So I wanted to share something that’s been sitting with me for a while about my time at JVA in Surrey back in 2016.
 
When I first arrived, I was exhausted, scared, and unsure of what to expect, but also hopeful for a fresh start. During intake, a guy named "Chris" presented himself as a counselor and asked me a lot of very personal, private health questions. At the time, I assumed he was a legitimate staff member or mental health professional.
 
Later on, I realized he was actually a program graduate, not a licensed professional.
 
This is the same person who:

-Told me my photography business would fail, especially if I decided to leave early after I shared my goals/hopes/dreams
-Agreed with someone else, to my face, that I was a “charlatan” for having big aspirations
-Never returned my family photo, rosary or my retainer/mouth guard after I left, among other personal items
-Locked me in a room and left me there for hours with barely any food when I asked to leave (18 hours to be specific)

And now I’ve learned that he later got involved with, and impregnated, a female student in the program.
 
Anyone familiar with addiction recovery knows this is a serious violation of boundaries. Early recovery is an extremely vulnerable time, and relationships, especially sexual ones, are strongly discouraged because they can derail progress and create unhealthy dependency. That concern is even greater in a treatment setting, where there is an inherent power imbalance.
 
I’m sharing this not to stir drama, but because these kinds of situations matter. People entering recovery deserve safe, ethical environments, not ones where boundaries are blurred or exploited.
 
 
If anyone else has had similar experiences or insights, please consider sharing.    It seems these kind of dynamics and power imbalances were not uncommon at JVA.