Psychological education for addiction recovery

Our objective is to impart both knowledge and important life skills to residents in an interactive format that produces self-discovery and motivates change. The intention of our recovery education program is to facilitate healing and growth by presenting universal truths that touch and transform the mind and the heart, inspiring a rationale for greater understanding and a desire to form new life patterns.

Recovery education is offered in a group format that encourages social interaction with peers and counselors. Residents are encouraged to expand their awareness through thoughtful completion of worksheets based on the teaching principles. New insight and understanding can be discussed with the group and/or brought into individual or family counseling sessions.

The psycho-spiritual content of our program is reinforced through guided meditations that are specifically designed to enhance the therapeutic experience. The lessons are designed to be affirming, challenging, inspirational and healing.

An important part of our recovery education program includes presentations designed to create a greater understanding of addiction and prevent relapse. Topics include: Understanding Self-Destructive Behavior, Cross-Addiction, Denial, Underlying Factors that Contribute to Addiction, Establishing a Spiritual Foundation for Recovery, Learning the 12-Steps, Pursuing Recovery with Enthusiasm, Drugs and the Pleasure Circuit in Your Brain, Being Truly Honest with Yourself and Others, Pride Comes Before the Fall: Focus on Humility, the Cycle of Emotional Wounding, Finding Balance, The Games People Play, Taking Responsibility, and Recovery as a Journey.

Recovery education sessions are conducted daily in conjunction with group counseling. Each week of our four week program has a theme that focuses on a selected area of growth and development.

Key Elements of Our Recovery education Program:

Components of the True Self: Often the self-destructive behaviors associated with addiction are rooted in the false self because the true self hasn’t had an opportunity to properly develop. Residents are given the opportunity to cultivate the true self by learning to understand and impose healthy boundaries. They are exposed to the concept of healthy validation and the necessity of proper invalidation. They learn the value of “the process” and are encouraged to let go of attempts to rigidly control life. Instead, they learn the importance of submitting to the process and engaging in life as it unfolds. These are all significant components of a well-developed will, a will that can function properly by making healthy choices.

Cultivating Your Developmental Gifts: These programs teach residents to honor and cultivate each developmental component of the true self. The developmental gifts include our feelings, reasoning mind, intuitive mind, will and soul. Residents explore these aspects of themselves and reflect on their level of development. Each resident is encouraged to participate in activities that will enhance the growth of these components of the true self.

Critical Life Skills: Further development of the self is acquired through interactions with others. The Critical Life Skills Model helps participants develop skills that facilitate healthy intimacy in their relationships. Participants practice skills that lead to effective communication, decision making, problem solving and conflict resolution.

Living a Healthy Lifestyle: All participants are taught principles of living a holistic lifestyle, including proper nutrition, exercise and physical fitness, yoga and meditation, and appropriate methods of healthy self-care, as well as important lifestyle components such as techniques to establish structure and discipline, motivation, relaxation, stress management, and natural methods for relieving pain.