Tom Horvath, PhD, ABPP
In preparation for celebrating our 40th anniversary next month, we are updating pages on our website. Today we focus on:
https://www.practicalrecovery.com/about-us/
If you have scanned other websites, you may find language identical or similar to ours about what the facility provides. However, having these words on their website does not mean that the facility acts accordingly. If you want to determine what a facility in fact provides, the questions identified here may be helpful:
https://www.practicalrecovery.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/The-Questions-Final-1.pdf
The marketing of treatment facilities is a fiercely competitive endeavor. Facilities may say what they think sounds good, without actually providing it. Perhaps Practical Recovery should feel flattered that our language is copied. However, we do not want you to be fooled by appearance without reality.
About us
What Practical Recovery Does (mission):
Practical Recovery provides a self-empowering and truly personalized approach for addressing addictive problems and related concerns.
Self-empowering means that the power to change lies within you, not outside you (in another person, a group or a Higher Power). Many of our clients believe in a Higher Power but take a “God helps those who help themselves” approach to change and to life in general. We will help you discover the needed capacities you already have or can develop.
Truly personalized means that we completely adjust our services to focus on what works for you. Client treatment plans are often radically different from one another. If you want to discover how personalized our services can be, call us with your “wish list” of how you’d like to change and the services or types of services you think would be best suited for you.
The term “addictive problems” refers to any level of problems arising from either substance use or activities like gambling, video games, or pornography. Some individuals have multiple addictive problems, of varying intensity.
Addressing means that you set your own goals. If you want to abstain from some addictive behaviors (or none), or moderate, or just reduce harm, we will work with you to accomplish your goals. You are free to change your goals at any time, and often our clients do.
Related concerns means that anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, relationship problems, work stress, or other issues will be addressed as needed along with the addictive problems. For many individuals making progress with addictive problems requires progress with other concerns also.
The 6 focuses of treatment at Practical Recovery:
- Motivation (identifying, increasing, maintaining)
- Coping with Craving
- Problem solving (typically focused on “related concerns”)
- Lifestyle balance (to reduce the need for the addictive behavior)
- Improving relationships (because they are usually one of the main sources of satisfaction in life)
- Living with meaning and purpose (for some the most important of these 6 focuses; See this blog: “If we have our own why, we shall get along with almost any ” –Friedrich Nietzsche)
We implement treatment with a broad array of outpatient services and very high-quality staff, who are mostly doctoral level. Individuals who wish to attend a mutual help group typically attend SMART Recovery.
Our Purpose:
To help clients reduce or resolve addictive problems and lead more connected and meaningful lives.
Our intention is to help move you to living as well as possible, and not to be “in recovery” for the rest of your life. Whether your problems are large or small, you can lead a satisfying and meaningful life, getting there one milestone at a time.
Our Values:
- Personalized care
- Operational excellence
- Evidence-based innovation (we review the scientific evidence regularly, and adjust our approach and services accordingly)
- Development for all (we view ourselves as, along with our clients, engaging in a growth process both as professionals and as individuals)
- Community service (we are an active supporter of SMART Recovery locally, nationally, and internationally. San Diego, with our support, has established the greatest concentration of SMART meetings anywhere).
Our Vision:
A US addiction treatment system in which our type of services, and SMART Recovery mutual help groups, are very widely known and available to all who prefer them.
