Knowing the truth of what is in our hearts and minds is a cornerstone of 12 Step recovery.

Therapy is a tool that can be used to facilitate this knowing.

12 Step Recovery and Therapy— together

As a psychotherapist with decades of experience with various 12 Step programs of recovery— working the steps and tools myself— I bring understanding and experience of the synthesis of 12 Step recovery and psychotherapeutic work to clients in recovery. This synthesized work can provide a powerful recovery foundation, can facilitate a more “searching and fearless” working of the program, and can support a more thorough and earnest “practicing of these principles in all our affairs.”

12-Step-integrated therapy can support 12 Step work through helping individuals achieve deeper levels of honesty, open-mindedness and willingness that they might not otherwise be able to achieve by simply working the steps alone or with a sponsor or fellow. The unique holding space—a place that supports and facilitates greater authenticity— in therapy sessions can be the perfect place to really unpack obstacles, resistance, reservations and even denial. It is often our lack of conscious awareness that these things are even happening for us that can hold us back from recovery and keep us stuck in old patterns, or on the verge of resuming old patterns.

12-Step-integrated therapy can also support individuals working some of the most difficult steps or aspects of steps, as it sometimes can be painful and challenging to even begin to face the truth about ourselves and our lives. What would it be like to do this challenging work with more support?

12-Step-integrated therapy can help us keep perspective when we’re digging deep, so that we can balance the more gnarly aspects of our step work with a kind regard for ourselves and our efforts, with valuable and growing self-understanding and self-compassion, and with sufficient kinds and amounts of self-care.

It is important to note that therapy is not meant to- nor can it— replace a sponsor or a meeting.

If you are interested in or have questions about integrating therapy into your program— or integrating the program into your therapy— I would be happy to discuss it with you!