Individual Therapy– Each client is assigned a masters-level trained therapist who provides at least one personal counseling session per week. 

Group Therapy – As part of living in the Gaston House community, clients are required to attend three group therapy sessions per week. These groups emphasize personal accountability and the understanding that individual actions affect the larger community. 

Family Therapy – Our belief is that addiction is not an isolated disease, but affects the entire family system. Clients participate in counseling sessions with significant family members in order to open communication and resolve on-going family conflicts as they relate to recovery issues. Family members are also strongly encouraged to participate in recovery themselves through Al-Anon and working the 12 steps. If family members are not available to meet in person, phone sessions with family are also available.

Bible-based Recovery
For those clients who wish to follow a Christ-centered path of recovery, the options of fellowship, discipleship, Bible study and individual prayer are available. Each staff member is willing and trained to provide Biblically based counseling and/or prayer at the client’s request.

Independent Living Skills

Securing Employment
Our goal is also for each client to pay at least 30% of his earned wages toward the cost of his stay at Gaston House.

Chores

Money Management

Educational Opportunities

Peer Counsel/Phase System

Each client at Gaston House is expected to serve others in the house as well as the local community as part of the recovery program. We believe that true recovery is only found in helping others and learning that all actions, positive and negative, have an impact on those around us.

Work Crew

In addition to individual chores, each Saturday morning, clients spend at least two hours doing work that benefits the house community or the surrounding area. Landscape work, trash pick up, bus stop cleaning and general area beautification projects are just a few of the ways clients will spend the morning reaching out to others.

Sponsorship

As part of a 12-Step Program, each client is expected to secure a sponsor within two weeks of admission. A sponsor is someone with more long-term sobriety who helps clients work through the 12-Steps. As clients work through the process, they eventually become sponsors as well.

Sharing the Message

Outside of sponsorship, clients are invited to participate in educating others about addiction and recovery. Many clients speak about their battle with substances at other centers such as Serenity High, Dallas 24 Hour Club, Salvation Army and Phoenix House.

Fun Sober Living

“We aren’t a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn’t want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life.”
–Alcoholics Anonymous p. 132

Gaston House clients are encouraged to participate in having sober fun with the other men in the community. Located just east of downtown Dallas, there is no shortage of activities available to clients. Some examples include:

-Boating/wakeboarding/waterskiing
-Horseshoes
-Playing basketball in the back drive
-Working out in the weight room
-Fishing
-Nearby golf courses
-Local tennis facility
-Enjoying nearby White Rock Lake
-Listening to local live music
-Running or Biking down adjacent historic Swiss Avenue
-The 6th Floor Museum and Kennedy Memorial in downtown
-Playing board games with fellow clients
-Clients can earn video game privileges as well
-Playing with our rescued and very lovable housedog, Johnny Cash.

Occasionally, entire group outings involving all community members are planned. Some events include:

-Indoor group ropes course two to three times a year
-Shrine Circus
-Hurricane Harbor
-Texas Motor Speedway
-Whirlyball
-Authentic Crawfish Boil