Couple Addiction Recovery Empowerment

Support, Education, Workshops, Online Learning

Now available as an online and live workshop, Roadmap for the Journey: A Path for Couple Recovery, is designed for couples impacted by addiction, providing tools for communication and help to integrate recovery into the couple relationship. Workshops are limited to three – five couples who are provided manuals, workshop materials, and time to practice new skills.

Online live workshop totals 10 hours held over two consecutive Saturdays

December 4 & 11, 2021

For Additional Information about Workshops

Roadmap for the Journey

Is designed specifically for couples impacted by an addictive disorder.

All workshops are held live and online in a confidential and safe environment for partners to privately practice the communication skills taught in the workshop.

Please note, this workshop is not appropriate for couples in which there is an active addiction.

Finding the Roadmap for Recovery

We know from research that couple stability is the single biggest predictor of successful long-term recovery. We also know that couples impacted by an addictive disorder are at great risk for divorce or continued relationship unhappiness, even after beginning recovery.

This work provides skills to address the impact of recovery for both partners, create methods for supporting each partner’s individual recovery, and to develop a couple recovery.

Practical Tools for Couples

Contact

The Couple Recovery Development Approach, created by Dr. Robert Navarra, is based on his research on couple recovery spanning over 15 years. The Gottman research on predictors for happy and healthy relationships provides direction to establish a path to heal and strengthen relationships.

Integrating the two models provides a direction for recovering couples in establishing, or reestablishing healthy relationship behaviors that also include issues related specifically to couples impacted by problematic substance use or behavioral compulsions. These strategies help couples lean the right way in finding their recovery path.

Therapists
Finding Direction

Couple recovery is an emerging concept in addiction treatment

Couples
Finding Support

Couples need support in bringing recovery into their relationship

working Together

Couples may feel confused or even overwhelmed when thinking about addressing recovery in their relationship. Sometime fears center on concerns about the ability to keep boundaries and not lose focus on individual health and recovery concerns.This is understandable, with problematic substance or behavioral use or compulsive behaviors individual needs get lost.

The key to healthy boundaries starts with understanding the difference between “codependency” and “interdependency”. While codependency patterns involve control and silenced emotions and needs, in interdependent relationships both partners are able to express thoughts, feelings, and needs.

True or False?

Partners should

avoid any couple work in early recovery

FALSE

There is no research to support the idea to avoid couple work in early recovery

Find out more

True or False?

Research

confirms that good relationships predict long-term recovery

True

An 8-year study showed that healthy couple and extend family relationships are one of the biggest predictors of successful long-term recovery

For more information

Direction

Is there a roadmap

to help couples

Yes

There is a direction couples can take

WHY COUPLE RECOVERY?

Couple recovery refers to a focus on each partners own health and recovery, as well as relationship recovery from the impact of an addictive disorder. By focusing on what is healthy for each individual, and what is healthy for the relationship partners learn to talk about the impact from the disorder as well as develop a path for going forward.

Researching and advocating for couple recovery

Featured on Recent Podcasts

The Betrayed, the Addict, the Expert (recording of live video version of the podcast): Can Divorce Be Predicted? with Dr. Robert Navarra

Marriage Therapy Radio: “Addiction Recovery with Dr. Bob Navarra”

What Healthy Couples Know That You Don’t: “Addiction Recovery and Relationships”

Empowered Relationship Podcast: “How to Manage Substance Abuse Issues and Recovery in Relationships”

Make More Love Not War: “Couples Addiction Recovery”

TALKING ABOUT COUPLE RECOVERY

Rather than viewing partners and couple work as a threat to individual recovery, family recovery capitol reinforces the importance of a couple relationship as an added support and potential resource in the recovery process

It is critical to present the systemic viewpoint in addiction treatment. I'm happy to help in this work

This work is a tremendous contribution to the field of real couple therapy.

Couples affected by addiction are hungry for a framework to help heal their relationship. I highly recommend this important training for addiction treatment centers running family programs. It provides new research, insights, clinical structure and effective materials that can be used by therapists and staff to help couples build new relationship bridges.

I liked asking questions and listening to the answers. I enjoyed being informed and getting insight into my spouse.This would have been useful in the first 3-4 months in the program.

It is important for couples to know each other all over again, to help each other along the way. I know couple recovery is very important for couples, to help them in the long run and to teach their kids.

The Person I’m Dating Has A Drinking Problem

July 13, 2019 No Comments

I was asked to write a response to the above question in the Thrive Global article series, “Asking for a Friend”. This is a question that many people struggle with, not knowing what to do when there is evidence of a drinking or other drug use problem with the person they care about.

How Recovering Couples Can Deepen Their Friendship

May 19, 2019 No Comments

Steps to Increase Intimacy and Closeness Friendship is essential in developing and maintaining an intimate relationship. Based on John Gottman’s groundbreaking research involving 3,000 couples

Couple Recovery Theory and Gottman Research: A Perfect Recipe

May 16, 2019 No Comments

It has been a remarkable journey. I developed the Couple Recovery Development Approach (CRDA) in 2002 for my doctoral dissertation on couples in long-term recovery. The model is based on my research from the Family Recovery Project housed at Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, California.

Alcohol Became a Problem: Jerry and Carol’s Story