Cultivating empathy? This idea can be a complex situation if you believe empathy is an innate, fixed trait that some people are born with and others lack. However, empathy is not an all-or-nothing concept. In fact, it would be fair to say that empathy isn’t a trait that unfolds automatically in every situation. More ... Read More
Featured in Alumni
Helping Kids Cultivate Empathy About Mental Health Conditions
5 Ways to Embrace a Spiritual Connection with Nature
Modern living is consistently packed with the hustle and bustle of too many tasks, unrelenting technological advancements, too many people to please, too many fears, and seemingly not enough time. Add on the complexity of living in recovery from addiction and it can be overwhelming, frustrating, and absolutely ... Read More
Alumni Outlook: Faith, Fellowship, and Finding a Higher Purpose
There is no question that spirituality is a vital component of recovery. However, the topic of religion and a Higher Power is most certainly a taboo for individuals struggling with addiction and recovery. I'll speak for myself and say that when I first got sober, I was thoroughly convinced that I had fallen too far ... Read More
Overcoming the Stigma of Therapy
Understanding the complicated relationship between addiction and mental illness has been a debatable topic for quite some time. In fact, many people refuse to correlate the two and view addiction and even mental illness as an “excuse” for moral failing and lack of “willpower.” Let me give a little firsthand experience ... Read More
Alumni Outlook: How to Identify Toxic Relationship Red Flags
If I am completely honest, I was nervous about writing on the topic of toxic relationships. Keeping up with total transparency, I have been a glutton for chaotic, messy, most toxic relationships for as long as I can remember. Many of us that come into recovery feel like we have a degree in these unhealthy ... Read More
Alumni Outlook: How to Empower Others in Addiction Recovery
Before getting sober, I vividly remember wondering how other people were so happy living “boring,” sober lives. I couldn’t fathom spending one second sober. In fact, I often made fun of the friends who gracefully declined to party with the rest of us. The sober individuals in my life never pressured me to evaluate my ... Read More
5 Benefits of Self-Care for Mothers in Recovery
As a mother in recovery, I have had quite the experience of raising two beautiful children while also working a full-time job and maintaining my sobriety. Recovery is full of ups and downs for all of us, and especially adventurous for the mothers in recovery. By nature, mothers are often nurturing, compassionate ... Read More
How to Address and Overcome Past Holiday Guilt
The holidays typically evoke images of family bliss: —Uncle John carving up a big turkey for a traditional family dinner, Grandma bestowing her precious gifts, and Aunt Mary gracing the family with the hilarious stories of her childhood. The reality is that this dreamy scene usually is nothing more than that—a ... Read More
