RECOVERY MANAGEMENT

I help people gain clarity about addictive behavior and sustain their recovery by addressing emotional issues, cravings and life concerns that pop up when addictive behavior stops.

Who I Help

People that have finished residential or outpatient treatment

People using Suboxone or Vivitrol as part of their recovery

People that are uncertain about their using, drinking or other behaviors

People that are having some challenges on their recovery path

People that have big life changes come up while in recovery

People that are in recovery, but feel bored and unmotivated

People in recovery who want to work on emotional, trauma and relational healing

People who are seeking lifestyle balance

How I Help

One imporant recovery management strategy (see below) is having a therapist, coach and/or advocate. As a therapist I help you to:

  • Gain clarity about substance use or compulsive behavior in your life
  • Develop and sustain motivation
  • Develop recovery strategies
  • Use coping skills for cravings and emotional upsets
  • Address old traumas and unhelpful beliefs
  • Live a more balanced life and connect to who and what is important to you.
  • Clarify your vision and values
  • Put your natural talents and strenghts into action
  • Act Authentically
  • Engage in life with flexibility, freedom and FUN

Your Path, Your Process

Each person's recovery journey is as unique as they are and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. I work with you to determine what is best for your individual path in relation to your values and goals. I am open to harm-reduction approaches, where appropriate. I do not offer moderation management, but do work with clients who are prescribed medications such as buprenorhpine (Suboxone), acamprosate and naltrexone (Vivitrol) as part of a medication assisted recovery (MAR) approach.

No Stigma, No Shame

I strive to create a stigma-free atmosphere of compassion and understanding for those with whom I work. I understand that different people are in different stages and have different circumstances and histories. In addressing addictive behavior I aim to cultivate a space of natural curiosity, not shame and fear. I honor wherever you are at in your journey right now.

The "Cheese Slice" Model of Recovery Management

I subscribe to Dr. Kevin McCauley's "Swiss Cheese Model" of Recovery Management that proposes various things you can do, or slices of Swiss cheese, to help you on your journey. Each cheese slice is a strategy that helps keep you safe from returning to use/acting out. They are:

  1. Going to Treatment (residential or outpatient)
  2. Attending Mutual Aid Groups (12 Step, SMART Recovery, etc.)
  3. Having a Therapist, Coach and/or Advocate
  4. Living in Safe Housing
  5. Making a Relapse Plan
  6. Having Ongoing Testing (UAs)
  7. Getting back to/starting Career/Education
  8. Seeing a doctor who knows about addiction
  9. Taking Helpful Medications (Suboxone, Vivitrol, acamprosate, etc)
  10. Having FUN!!... regularly : )

But why Swiss cheese? Like Swiss cheese slices, each of the above strategies alone are great, but not perfect-- they have holes that represent areas of risk. For example, going to meetings is great. It works for many, but often, going to meetings alone does not address other areas of life that can affect recovery. Another example is Suboxone. Simply taking Suboxone is a great thing. However, Suboxone does not address emotional, spiritual, vocational and relationship issues that often show up in recovery.

However, when you take slices of Swiss cheese and stack them on top of each other the holes close up! Risk of return to use and other negative outcomes goes down. Evidence suggests (Kelly and White, 2011) that people who use multiple recovey strategies at the same time, like the ones above, have higher rates of sustaining recovery. So, stacking your cheese slices by doing multiple recovery practices at the same time increases the likelihood of sustaining your recovery. The more you do, the safer you are.

Therapy, a Helpful Cheese Slice

Having a therapist is one of the recovery managment steps for good reason. In recovery old emotions, traumas and insecurities may come up, or sometimes you just don't feel much at all. New challenges arise. Relationships change. New decisions present themselves... It's helpful to have a safe space to process all of these issues with a professional. If you're feeling like you need help in early reovery or are thikning about entering recovery, whether abstinence-based or medication-assisted, I'm here to help.

Contact me at the number, email or button below and we can discuss what's going on for you now and how I may be able to help.

Kelly, J. F., & White, W. L. (Eds.). (2011). Current clinical psychiatry. Addiction recovery management: Theory, research and practice. Humana Press.