Below is a PDF of a monograph I've completed on the topic of screening and assessment of SUDs. Other than individual and group counseling, it's hard for me to think of a task more central to the work of addiction counseling than screening and assessment. And in today's world, with the pace of change concerning … Continue reading Screening and Assessment of Substance Use Disorders
A War on Recovery?
STAT just ran another article in its "War on Recovery" series and continues its narrative of casting recovering people in Narcotics Anonymous and non-agonist recovery pathways as the villains. There's an important story undergirding this article (and the previous article attacking recovering people in NA) -- that there are important gaps in social support for … Continue reading A War on Recovery?
The Hollow Villain: How Stigma Distracts Us from Action
In the world of addiction, “stigma” often gets cast as the ultimate villain—the big bad wolf of public health narratives. It’s the term we throw around when we talk about shame, isolation, and the barriers people face when seeking treatment. The problem with the term stigma is that it's broad and elusive, seeming to apply … Continue reading The Hollow Villain: How Stigma Distracts Us from Action
Societal Hikikomori and the Importance of Bridging Community Capital
“I know of a place, where you never get harmed. A magical place, with magical charms. Indoors! Indoors! Indoors!” —SpongeBob SquarePants Physical isolation is increasingly becoming a common way that people cope with challenges in our society. Hikikomori is a Japanese term that describes a condition where a person, typically a young adult is socially … Continue reading Societal Hikikomori and the Importance of Bridging Community Capital
Clinical Supervision of Clinical Supervision
Disclaimer: Nothing in this document should be taken or held as clinical instruction, clinical supervision, or advisory concerning patient care. Below is the full text of a monograph on the clinical supervision of clinical supervision. The work includes material addressing: Four particular stories from my career that apply to the importance of the topic A model … Continue reading Clinical Supervision of Clinical Supervision
Depth Psychology Applied to Addiction Counseling
Disclaimer: Nothing in this document should be taken or held as clinical instruction, clinical supervision, or advisory concerning patient care. Below is the full text of a 98 page monograph I have written on depth psychology applied to addiction counseling. My plan is to eventually re-write the main content in the form of a simple … Continue reading Depth Psychology Applied to Addiction Counseling
Once Bitten Twice Shy – the Recovery Community and the False Promise of Harmless Drugs
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” ― Noel Langley, The Wizard of Oz Screenplay On March, 18th, 1898, Heroin was introduced to the world as a cough suppressant by its maker, Friedrich Bayer & Co, now known principally as a producer of Aspirin. Bayer marketed Heroin as a cough suppressant with weaker narcotic properties … Continue reading Once Bitten Twice Shy – the Recovery Community and the False Promise of Harmless Drugs
Lessons from outside the field: “Both sides of the string”
When the string on an instrument such as a guitar is struck down to the fretboard, sound is produced from two portions of the string - not just one. The portion of the string in front of the fretting finger (toward the sound hole) produces the sound we commonly hear. But the portion of the … Continue reading Lessons from outside the field: “Both sides of the string”
Authentic Vs. Astroturfed Recovery Events & Recovery Marketing
2016 Recovery Event Pennsylvania Authentic was a term used often and broadly a decade ago when efforts to expand recovery community organizations, elevate recovery through public facing events organized by and for recovery community, and peer support services were gaining traction in America. The term authentic was used in relation to recovery advocacy and the … Continue reading Authentic Vs. Astroturfed Recovery Events & Recovery Marketing
Sentences to Ponder (Thomas P. Murphy)
The if-only lie about the past, the as-if lie about the present, and the what-if lie about the future During my graduate internship I had the fortune of hearing Tom Murphy make that statement and expound it. In expounding it, Tom clarified how a person might try to convince themselves that if only some part … Continue reading Sentences to Ponder (Thomas P. Murphy)
Recovery Review 