While Spring can be warm for some of us and downright wintry for others (hello, Spring snowstorms), come Summer, we can all count on long, warm days, soft breezes, flowers in bloom and a bountiful harvest from backyard gardens. Among the many reasons we love this season is how virtually effortless it is to be healthy. Warmer temperatures prompt cravings for cool, crisp salads and fresh fruit. And local parks, beaches and bike paths beckon us for days packed full of fun activities with family and friends.

We want to thank our sponsor for this issue, the Admissions and Marketing Symposium, for which we are also proud to be a partner with Hired Power. This event is the only of its kind, connecting and training admissions, intake, marketing staff and consultants. Click on the banner to learn more.

In the meantime, we are happy to share our summer issue, which is full of great tips on how to get and stay healthy, physically, mentally and emotionally.

A greater understanding of the mind/body connection leads to greater healing in many areas. Dr. Tian Dayton teaches us how this fundamental knowledge connects childhood trauma with adult addiction, anxiety and depression. She suggests “self medicating” naturally to break the cycle of trauma and addiction in a healthy way, using this integrated approach.

Sometimes it seems the budget debates and political back-and-forth that characterize our nation’s hub, Washington D.C., have little impact on us on a practical basis. Andrew Kessler’s latest View from the Hill breaks down the sometimes-confusing jargon and explains why the current budget crisis could be both and bad for those of us in the mental health and addictions professions.

You can get a kit to knit a scarf or build a model car, but a kit to maintain your spiritual practice and growth? Yep, there’s a kit for that too and Herb Kaighan has given it to you here, free of charge.

New RecoveryView.com author, Thomas Rohrer, in his inaugural article, wonders, “Are you setting yourself up?” This question can take us down two very different paths, both of which he explores, along with suggestions of how to make sure your path leads to success.

We all know the 12 steps and the principles behind it. But how many people really take hold of the idea that spirituality, belief in God/Higher Power, transforms one’s experience of recovery? Dr. Sage Breslin breaks down each step and explores what recovery can truly be when approaching each one with the fundamental belief in God at work in each of us.

Frequent contributor Sheri Laine often shares tips and techniques for healthy living and recovery through the lens of Chinese medicine. Just in time for summer, she imparts the wisdom of eating fresh fruits and vegetables on mental and emotional wellbeing. Time to serve up a big serving of whole-body health.

For those of us working in the addictions field, it’s no secret that eating disorders are incredibly multi-faceted and challenging to work with. New contributor, Dr. Kim Dennis, shows why deeply rooted trauma manifests in various types of eating disorders and why understanding this connection is so important in deciding the best course for treatment.

Allen Berger shares what he considers to be Bill W.’s fourth legacy and the history behind it. What he gleans from Bill W.’s correspondence to a close friend is just as relevant today as it was nearly 60 years ago.

Also, in this issue are our two latest Book Club entries to add to your library: Allen Berger’s Love Secrets: Revealed and Thomas Rohrer’s Thriving Beyond Addiction: A Complete, User-Friendly Guide.

Whether you take us with you to the beach or pool, or just outside on your patio, we hope you’ll enjoy this issue with a cool glass of lemonade or iced tea, a breeze in your hair and a song of summer in your heart.

Blessings,

Jim and Josie Herndon