Takiwasi's addiction treatment model is innovative and one of a kind. It combines a multitude of treatment techniques from conventional psychology and medicine, with those of traditional Amazonian medicine. Treatment is conducted mainly through the ritualized and controlled use of medicinal plants that have psychosomatic effects on the individual.
The foundation is based on three core tools and principles, that are connected and support each other:
This follows the general model of therapeutic communities, offering a place for stability, self-reflection and routine through daily life and household chores.
A diverse array of psychotherapeutic tools and guidance is used to approach individual’s problems, and to help work through any issues that become apparent through the use of medicinal plants.
They closely accompany each stage of substance use and addiction treatment for both initial detoxification and exploration of their inner world. Special emphasis is placed on the ritualized and controlled use, according to the Amazonian tradition, of medicinal plants with psychosomatic effects also known as "master plants", that include ayahuasca.
In Takiwasi, people are considered from physical, psychological and spiritual aspects. Drug addiction is understood as a symptom of emotional and existential discomfort, and this must be addressed in order to shift behavioural patterns. In revovering from addiction, abstinence is an important part of the drug rehabilitation process, but it is not enough: stop consuming is not equivalent to rehabilitation or healing. Understanding people’s bonds with the substances they rely on is essential for healing. Therefore, rehabilitation involves a comprehensive restructuring of the person, which is based on self-awareness and encouraging responsibility for their own life and processes.
Discover the admission criteria: Admission and Costs
For more information, write to: terapia@takiwasi.com
This documentary offers a retrospective of three decades of intense clinical work and research on traditional Amazonian medicines that have allowed Takiwasi to become a national and international reference