First Recovery Task
BEIT T’SHUVAH BEST PRACTICE FOR CREATING SANCTUARY IN INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING 1. Short, frequent, focused sessions. Best Practice Primary Counselors use short, frequent, focused sessions, sometimes 20 minutes, 3- 5 times per week, recognizing that people newly in recovery often are cognitively disorganized and reactive. 2. Motivation. They use Motivational Interviewing tools to bring ambivalence to conscious awareness: “I get it. Part of you wants to be here and part of you just wants to run.” 3. Naming. Counselors help clients feel safe by naming patterns they observe. Naming gives clients a way to organize their thinking about a behavioral pattern, and it creates a shared language between client and counselor that becomes a communication bond. Counselors name a. potential stumbling blocks, “routine is difficult for you.” b. triggers: “Thinking about that girl is a trigger for you.” c. areas of strength: “you like things to be organized (writing music, reading; drawing; helping others; working out; talking to counselors) d. resources: “For you, writing (working out, making music, talking to friends…) is a great way to deal with anger (sadness, boredom, fear, anxiety, loneliness)” e. areas of need: “you’d like to be able to sit through a meeting (develop patience; be more self-confident, loving, firm, balanced; have better habits, better work skills, better communication skills, more self reliant, healthy, strong).” 4. Understand. Counselors confirm feelings to create understanding: “I hear you. It’s hard getting up in the morning, (falling asleep, going to groups, putting up with your roommate, not talking to your old buddies…)” “That’s frustrating.” “It makes you angry.” “Thinking about makes you sad.” 5. Teach a person to fish. Counselors offer practical tools for doing the day, walking through challenges and coping with cravings: “Do you want to try working out in the mornings, before Torah study?” “Could you write ten things that you’re grateful for before bed?” “Maybe you could try it for just five minutes today.” “There’s a practice called SOBER breathing that might help you with your visit with your Dad.” “Is there someone you could call to bring you back if things don’t feel safe for you?”
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