by Jessica Yaffa, Director of Community Education Whenever I begin a presentation or workshop I spend some time discussing the myths and stereotypes that exist surrounding domestic violence: Who does this happen to? What ethnic groups/religions/socio economic classes are most likely to be victimized? What are the backgrounds of those that find themselves in abusive relationships? Unfortunately, the answers to each of these statements are the same: ALL of us are affected by domestic violence. With the statistics being that 1 in 4 women are or will be physically abused during their lifetime, and knowing that every socio-economic class, culture and religion are dealing with this epidemic, the responsibility of creating change, standing up, and speaking out is a responsibili...

by Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP Motivational Interviewing and Harm Reduction compared: In this article I compare these two important contemporary recovery concepts. From my perspective they are mostly similar, but have dramatically different rates of acceptance in the addiction treatment industry. You might also be interested in: Addiction Treatment: Motivational Enhancement Therapy Motivational Interviewing (MI) Motivational interviewing (MI) is a psychotherapeutic approach for promoting any healthy behavior change. MI was created for work with addiction, then extended to any behavior change about which someone is ambivalent. Ambivalence is a crucial aspect of MI. The person who is completely committed to change is actually changing, and not sitting in front of you discussing the pos...

Sometimes, we are betrayed by the people who claim to love us the most.  Whether we are lied to, ignored, or gossiped about, it is natural to hold a grudge, and let it affect our mood, our relationships, and even our physical health.  Forgiving someone helps us much more than it helps the person who hurt us.  Here is how: According to The Journal of Behavioral Medicine, forgiveness is literally good for your heart. Individuals experienced lower blood pressure, and lower heart rate when practicing forgiveness. This can make a big difference over time! When friends or family hurt us, it can be difficult, because we may want to salvage the relationship but the betrayal is keeping us from doing so. Forgiveness allows us to see the positive aspects of the offending party, and allows us...

by Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP We recently remodeled our outpatient offices, requiring us to move everything out to re-carpet. It is challenging to clean up what has accumulated over 10 years! One item I have been saving (available from someone else on ebay, starting bid $3) is a 1970s Borm response golf counter. This very sturdy, entirely metal device straps to your wrist. It will easily count golf strokes, or anything that is expected to occur 999 times or less, by pushing the side pin in about 1/4 inch. Rewinding is a very deliberate activity, so there is no chance of re-setting by accident (as one might easily do with an electronic device). If a change is important enough to us, we often measure it or count it, and then record it. We have records of golf games, bathroom scales...

by Elissa Frazao Addiction can cause an imbalance in your life.  Balancing important aspects of your life during sobriety can increase your chances to feel satisfied and avoid relapse. At Practical Recovery, we encourage our clients to work on becoming SEN (sleep, exercise, nutrition) masters.  In addition to being the three primary foundations of good health, good sleep, sufficient exercise and adequate nutrition are extremely beneficial in recovery. Good sleep patterns come with many benefits including improved memory, healthy weight loss, enhanced creativity, better athletic performance and emotional stability. Here are some tips for better sleep: Set a regular time for sleeping and waking up.  Stick to this schedule (even on the weekends)! If you have difficulty fall...

Our lovely chef, Sarah, and her kitchen staff have served up another delicious recipe for us to try! Lasagna Bolognese with Kale and Spinach. Serves 8 Ingredients: Sauce: 1/4 cup olive oil 3 oz of pancetta, finely diced 1 onion finely chopped 1 carrot chopped 1 celery rib fine chop 2 cloves garlic chopped 2lb organic ground beef 2lb beef chuck organic (if possible) or bison 1.5 cup milk 1/4 tomato paste 1.5 tsp thyme 1.5c beef or chicken stock Ricotta Filling: 2x10 oz frozen spinach thawed 1 small bunch toscana kale finely chopped 2x 15oz containers of ricotta 4 organic eggs, beaten 1/2 c grated Parmesan 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg 3/4 c whole milk Lasagna: 12 Barilla “no boil” dried lasagna noodles 1/2 c grated Parmesan 1x 13'x9' baking pan (3'inch dee...

by Elissa Frazao Director of Admissions Memorial Day is upon us-the official start of summer!  Summer is a time for beach days, BBQ's and fireworks, and for many, cold beers and cocktails. Alcohol at summer events can be unavoidable, so here are some tips to enjoy the sunshine, without compromising your goals: Make mocktails, so you don't feel like you're missing out!  There are so many fun drinks you can make without alcohol. Here are some recipe ideas. Stay active- try water sports such as stand-up paddling, kayaking, or surfing to cool off.  The high you will get off catching your first wave will be all you need. Be honest with yourself, and with friends and family.  If you're feeling anxious about attending a wedding, BBQ or party, say so!  Enlist one or two members of y...

by Nikki Wiedlund Client Relations Manager/Billing Administrator I do a multitude of things from client satisfaction, to insurance billing, to scheduling a manicure/pedicure! Anything a client wants or needs, I’m the girl they go to! It’s really important to me that I am able to create a completely personalized schedule that meets our client’s needs and exceeds their expectations. I once had a client who wanted to go surfing every morning before 6am. With some clever scheduling, we were able to make that happen. We had a client who was very interested in doing Equine Therapy while they were here so we had to transport almost 90 minutes round trip, three days a week to fulfill that client’s wishes. We also had a client who had quite a few doctors’ appointments that needed to be...

ABC Sober Living and The Rock Church face very serious allegations. As the attorney for the women filing this lawsuit suggests, individuals in recovery are especially vulnerable. Treatment facilities have a special duty of care when clients are vulnerable. While further investigation is being conducted, Practical Recovery will comment only on issues that apply to the entire addiction treatment industry. To assure adequate client care, all addiction rehabilitation facilities need to have high quality professional staff, preferably licensed mental health professionals. These staff need to be regularly involved with clients, not just listed on the website. Although certified drug and alcohol counselors or even lower level staff have a role in addiction treatment, at Practical Recover...

by Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP San Diego is coping with another major set of fires. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by these events. Any disaster brings additional risk for individuals in addiction recovery. We hope the following guidelines are helpful. 1. Focus on the physical first. Attend to injuries, even minor ones. Get to the safest place you can. Get warm (or cool). Stay fed and hydrated. Rest as needed. 2. Expect to be more emotional. It’s OK to be numb at first. However your emotions show up, and in whatever time, accept them. Express yourself to others. Be careful not to mistreat others. 3. Include self-care as a component of your efforts to restore your life. It is not just possessions that need restoration. In time, if needed, seek professional help. 4. Ma...