Blog
Let’s Get Creative: Why Art Therapy Is An Effective Tool in Recovery
Taking the First Step in Art Therapy When I walk through the door to facilitate an art therapy group, I often get mixed responses from my clients. Some love art therapy and feel comfortable with creative mediums; being in a group where they do not have to use words to...
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Practicing Self Compassion: How IFS Can Help Us Heal
The Beginning I can recall sitting in my therapist's office and having her tell me to “practice self-compassion". I thought to myself, “yeah sure, I eat healthily and exercise.” But no matter what I did or didn’t do, this was my weekly homework assignment. I was...
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The Modality of Surfing: Understanding the Mental Health Benefits of Riding the Ocean
It is often difficult for individuals in early recovery to find ways of coping with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other forms of mental health diagnoses. This can be very discouraging and will sometimes lead to a relapse. Individuals can feel that the only way out...
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Gender-Responsive Programming for Men
Gender-Responsive Programming for Men Like women, men need certain things from an addiction recovery program. Men are more likely to start using opioids, alcohol, or other addictive substances for different reasons than those which are likely to apply to women. There...
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What is SAMHSA?
What is SAMHSA? The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is the US federal agency tasked with advancing the cause of our country's behavioral health, both in policy and in practice. It was established in July of 1992 following the renaming and...
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Gender-Responsive MAT Programming for Women Who Are Pregnant
Gender-Responsive Medication-Assisted Treatment for Pregnant Women Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, refers to a therapeutic modality which helps to overcome the psychological cravings associated with addictive substances. As of this writing, the program is only...
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Top 5 Gender-Responsive Treatment Factors for Women
Top Five Most Successful Substance Use Treatment Factors for Women Substance use disorder is a disease. While it affects every individual in different ways, it does share certain common features between individuals of the same gender. Women with substance use disorder...
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Gender-Responsive Treatment in North County
The Role of Gender-Responsive Treatment "Gender-responsive" refers to a treatment plan which takes both an individual's biological sex and their socially constructed gender roles into account, with full recognition of a given client's self-asserted gender identity. It...
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Why Women Develop Substance Use Disorder
Why Do Women Become Addicted? A host of recent research has demonstrated that men and women experience the challenges of substance use disorder in significantly different ways. These progressions of substance use are not without their overlap, but any needs-based...
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Five Common Signs of Opioid Abuse
Recognizing the Signs of Chronic Opioid Use With a conspicuous hole in general public knowledge relating to the symptoms of opioid use, not knowing what to look for can have serious consequences. Substance use disorder is difficult for many people to understand,...
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