I recently reclaimed my own brain from the hijacking that took place over years of alcoholism and drug addiction. In my workbook, Captain Larry Smith’s Daily Life Plan Journal, I cover basic goal-setting and journaling feelings with gauges. My workbook is an excellent tool for people starting in recovery. However, in my journey as a [...]

“I’d been watching him in the meetings for a while…he was always so sweet and friendly and he has a lot of time and a great story! And that little boy of his is so cute. He must be a good guy if he won custody of that kid and is raising him on his [...]

Over the years I have listened to a sort of running monologue from clients who grew up with an addicted parent. It goes something like this: “I felt like it was all about them, like what was going on inside of me was sort of invisible, like what they wanted or needed always came first.” [...]

Holidays are a season of gaiety and celebration, intended to affirm bonds of family, friendship and life. But for those whose families have been disturbed by addiction and relationship trauma, these rituals can feel empty or even painful. The very gaiety and the pressure we feel to be happy can accentuate what’s missing, or what [...]

Intimacy can be challenging if we don’t have some degree of emotional sobriety and balance. If we have no emotional language for talking over the kinds of deep feelings that intimacy inevitably brings up, we spend our time and energy avoiding the kinds of intimate moments that we’re afraid might expose our soft, emotional underbellies; [...]

Many self-help programs encourage its members to use the slogan “One Day at a Time.” The underlying purpose is to help members focus on what needs their time and attention in the here and now. It encourages people to let go of their obsession with the past and worry about what may or may not [...]

Recently someone asked me to name one of the most valuable tools I offer my clients. I took a breath and waited for an answer. In that moment, without thinking, I became the answer: I replied “I teach the power of the pause”. People choose coaching to help them address a myriad of personal and [...]