vancouver regularly in order to lead workshops, give talks and follow-up sessions.

Other staff members include highly trained counselors, yoga instructor, a myo fascia release therapist, and increasingly, peer mentors. Also, read the bios at the Meet the Staff Page.

Peer mentors are individuals who have spent considerable time at the center as clients and are now returning to deepen their understanding of the work and strengthen their practice while being of service to others. We are in the process of developing a certification-training program, which would allow program graduates to apply for Registered Professional Counselor status.