Cirque Lodge
Cirque Lodge is a private drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility located in the scenic mountains of Utah, with its original site in Sundance and a second location known as Cirque Studio in Orem. Established in 1999 by Richard Losee, who was inspired by a family member's struggles with addiction, Cirque Lodge offers an exclusive thirty-day residential treatment program based on the twelve-step model of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The center provides a range of treatment options including cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, and family involvement, all aimed at creating individualized recovery plans.
Notably known for its high treatment costs, Cirque Lodge attracts a clientele that often includes high-profile individuals, although it also provides some scholarships for those in financial need. Clients may engage in various therapeutic activities such as hiking, meditation, and art, alongside traditional therapy sessions. The facility emphasizes the chronic nature of addiction, offering robust aftercare and alumni support programs to assist individuals in maintaining their recovery. With a strong reputation within the recovery community, Cirque Lodge remains a luxurious and sought-after option for those seeking intensive support in overcoming addiction.
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Cirque Lodge
DEFINITION: Cirque Lodge is a private drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility with two locations in the mountains of Utah. Based on the twelve-step treatment model of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Cirque Lodge offers drug and alcohol treatment through a thirty-day residential program.
DATE: Established in 1999
History
Cirque Lodge was founded in 1999 by entrepreneur Richard Losee, a native of Provo, Utah, and the center’s chief executive officer. Losee became interested in drug and alcohol treatment because of his own experience with a family member.
The original location of Cirque Lodge is located in Sundance, Utah, in the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. The name of the treatment center derives from the nearby glacier-carved Cascade Cirque.
Cirque Lodge expanded to include Cirque Studio in 2002. Located in Orem, Utah, this 110,000-square foot facility was built in the 1970s as a television studio for the Osmond family and their television variety show. The studio and lodge are accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.
Because treatment costs at Cirque Lodge may exceed $1,000 per day per person, it has gained a reputation as an exclusive and private treatment center for the rich and famous. Although some celebrities have been associated with Cirque Lodge, most of the center’s clients are not celebrities. The center offers some scholarships for clients who cannot afford treatment.
The model of drug and alcohol treatment used by Cirque Lodge can be traced back to 1949. Abstinence-based treatment was first developed at Willmar State Hospital and the Hazelden Treatment Center in Minnesota. Borrowing from the twelve-step meetings of AA, which were developed in the 1930s, these alcoholic treatment centers added residential treatment that included lectures, open discussions, small group therapy, and peer interaction.
Abstinence-based treatment centers became the predominant model for treating both alcohol and drug abuse in the 1980s. Private treatment in twenty-eight-day residential centers dominated the treatment landscape but was affected by cost-cutting managed health care in the 1990s.
In the twenty-first century, most abstinence-based treatment is provided in outpatient settings. Treatment focuses on individualized treatment plans, family involvement, and frequent use of group meetings such as AA, Narcotics Anonymous, and Al-Anon. Still, facilities such as Cirque Lodge remain available to individuals seeking a higher level of care. Studies show that more than 90 percent of drug and alcohol treatment programs in the United States are abstinence-based programs that use the twelve steps of AA as a core principle.
Mission and Goals
Cirque Lodge believes that addiction to drugs or alcohol is caused by an uncontrollable impulse in the brain caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals. Center staff acknowledge that heredity and life experiences also contribute to addiction. As the brain becomes accustomed to addictive substances, physical changes in the brain lead to the mental and social symptoms of addiction.
The treatment philosophy at Cirque Lodge is to use the most effective therapies available. This includes learning coping skills from the twelve steps of AA, cognitive behavioral therapy, independent counseling, lectures, group therapy, and peer support. Family involvement is also important; families are invited to spend time at the facility to attend a special program. Family members are integrated into group classes and group therapy during this program.
Before beginning the actual residential treatment program, all clients must go through detoxification, if needed. This treatment is offered through a separate licensed detoxification facility. Upon arrival at Cirque Lodge, staff assess the clients and develop individualized treatment programs. Cirque Lodge also treats co-occurring eating disorders and mood disorders.
In addition to therapy sessions and twelve-step meetings, clients are offered programs in exercise, meditation, journaling, working with horses, hiking, climbing, and organic gardening, and clients can take part in a ropes course. They can use a fully equipped art room. The former sound stage at the Cirque Studio houses the indoor ropes challenge course and has an archery range and a lecture hall.
Cirque Lodge staff believe that addiction is a chronic condition and that relapse is a common reality. To address this, they provide an active aftercare program, an alumni program, and a guesting program. Clients who have completed treatment at the facility may return without charge for a few days of additional care if needed.
In the mid-2020s, Cirque Lodge remained a popular and luxurious option for inpatient treatment in two serene settings. Although the facility continued to cater to high-end clientele, its practices remained rooted in twelve-step programs and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cirque Lodge's continued strong reputation in the recovery community is backed by testimonials from staff and former residents.
Bibliography
"About Us." Cirque Lodge, www.cirquelodge.com/about. Accessed 23 Aug. 2024.
Hoffman, John, et al. Addiction: Why Can’t They Just Stop? New York: Rodale, 2007.
Ries, Richard K., et al., editors. Principles of Addiction Medicine. 4th ed., Philadelphia: Wolters, 2009.
Spicer, Jerry. The Minnesota Model: The Evolution of the Multidisciplinary Approach to Recovery. Center City, MN: Hazelden, 1993.