On Las Meninas by Velasqez, Foucault writes, "In appearance, this locus is a simple one; a matter of pure reciprocity: we are looking at a picture in which the painter is in turn looking out at us. A mere confrontation, eyes catching one another’s glance, direct looks superimposing themselves upon one another as they cross. And yet … Continue reading A Time of Hope and Trepidation in the State of the Art

Recently, I have seen yet another wave of anti-12 step promotion via various digital formats and blogs. The various talking point involve, "AA is not evidence-based","AA has incredibly low success rates," and a variety of cultural criticisms and safety warnings. Time and time again I run across people who quite suddenly demand that I offer … Continue reading 2020’s Top Ten Posts #1: 12-Step Skepticism and The Evidence

Considerations for the Study of Spiritual Recovery CommunitiesAlcoholics Anonymous (AA) is not without its critics. Some criticisms are quite valid; others are less so. Like all spiritual communities, be they the Freemasons or the Falun Gong, outsiders often attribute various ills and misunderstandings to AA. The more valid criticisms, however, have little to do with … Continue reading Anthropometry of the Spiritual Body

Last week I highlighted the recovery story as the chief substrate by which recovery scientists can define, operationalize, and create meaningful measures for the recovery process. We discussed the rationale for placing the recovery experience, as told by those who have recovered, as the primary source from which we can extract pertinent information that can … Continue reading Articulating Meaningful Measures of Recovery, Part II

Recently I was asked to give a presentation through the RICARES lecture series on Recovery Science. The topic was the measurement of recovery. I want to offer a bit more on the subject here, as I see a need for specific recommendations and rationale for those working in the field, particularly at the programming level. … Continue reading Capturing Meaningful Data in Recovery Science: Part 1.

After sitting through two days of CEU training, I began to think about my feelings regarding the space in which I have dedicated my time and energy. As a true practitioner-scholar, I am often on the intellectual boundaries between science and practice. There is a tension in that borderland between knowledge and praxis that, in … Continue reading The Comfort of Donna Haraway

I like this particular series as it allows me a less formal mode of discussion. This is an imperfect piece told in a halting style. Confessional really. It is also somewhat cathartic. To be able to casually air my opinions thus frees mental space and emotional energy for my more formal commitments. This particular piece … Continue reading Back To Basics- Vol 2: Losing the Revolution

Recently, I have seen yet another wave of anti-12 step promotion via various digital formats and blogs. The various talking point involve, "AA is not evidence-based","AA has incredibly low success rates," and a variety of cultural criticisms and safety warnings. Time and time again I run across people who quite suddenly demand that I offer … Continue reading 12-Step Skepticism and The Evidence

After another week of juggling the rigors of a PhD program, writing and analyzing research, and participating in my fair share of Twitter debates, I am often too jaded or too tired to put together coherent thoughts on the direction of recovery. However, this week was somewhat different. I came across a practical post by … Continue reading Response to Mutual Aid