What's Up With The Sunrise? (Exploring The Spirituality Of Addiction) addiction spirituality Mar 03, 2023

 

A METAPHOR FOR THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

The Journey is a rock musical I initially wrote to simply tell a story about addiction and recovery. But over the years it's evolved into an entire...

Continue Reading...
 
Important New Resource For Substance Use Intervention and Treatment addiction chemical dependency parents professional training substance abuse Feb 19, 2023

 

What does it mean when we say that someone's drug or alcohol use is a ... "problem?"

 

The first step towards successful substance use intervention is getting clear about what it...

Continue Reading...
Bridging The Gap: Improving Treatment Outcomes Through Effective Family Engagement addiction boundaries chemical dependency codependency family parents stages of change substance abuse May 08, 2022

The other day I listened to a client talk about her experience of checking her husband into rehab:

"They said they would call. And I went home and waited. A week went by, nothing. I had no idea...

Continue Reading...
Stages Of Change, Successful Addiction Treatment, and...Monty Python??? addiction professional training stages of change Jan 05, 2022

Happy New Year!

I thought I'd start the New Year out with something sort of fun...

Now, I know some of you aren't even old enough to remember Monty Python. But for those of you who do, you'll...

Continue Reading...
Recovery: The Journey Of Transformation addiction codependency family spirituality Nov 26, 2021

 

I've worked in the addiction treatment industry for a long time—like over 30 years. 

But I've actually been AROUND the treatment industry longer than I've been a professional in...

Continue Reading...
 
Connection: The Solution To Addiction addiction spirituality Nov 09, 2021

 

"What's this got to do with drug use?"

I get a lot of mileage out of the short video above in my work with substance use disorder clients. 

I simply ask them to watch it, and then tell...

Continue Reading...
Effective Addiction Treatment Planning: Cart before The Horse? addiction chemical dependency stages of change substance abuse Oct 26, 2021

There's no denying that substance abuse treatment “success rates” can be alarmingly poor. It is an all-too-common scenario to see a client go through residential treatment for a month...

Continue Reading...
Support For Families Impacted By Addiction addiction boundaries family parents Mar 09, 2021

I had an experience yesterday that really got me thinking.

About drug treatment.

And what it’s like for families who have a loved one in treatment.

More specifically, about how challenging...

Continue Reading...
 
Rehab Failure? Check The Foundation! addiction family parents professional training Feb 23, 2021

"Rehab doesn't work."

"I don't trust those rehabs. They're only in it for the money."

In my line of work I frequently find myself in the position of suggesting to a family that it might be time...

Continue Reading...
Expect A Miracle addiction family Feb 03, 2021

I ran an adolescent outpatient substance treatment program for many years.

One night I was standing in my office with some parents. We had just finished a graduation group where their daughter had...

Continue Reading...
Addiction Education: Back To Basics! addiction professional training Jan 14, 2021

Last week I presented a webinar for The Greenhouse Holistic Healing CEU Series, a monthly training hosted by The Greenhouse, a leading substance use treatment facility here in Dallas, Texas. 

...
Continue Reading...
 
Addiction And The Family System addiction boundaries chemical dependency codependency family parents substance abuse Jan 05, 2021

The video above includes two of the shortest—but perhaps most effective—lectures you'll find on how addiction impacts the family system:

  • The 8-Second Lecture on Chemical Dependency
  • The...
Continue Reading...