At Personal Balance Counseling we have a diverse group of therapists that support clients that are going through different stages of recovery. Whether that be from alcohol, substances, self-injury, eating disorders, or other process addictions, having multiple resources available as a support team is beneficial for recovery.
In addition to individual therapy, there are many resources within the community to provide support for recovery. Some of the free community resources are: 12-step meetings, SMART Recovery, Celebrate Recovery, and NAMI.
How do you pick the right fit for you? Everyone has their preference on structure of meetings, group of people in attendance, and availability of meetings.
12-Step meetings are seen as more traditional and date back to the 1930’s. There tends to be a larger availability of these meetings as they have been established for many years. Before attending 12-step meetings, you may find it helpful to know the differences between “open” and “closed” meetings. At “open” meetings, anyone is invited to attend. At “closed” meetings, the meeting is only open to the person who has a problem with substance use and a desire to stop using. There are also different meeting formats such as: beginner, speaker, men’s group/women’s group, step work, 12 traditions, and big book. It is helpful to try and attend different meetings to see how you like each topic. 12- step meetings also cover different addictions such as alcohol, narcotics, eating disorders, gambling, codependency, and sex and love addiction.
SMART recovery is a different approach to addiction recovery. SMART recovery focuses on self-empowerment and has a scientific foundation. SMART meetings are discussion based and teach attendees how to use various coping skills, including CBT. These are all open meetings and are inclusive of all addictive behaviors.
Celebrate recovery is a faith-based approach to recovery support. These support groups are held at churches and focus on both the 12-steps and 8 principles of healing. These groups are open to many people who struggle not only with addiction, but also other mental health struggles. These support groups are for both men and women, and groups will also split off into smaller groups of specifically men and specifically women.
NAMI is a non-profit mental health organization that is set up through many counties throughout the country. NAMI stands for National Alliance for Mental Health. Nami has different resources based on the county, but you are able to attend in any county, not just your own. NAMI has support groups and educational groups for both the person with mental health struggles, but also their family. NAMI also provides peer to peer counseling and support. Select locations have a resource call “The Livingroom”, which is a walk-in space for mental health crises that are non-emergent.
After reviewing these different options, we hope you have a better understanding of different free resources within the community. Please feel free to further discuss options with your therapist to decide which additional support may be helpful for you.
For Alcoholic Anonymous meetings: Find A.A. Near You | Alcoholics Anonymous (aa.org) Free meeting finder phone app: Meeting Guide | Alcoholics Anonymous (aa.org)
For Narcotics Anonymous meetings: NAWS: Find a Meeting
For SMART Recovery meetings: SMART Recovery – Meetings
For Celebrate Recovery meetings: Find a Local Celebrate Recovery – Celebrate Recovery®
For NAMI meetings: Find Your Local NAMI | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness