As a consequence of heavy snowfall this past Monday, January 16, 2012, the Level II Education and Therapy classes , as well as Make-up classes, were cancelled.  I know that many (if not all) of our clients were grateful for the much needed snow.  We have established the following schedule for the next 2 Mondays (Jan. 23rd and 30th) that will allow clients to do the regularly scheduled Make-up (a week late) and make up for the regularly scheduled classes missed this past Monday (Jan. 16).

Monday, Jan. 23:  Level II Therapy classes will be held as usual, at 3 and 5 PM; Level II Education at 7PM.

Make-up class for the 5PM Therapy group and the 7PM Education class will be held at 3PM.

Make-up class for the 3PM Therapy group will be held at 5PM.

Monday, Jan. 30: the same schedule as will be used on the 23rd, providing we find on the 23rd that there are enough people signed up for Make-up on the 30th.

Of course, all of this is dependent on cooperation from the weather, i.e., no major snowstorm on the day that we go to Fraser.

Substance abuse and mental health disorders can be successfully treated.
Recovery benefits the person, the family, the community.

Recovery. We hear a lot in the mainstream media about the ways in which the abuse of drugs and alcohol, and disturbances in mental and emotional functioning impact society. We too seldom hear about the effectiveness of recovery from those disorders and the subsequent benefit to the individual, their families and the community.

On September 28, 2011, there will be a Town Hall Meeting to Celebrate National Recovery Month – September 2011. Through this Meeting, we can begin to redress the imbalance in the public conversation between substance abuse and mental health disorders, as they negatively impact our communities, and the ways in which recovery from these disorders enhances quality of life for all of us.

The work of countless researchers and practitioners in the areas of drug and alcohol abuse and mental health disorders has yielded a sea change in our understanding of the psycho-social phenomena involved. The chasm that once existed between those two areas is closing. The result has been a dramatic improvement in the efficacy of treatment and the experience of recovery for the individual. Consequently, an increasing number of individuals recover their ability to make choices that generate an improved quality of living, relationships, and participation in society.

An important aspect of recovery is education. In part, education goes a long way toward dispelling myths that can generate feelings of helplessness and hopelessness; help people who are in treatment realize that they are not alone in their struggles; and give them knowledge about their bodies, brains and emotions that expands the number and kind of choices that they have.

Another aspect of recovery is in the area of skill-building. As the saying goes, “if the only tool in your tool-box is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” Different challenges require different ‘tools’ and in recovery that means different skills. Learning to distinguish challenges (see that every ‘problem’ is NOT a nail) and identify the skill (tool) that will create the best result when dealing with that challenge allows people to direct their lives toward desired outcomes. As people learn to use their new-found knowledge and skills, they realize that they are not helpless in the face of their challenges and experience hopefulness about both the present and the future. They find themselves on the path of recovering a positive sense of themselves and of the contribution they can be to their own lives, the lives of their family and friends, and society.

Perhaps one of the most powerful experiences for those in treatment is being ‘heard’. Those of us working in the field hear from many people that they feel that they have never been listened to in the same way they experience in treatment. This means that treatment must occur in an atmosphere of respect for and non-judgment of the person. In that environment, taking a good look at oneself becomes possible and creates the space within which the person can decide what things that he/she finds truly works for her/him and what doesn’t.

Recovery is an exciting experience. It requires hard work and determination and often results in unimagined benefits. This month is a celebration of all the effort that has gone, and is on-going, into making treatment effective. Perhaps, above all, it should be a celebration of all those in our communities who have embarked on the path of recovery. Their work and determination make our community a better place in which to live for all of us.

If you want to learn more about the various ways in which recovery works in the Greater Boulder community, join us at the Town Hall Meeting September 28 at 9 am. There will be a panel of people who contribute to recovery and its benefits in a variety of capacities, and will share some of the knowledge and experiences they have garnered along the way. There will also be an opportunity to engage in conversation with and ask questions of the panelists after they have spoken. (Free and open to the public.)

For information call (303) 447-2038 or email: info@RangeviewCounselingCenter.com.

Jean Gehring, LCSW, CAC III
Director
Rangeview Counseling Center

Rangeview Counseling Center is expanding its services to include voluntary mental health treatment. Our therapists are licensed, mental health professionals.  They have years of working with individuals with emotional/mental health issues and Rangeview is fortunate to have these skilled therapists on its team.

We live in a stress-filled time – many people are concerned about the certainty (or uncertainty) of their jobs; for many their pay has been stagnant for years while prices continue to go up; many people do not have work and are finding it difficult to find employment; our country is at war on at least 3 fronts and the economy unstable; daily we hear things about our climate and environment that are a cause for concern. When there are so many stressors bearing on people’s lives, they sometimes find themselves confronted with emotional/mental health challenges that interfere with their relationships and their over-all quality of life.

Unfortunately, during these challenging times, the accessibility of emotional/mental health treatment, has decreased as funding for agencies offering such services has dried up.  The more people need such assistance, the less available it is. All too often, people who have never abused alcohol or drugs turn to one or both to help them deal with the depression and/or anxiety these circumstances can evoke. We hope to fill some of the gap, created by the closing of such sources of affordable therapeutic service as Access Counseling and Boulder County Mental Health, by making those services more affordable at Rangeview.