Why Casa

Our treatment program integrates the best of modern western scientific knowledge with ancient eastern healing techniques.By integrating these two facets together, we set out to “combine and adapt in order to attain a particular effect”. That is, to heal our patients by addressing and acknowledging all of you, in order to identify and heal at the root of the problems. Conventional and alternative methods are utilized to create a comprehensive holistic model of healing. Casa Palmera strives to facilitate the human body’s inherent healing mechanisms, by focusing on less invasive modes of intervention.The newest, most advanced scientific theory, body-mind principles, and healing technologies are all used together to create the most effective treatment plan for the you. This integrative philosophy designs the best care possible, as well as providing you with the greatest selection of treatment options.

Many people misinterpret the word Holistic. The Canadian Holistic Medical Association defines Holistic Medicine as “a system of health care which fosters a cooperative relationship among all those involved, leading towards optimal attainment of the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health.“It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person, including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. It encompasses all stated modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery if no safe alternative exists. Holistic Medicine focuses on education and responsibility for personal efforts to achieve balance and well being.”

At Casa Palmera we use a holistic healing approach.It is important to go beyond just treating they physical symptoms. We believe healing is best achieved by identifying the underlying causes of the symptoms, problems and behaviors.Rather than merely hiding or suppressing surface symptoms with a quick remedy, it is our goal to identify the symptom, understand its root cause, and heal it through a holistic recovery plan. In holistic medicine, symptoms are considered a warning sign or message, in which our bodies communicate to us that something needs to be fixed. If the cause of the problem is not faced and handled, it will just continue to manifest itself in other ways.

At Casa Palmera we consider each person to be a unique individual, and not just a product of their disease.

The Disease Model of Conventional Western Medicine categorizes the person as a “________ patient” (diabetes, bulimia, or whatever “disease” they are diagnosed as having).

This differs from the Holistic model which alternatively takes into consideration the whole person and all aspects of their life, not just their disease.

The Holistic model allows the individual to think about circumstances in new ways. For example, a person diagnosed with diabetes could say “I am challenged with diabetes,” not “I am a diabetic.” When it comes to the human brain, there is a significant correlation between thought patterns and health.

Positive and negative thought patterns, belief systems, and mental programming language has a huge influence on the restoration process.

Ease is defined as: “freedom from pain, worry, agitation, difficulty, hardship, or effort” and “to move or proceed with little effort.” When we are living healthy, balanced lives, on the right path and always making the next right choice, things seem to flow effortlessly.

We all have certain lessons to learn. Understanding why you make poor lifestyle choices, even when you don’t want to, will help restore balance and harmony. Continually ignoring the warning signs your body is trying to tell you, like ignoring a constant headache that is a harbinger of a more serious issue, will eventually lead to more severe conditions.

Thus, holistically speaking, we consider a person to be in a state of dis-ease (not disease) when they are experiencing imbalance in any of their physical, mental, emotional or spiritual parts. By dealing with all of these dis-ease factors and their root causes, and by reprogramming old habits and belief systems, you can finally find recovery and restore balance and peace to your life.

We believe that a good program of recovery should be based on sound science but also incorporate new paradigms. Our goal at Casa Palmera is to help our patients in the healing process. We are committed to using the most effective treatment options out there. Our programs encourage growth and innovation, while avoiding reliance upon what is safe and outdated. Our various programs implement an array of well-established techniques and therapies that have proven to be very successful, but we also remain open to new scientific discoveries and philosophies.Our focus is always geared towards positive outcomes and healing. If science and clinical practice have shown a particular therapy to be effective, without negative side-effects, we believe it should be utilized. To not take advantage of these innovative modalities would be a treatment facility’s failure to provide the safest most successful care possible.

The word “spiritual” is often misunderstood. An easy way to think of it is: how you think or feel about being connected to the energy of everyone and everything in the Universe.

Some people feel very isolated or disconnected from others and the world around them. Spirituality is not limited to people of science, religion or a particular belief system. In fact, spirituality is often not about religion at all, but about a comingling of many different philosophies and ideologies. It can be void of religion or encompass a combination of doctrines. What spirituality is really about is connectedness and peoples own personal beliefs.

At Casa Palmera, we are tolerant of all religions and belief systems that promote connectedness and healing. We emphasize expanding your understanding of and connection to life and the world around you. We do not teach or advocate a particular belief system. We encourage you to pursue your own path of growth through this journey, so you can discover for yourself what life is all about. We try to help our patients gain a new perspective on life and what really matters, by teaching them to live in the moment and to appreciate and be grateful for each day.

In order to help each patient through the healing process, Casa Palmera has assembled a comprehensive, highly skilled, knowledgeable staff of treatment professionals.

Our team consists of medical doctors, psychotherapists, psychologists, certified addiction specialists, psychiatrists, acupuncturist, registered dietician, holistic health practitioners, yoga instructors, meditation instructors, functional fitness instructors, registered nurses, body work therapists, art therapist, and various other types of health practitioners.

Inherent in our diverse staff is a unity of purpose: we work as a cohesive team to help each patient heal, grow and learn the tools they will need so they can live healthy, successful and productive lives.

Functional fitness is comprised of enjoyable and natural movement patterns. These will help you maintain regular fitness habits throughout your life.In turn, these regular fitness habits will provide you with a body that feels good and functions properly through any activity. All of our fitness experts have a skilled understanding of the human body and its movement, so they are able to instruct in practical ways that are easy to understand and easy to apply to real life. At Casa Palmera, we want to help you revitalize and restructure your body. This will empower you with the tools you will need to continue healthy exercise habits in your daily life. This is central to our fitness philosophy: each person should develop reasonable exercise habits that are enjoyable and realistic as long term goals.With a wide range of activities to choose from, you will discover the most advantageous fitness routine based on your needs. This will help you to maintain your new balanced life.

