Nairobi Place Addiction & Mental Health Centres

Our Story

A PROFILE Nairobi Place is a residential facility discreetly situated in the beautiful Karen suburb of Nairobi, Kenya, easily accessible, by road and close to all medical facilities and the International Airport. It has received its Certificate of Registration to operate as a private medical institution. Nairobi Place has two branches; on Mokoyeti west road off langata road we run a five months structured programme: six weeks inpatient, two weeks outpatient and three months aftercare. We also run a 90 day therapeutic community programme on Kufuga road in Karen. The centre comprises a fully-staffed addiction treatment facility, and a small psychiatric unit providing detoxification from drugs and alcohol; stabilisation of patients with co-occurring disorders; and provision of respite within a safe environment. The centre is run under the supervision of Dr John Mburu, Consultant Psychiatrist, supported by a therapeutic team comprised of psychologists, addiction counselors, and twenty-four hour nursing staff. The aim of Nairobi Place is to successfully help people to return to a happier life, free from the compulsion to use alcohol, drugs, food, s*x, and other mood altering substances or behaviors. The treatment programme is based on the Disease Concept understanding of Addictive Disorders with Twelve Step facilitation. Patients at the centre learn that alcohol or drug dependence disorder is a primary disease with physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions. Our task is to provide them with the psychological tools, and introduce them to sources of social support, that will enable them to take responsibility for their recovery. The treatment programme consists of group and individual therapy, lectures, art therapy and relaxation classes which enable patients address self-care, stress management, social skills and values clarification problems in their lives. There are two levels of treatment – inpatient for those who are severely dependent and outpatient for those who can maintain basic abstinence but need life skills support. The centre also conducts a unique Family Support Programme. Family members and significant others become very much part of the recovery process. Those with an addict in their life are helped to understand the disease of addiction; how to give priority to fulfilling their own needs rather than the addict’s; and to detach from their desire to control the patient. Individual counselling sessions, family sessions and open recovery meetings are part of the programme at Nairobi Place. Nairobi Place aims at reducing the stigma attached to the disease of addiction, encouraging its social acceptance as an illness rather than as a moral issue. In this way, those affected can be encouraged to come forward to ask for help without shame or embarrassment. An addict need not reach his/her ‘rock bottom’ – become desperate – before they are ready to ask for help. Early intervention, challenging the addict and encouraging them to take responsibility for their illness without judgement or condemnation works for better long-term recovery.