One of the more recognized passages in the Bible is John 4:16. It reads, “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” Notice that this refers to abiding in love prior to abiding in God. Why? Because despite what many may think, God does not punish those who do not accept Christianity. Rather, God waits and rewards those who live in the love of themselves and others. This is why even a student who identifies as an atheist has an opportunity for recovery at Clearview Girls Academy.
To be transparent, the truth is that all of us here at Clearview Girls Academy follow and believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ. If your family or your daughter not only identifies as atheists but also has a complete aversion to Christ, then perhaps we are not the right recovery center for you. However, that does not mean you should not reach out. We may be able to help you find the right place for your daughter. Our responsibility is recovery for all, so we would never turn anyone away or refuse anyone the help they need.
However, if you or your daughter identify as atheists but are accepting of others’ beliefs, then we will accept you just as we accept all of our students. We do so with an open heart, an outreached hand, and an individualized plan.
All Are Entitled to Recovery
Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we hold no monopoly over recovery. We also hold no monopoly over spirituality or religion. Yes, we are followers of Christ. Yet, just like Christ, we are tolerant of all people and all beliefs. (Of course, this is as long as these beliefs don’t cause harm to themselves or others.)
There is a tenet in 12-Step recovery that states, “I am responsible – when anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, I want the hand of [recovery] always to be there, and for that: I am responsible.” Notice this doesn’t say any Christian, any Buddhist, any Muslim, or any follower of Judaism. It says “anyone, anywhere.” This of course includes those who identify as atheists.
Our primary purpose is to help your daughter recover. We do so by utilizing all of the many tools and recovery options at our disposal. This may include psychotherapy like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or group therapy. This may include holistic offerings like yoga, meditation, and breathwork. This may also include neuroscientific offerings like neurofeedback or transcranial magnetic therapy. It will also include offerings and mentoring on spiritual practices.
The Importance of a Spiritual Life
We believe incorporating a spiritual life into a recovery plan can be a key to success. Why do we believe this? Because we have seen it firsthand with countless numbers of our students. For more evidence, let us look at the spiritual program of 12-Step recovery. This framework is estimated to have helped millions of people recover using its spiritual practices. This number is even higher if you include those friends and family members of people that have recovered. Among those millions of people, some of them identify as atheists.
In many ways, spiritual principles do not differ from moral and ethical principles. Many atheists have strong morals and ethics. Also, a strange paradox relating to those who identify as atheists is that they can have just as much faith as those who believe in a higher power. Their faith just so happens to be a faith that nothing exists beyond that which is known. The strength of their faith in their sensory experience as being totally reliable is similar to others’ total faith in a higher power.
For a student who identifies as an atheist, we would still offer spiritual hope, because we know hope lives in the realm of loving oneself and others. An atheist student who comes to us lost, at the end of their rope, and not knowing where to turn can leave our facility with a better understanding of who they are, what they want, and how they can serve the world around them. Even if they are still atheists, we feel that is a success.
Spiritual Principles for Long-Term Recovery
Remove the adjective “spiritual” in spiritual principles, and you can still take away the same message of goodwill without the spiritual hurdle many people struggle with. There is no reason why any student here at Clearview Girls Academy who puts in the work should leave us without these principles.
The English philosopher Herbert Spencer famously said that “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance – that principle is contempt prior to investigation.” That is all we ask of our students. To keep an open mind. To investigate. If they can do this, then we promise we will do the same.
There are many components to a successful long-term recovery. These components can include behavioral therapy, physical activity, holistic practices, and spiritual growth. However, while these are all positive components to a successful recovery, they are not all required components. Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we take an individualized approach toward all of our students. In doing so, we try to utilize all of the tools at our disposal including ones relating to the components we just mentioned. However, when one or more of those components is not helping our student recover, we adjust and create a plan that will help. This includes adjusting to our students’ spiritual preferences. Call Clearview Girls Academy at (888) 796-5484 for more information.