The concept of life-long learning is a cornerstone of our philosophy.

Casa Palmera’s intention is to help our patients heal as well as to provide them with the skills necessary to live a better life. We promote self-awareness and a heightened perspective by teaching the benefits of proper nutrition, exercise, healthy lifestyle, stress management techniques, mind-body principles and relapse prevention.

We are caring healers and educators. This educational emphasis provides the foundation for Casa Palmera‘s program.

There is an old Chinese Proverb that says: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”It is crucial that our patients understand, in simple practical terms, how certain techniques and behaviors affect their bodies and minds.Explaining something, clarifying it in easy to understand terms, then demonstrating how and why it affects the person, will give them the tools to apply it on their own. This is far more useful than merely giving an unexplained directive.Behavior modification techniques are important but only go so far. Positively affecting a person’s conscious awareness, their belief systems, life perspectives, priorities, personality traits, self-esteem, nutritional deficiencies, toxicity levels, their creative expressions, and their mental-physical-emotional-spiritual health will make a person function as their best self. When functioning is more effortless, the knowledge, techniques, tools, and life-skills are much easier to incorporate into daily life. Working in conjunction with the medical and psychological aspects of treatment, learning healthy lifestyle skills is vital to the patient’s long-term recovery.

One of our foremost objectives is to provide a truly individualized treatment program. Our treatment program concentrates on the healing of the entire person, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. At Casa Palmera we treat patients according to our holistic philosophy. First, we conduct a specialized assessment, where we spend time listening to you and learning all of the nuances of your distresses and concerns – we recognize all aspects of you. We do this instead of just labeling you with a specific disease and confining your treatment to those parameters. We know that each person is unique and has had their own life experiences. Therefore, it is normal that each patient may require a different treatment method. Our facility, staff and individually holistic approach allows us to provide programs and schedules that address the particular needs of all our patients.

Casa Palmera‘s Family Program is an integral part of the treatment process. The family is the patient’s primary support system and they are often considerably affected by their disorder. The family’s involvement is critical to the recovery process. Families are given the opportunity to participate in the treatment process with their loved one and are able to learn about their specific addiction and/or disorder. The three day Family Program incorporates individual, experiential and educational modalities. The Family Program provides a safe and therapeutic environment to recognize and discuss difficult issues, learn how to be supportive, acknowledge unhealthy lifestyle habits and how to heal together as a family. These three days are often life-changing because relationships begin to mend from the prolonged feeling of being confused, hurt, and misunderstood. After the Family Program, family members are encouraged to work on their own issues and utilize the skills they learned to continue developing healthy relationship with each other.Resources and recommendations for support services will be given to each family, specific to their needs.

Upon arrival each patient undergoes a comprehensive Clinical Diagnostic Assessment. This initial analysis enables us to gather as much information about our patients as possible, which is crucial for cause-based treatment of the whole person. The information acquired then allows our professional team to assess all aspects of each patient in order to create a truly individualized treatment program; a program that is prioritized and tailored to address the root causes of the patient’s problems.

Sunny San Diego, California has some of the best overall weather in the United States. The average annual temperature is 70° F with average highs of 78° F in August and 65° F in January. San Diego is routinely ranked at the top of “America’s Healthiest Cities.” Casa Palmera is located just 2 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The peaceful community of Del Mar is tucked away at the base of North County San Diego–a very serene, healing environment. It is a wonderful location to undergo a life-changing experience and return to wellness. Read more about the ideal environment »

Casa Palmera‘s licensing, facility, size, and location make it a truly unique experience. Unlike some treatment facilities, where patients have to travel off-site to perform certain activities, they never need to leave our grounds unless they so choose. All of our amenities are provided on 5 acres of enclosed, private land. Our patient’s privacy and protection is of the utmost concern. We can pick up patients at the closely located private airport in Carlsbad, or San Diego International Airport and be back to the property in approximately 20 minutes. Casa Palmera is a sanctuary where people can come to reflect and focus on healing, completely removed from the stress and pressure of their lives. Our patients can truly “get away” to recover and heal in a peaceful, quiet setting.

Our all-inclusive healing program takes place in a beautiful award-winning, 37,000-square-foot treatment facility. Located on five stunning acres, our lush tranquil landscaping is bathed by gentle ocean breezes. Designed by feng shui experts, the comfortable luxurious rooms, meditation area, organic vegetable and herb garden, and koi pond create an ideal atmosphere for healing. Our superior fitness program includes a state-of-the-art exercise facility, an on-site adventure ropes course, and a climbing wall. Casa Palmera is a peaceful, profoundly healing environment in a resort-style setting.

The true essence of Casa Palmera is a wellness facility. We want to help our patients heal and learn the tools needed, so when they leave they can continue to work on and create the best version of themselves. The current Standard Medical perception of health is:

1. The absence of disease and illness and
2. The ability to live a long life

This incomplete definition only examines the physical realm and fails to consider overall well-being. A more comprehensive definition prevalent in other parts of the world, but gaining more acceptance in the US, is “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.” (World Health Organization)

Thus we strive to help our patients achieve a sense of optimum well-being: emotional happiness and a healthy balance in all aspects of life. That is our goal. We will provide all the necessary resources, so that physical and spiritual well-being is achieved and maintained.