Question 1

What does Code Red do?

Accepted Answer

Code Red helps families and loved ones navigate addiction - from the first signs of a problem, through treatment, and into the months and years afterward. Our four services are family guidance, case management, recovery coaching, and intervention. Most families find us after treatment has already happened, when the expensive program is over and they realize no one prepared them for what comes next.

Question 2

Who does Code Red help?

Accepted Answer

Primarily, the families and loved ones of someone with an addiction - parents, partners, siblings, adult children. Many of the families we work with have already invested in high-quality treatment abroad and are now looking for structured, ongoing support that treatment centers don't typically provide once the program ends.

Question 3

What's the difference between family guidance, case management, recovery coaching, and intervention?

Accepted Answer

Family guidance is direct support for you as a loved one - understanding what's happening, how to respond, and how to look after yourself in the process. Case management means we coordinate the wider picture: treatment providers, aftercare, and the professionals involved, so nothing falls through the cracks. Recovery coaching supports the person in recovery directly, in the everyday reality after treatment. Intervention is a structured, professionally guided conversation when a loved one won't seek help on their own.

Question 4

What happens in the first conversation?

Accepted Answer

We simply listen. There's no assessment checklist and no pressure to commit to anything. We want to understand your situation, what's already been tried, and what kind of support would actually be useful to you before we talk about next steps.

Question 5

Is this only for parents?

Accepted Answer

No. We work with anyone who loves someone struggling with addiction - partners, parents, adult children, siblings. Each relationship carries a different kind of weight, and the support is shaped around that.

Question 6

Do you work with treatment centers, doctors, or advisors?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We regularly work alongside treatment centers, therapists, physicians, and, for many of the families we support, private wealth advisors and family offices who want a trusted partner to refer to for aftercare.

Question 7

What if my loved one doesn't want help, or doesn't want family involved?

Accepted Answer

This is one of the most common situations we're brought in for. You don't need your loved one's cooperation to start getting support yourself - and in many cases, a family that responds differently is what eventually opens the door. When appropriate, we can also guide a structured intervention.

Question 8

How long does support typically last?

Accepted Answer

There's no fixed program length. Some families need a handful of sessions to get their footing in a crisis; others stay connected for a year or more as their loved one moves through recovery. We shape the support around what the situation actually needs, not a fixed package.

Question 9

Is everything confidential?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Discretion is built into how we work, not treated as an afterthought - this matters especially to the internationally based, high-net-worth families we support, for whom privacy and reputation are a real concern.

Question 10

Do you work internationally, and in English?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Alongside our Dutch client base, we support families worldwide, in English, either in person or remotely.

Question 11

Why does Esther do this work?

Accepted Answer

Esther is a certified family therapist and addiction specialist - and she has also lived this as a mother and a partner. That combination of professional training and lived experience is at the center of how Code Red works: expertise, without losing sight of what it actually feels like to be the family member.

Question 12

How do we get started?

Accepted Answer

Reach out through the contact form or by email, and we'll schedule a first conversation - no obligation, no forms to fill in beforehand. From there, we'll figure out together what kind of support fits your situation.

Frequently asked questions

Code RED

Family counselling for addiction