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Founders

Jane Allen and John Gillen have personal experience of dysregulatedbrain stress systems: the ‘dark side’ of addiction and the ‘Light’ of Awareness in Recovery.

Both know the loss of physical and emotional health, the social ‘Ripple Effect’ on family, friends and careers; the spiritual loss of Self, meaning or purpose. Their vastly different ‘former’ worlds of existence, yet lives filled with similarities of acquirement of this disease, gives them the empathy to help a diverse range of others searching for change.

Their own ‘miracle’ of Transformation is contagious passed on with passion to create Awareness, Knowledge and Understanding; giving the required insight and tools needed to achieve long-term stable recovery.  Their book - The Secret Disease of Addiction (First and Second Edition) and DVD – Addiction Starts and Ends in the Brain, have helped many find their own Peace Within (family and friends included!)  Their holistic programmes for Mind, Body and Spirit have helped others, from ‘all walks of life’, with stress-related problems re-direct their outlook and behaviour to re-build their lives, change their circumstances, and find joy, on a daily basis, in the realities of life.

John Gillen - BSc Psychology of Addiction, Senior Therapist and Counsellor.

Accomplished jockey and successful trainer, self-made businessman, but ‘lost the lot’ through stress and alcohol addiction. Began his new journey in an NHS Hospital. After the usual ‘detox’ and short say, many questions remained. Years of research for answers led him across the globe, finding knowledge and insight from various fields such as psychology, sociology, biology, and spirituality. Learning from numerous disciplines, John formulated a programme for understanding through education and long-term recovery through change from within.

A licensed HeartMath® coach, John has worked with several large ‘Rehabs’ and numerous Treatment Facilities, in both the Private and Public Health Care Sectors.  He has taken part in TV interviews and Documentaries on the Psychobiology of Addiction.  He frequently lectures at other facilities, external to Affinity Lodge.

A personal development mentor, John effectively creates change within a ‘personality’. Going beyond examining ‘what’s gone wrong’ from a neuroscience perspective, he effectively applies his spiritual development training to awaken ‘what’s right’ within. Without the focus on ‘dismantling’ the ‘defects’, John goes under the barriers of human nature to speak it as it is. Down to earth, compassionate, with immense wisdom in recovery, his ability to teach the ‘personality’ how to ‘look within’ enables others to find their true Self.  John aims to reboot the brain’s rewiring to experience sustained change from the inside – out, to achieve the quality of life desired.

Jane Allen - Addiction Specialist, Senior Sobriety Coach.

The author of the Secret Disease of Addiction and the DVD Addiction Starts and

Ends in the Brain, Jane is an academic  with creative talent. 

See www.thesecretdiseaseofaddiction.com for further information.

Stable finance, family, successful career and busy social life (with accompanying stress-levels) – Jane seemed to ‘have it all’. Yet spent countless hours over many years searching for meaning and answers. Experimented with various forms of Therapy, Counselling, Psychoanalysis, Alternative and Complementary (including course on EFT) forms of the ‘inner exploration’; gaining insight to the ‘workings’ of mind and body. Struggled with personal stress-related problems, eating disorders and prescribed painkillers (three back operations), and dependence on nightly red wine to function with increasing psychophysiological stress disorder. Admitting addictions and ‘unmanageability’, spent many months in several ‘Rehabs and Treatment Facilities’; ‘none the wiser’ or ‘happy’, relapsing each time several months later. Stable recovery came upon meeting and learning with John Gillen.

Recent years have been spent in research, writing, production of their DVD, and helping others find their own sense of serenity. Trained under the Albert Ellis Institute (New York)

• Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) therapist
• Licensed HeartMathcoach
• Accomplished sobriety coach for all the intricacies and pitfalls recovery can excavate within a family unit and relationships.
• TV interviews and documentaries.
• Radio interviews both in the UK and United States of America.

Like Yin/Yang, John and Jane’s meeting was ‘meant to be’. So began a personal and professional relationship taking them far and wide in search of the most effective treatments and tools with which to help others at their Affinity Lodge.

Their programmes were enhanced by the passing-on of Dr Paul M. D’Amico’s Life’s works, who ran several highly successful Biomedical Treatment Centres in New York State (1970s–1980s).

The last few years have brought firm relationships with the very best from the most highly regarded in the field of Neuroscience in Addiction and Holistic Treatment of Addiction from America, Russia and Europe.

When Science meets Recovery it never stands still, or alone! Each of the following associates contributes their own special expertise in the establishment of a new era in the understanding and treatment of addiction:

• Dr Charles Gant - charlesgantmd.com
• Julia Ross - moodcure.com
• Dr Joe Dispenza - drjoedispenza.com
• Members of Alliance for Addiction Solutions  - AAS, USA
• National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers - NAATP, USA
• Society for the Study of Addiction  - SSA, UK
• U.S. Journal Training Conferences - usjt.com