Jeff VanVonderen
Encyclopedia
Jeff VanVonderen is an author, motivational speaker
, former pastor, and interventionist who is best known for his appearances on A&E
reality show Intervention
. VanVonderen has written five books on various topics such as family troubles, drug addiction, and spirituality
.
, stating that "this powerful resource will help guide individuals, families, and churches through their darkest times".
VanVonderen's second book, published in 1990, entitled Tired of Trying to Measure Up: Getting free from the demands, expectations, and intimidation of well-meaning people, explored the implications of shame, and sought to guide Christians towards making choices more freely. Three years later he authored Families Where Grace is in Place.
The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, written by VanVonderen and David Johnson in 1991, offered advice concerning how spiritual abuse begins, and why people often don't realize they are under its spell. It was followed up by a book that sought to explore recovery from the more interpersonal hurts suffered in dysfunctional church systems, "When God's People Let you Down."
VanVonderen has completed his next installment entitled Soul Repair: Rebuilding Your Spiritual Life. The book was released on October 1, 2008.
Aside from producing five spiritually themed works, VanVonderen is also a regular fixture on A&E's Intervention, having kept his script and haircut largely unchanged throughout the ten seasons of the show. The show rotates between 4 licensed interventionists. He has held thousands of intervention
s, helping individuals fight deadly addictions. He instructs each one of those families on the proper way to cope and unite in the recovery and treatment processes. In 2009, in one of the episodes of "Intervention" on A&E, Jeff admitted to having a brief alcohol relapse. He has since sought help. Jeff is quoted as saying "Individuals and families become dysfunctional by accident. But they get well on purpose and this is what I'm about, helping them do that."
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
, former pastor, and interventionist who is best known for his appearances on A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
reality show Intervention
Intervention (TV series)
Intervention is an American television program about the realities facing addicts of many kinds.Each program follows one or two participants, each of whom has an addiction or other mentally and/or physically damaging problem and believes that they are being filmed for a documentary on their problem...
. VanVonderen has written five books on various topics such as family troubles, drug addiction, and spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
.
Author
VanVonderen's first book - originally published in the 1980s, was re-released in 2004, a work called Good News for the Chemically Dependent and Those Who Love Them. The book touched on the theme of addictionSubstance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
, stating that "this powerful resource will help guide individuals, families, and churches through their darkest times".
VanVonderen's second book, published in 1990, entitled Tired of Trying to Measure Up: Getting free from the demands, expectations, and intimidation of well-meaning people, explored the implications of shame, and sought to guide Christians towards making choices more freely. Three years later he authored Families Where Grace is in Place.
The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, written by VanVonderen and David Johnson in 1991, offered advice concerning how spiritual abuse begins, and why people often don't realize they are under its spell. It was followed up by a book that sought to explore recovery from the more interpersonal hurts suffered in dysfunctional church systems, "When God's People Let you Down."
VanVonderen has completed his next installment entitled Soul Repair: Rebuilding Your Spiritual Life. The book was released on October 1, 2008.
Interventionist
Jeff is a Board Registered Interventionist, Level II. Level II is the higher of the two levels for the Association of Intervention Specialist Certification Board (AISCB).Aside from producing five spiritually themed works, VanVonderen is also a regular fixture on A&E's Intervention, having kept his script and haircut largely unchanged throughout the ten seasons of the show. The show rotates between 4 licensed interventionists. He has held thousands of intervention
Intervention (counseling)
An intervention is an orchestrated attempt by one, or often many, people to get someone to seek professional help with an addiction or some kind of traumatic event or crisis, or other serious problem. The term intervention is most often used when the traumatic event involves addiction to drugs...
s, helping individuals fight deadly addictions. He instructs each one of those families on the proper way to cope and unite in the recovery and treatment processes. In 2009, in one of the episodes of "Intervention" on A&E, Jeff admitted to having a brief alcohol relapse. He has since sought help. Jeff is quoted as saying "Individuals and families become dysfunctional by accident. But they get well on purpose and this is what I'm about, helping them do that."