Dear Friends and Colleagues:

We would like to begin by wishing all of you a Happy National Recovery Month! The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has announced that this year’s National Recovery Month theme is “Join the Voices for Recovery: Speak Up, Reach Out.”  We hope that you will celebrate with us by contributing articles and being an active voice in the RecoveryView.com dialogue. Also, please remember to partake in your local community’s red ribbon events!

Like the summer leaves which are becoming awake to their new fall colors, we are experiencing some wonderful changes here at RecoveryView.com.  First, we would like to introduce you to our new Creative Editor, Samira R. Noorali.  Samira is eager to bring her artistic background to our journal and will be authoring a column called “Artistic View.”  We have also added several new books to our book store like Samira’s A Simple Rebirth, Sherry Gaba’s Law of Sobriety and Lee McCormick’s Spirit Recovery Medicine Bag. You can also engage in some free reading by accessing our archived material from past editions. With the first day of the school season coming up, it looks like parents will have plenty of reading material! 

Our current edition of RecoveryView.com is sponsored by Addiction Therapeutic Services, which is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month!

This edition features Dr. Allen Berger’s article “Recovery Capital,” in which he explains that all individuals have internal and external assets that can help support recovery.  He also breaks down how an individual can increase assets. Don’t worry, there’s not much math involved in this personal accounting - but you will certainly gain a new perspective on recovery.

Psychotherapist and new author, Saleem Noorali, takes a compassionate approach as he introduces a new therapeutic model entitled Compassion Attentiveness Therapy.   The article touches upon ancient wisdom and professional experience to define this new model.

Dan Brown, another great new author in our RecoveryView.com community, shows what happens when a person teeters along the fine line between drug use and drug addiction.  He focuses on the starting point of the downward spiral and describes

the dangerous pit stops along an addict’s path.

Scott Kiloby tells us the bottom line when it comes to recovery.  This new RecoveryView.com author wants those who are suffering from addiction to experience emotions in a “bare-naked” way.   The information in this article seems to go far beyond addiction recovery – we invite all to take advantage of Kiloby’s useful tips for being fully present in the moment. 

Herbert Kaighan poetically describes the circuitous nature of healing, drawing from metaphysical and aesthetic concepts.  Kaighan’s Healing Circuit appears simple, but the unique piece featured in this edition produces fresh insights even when read a second, third and fourth time.

Sherry Gaba offers solutions for psychotherapists who are seeking new careers.  If you’re looking to say farewell to a traditional job in mental health, Gaba’s
“Celebrity Branding: A new Frontier for Clinicians” article presents many new and exciting career avenues in media.

Andrew Kessler provides us an insider view of the opiate debate on Capitol Hill in his column, View from the Hill.  The battle is going strong with the voices of a few brave leaders, but it looks like Congress needs to put its money where its mouth is!

Samira’s “Artistic View” column explores the trend toward the use of digital art in recovery. This article features an interview with Greg Liotta, an inspiring artist and addictions counselor from Austin, Texas.

September’s first featured member, The Kiloby Center, teaches clients simple and effective tools for recovery.  The program employs the Natural Rest method, developed by Scott Kiloby, and shows clients how to cope with all forms of suffering and all forms of addictions. 

Featured member, Integrative Life Center, focuses on transformation in the real world.  ILC’s extended care program supports clients as they unravel in real world spaces.  ILC wants clients to become comfortable in redefining their identity on a day-to-day basis. Read more about the intricacies and inspirations for both of these innovative programs in our current edition!  

This month, we are proud to announce that RecoveryView’s Education department is providing CEs as well as event planning and promotional services. RecoveryView is coordinating two conferences in October beginning with a two-day Marketing and Admissions Symposium on October 14-15, 2014. We are excited to host this wonderful event alongside Hired Power Transitional Recovery Services, a leading transition services company.  On October 24, 2014, we will be coordinating and promoting Women’s Association for Addiction Treatment’s annual conference. Please visit amsymposium.com for more details and to register for these fabulous educational and networking opportunities. 

As we welcome autumn into our lives and share our joys and successes with the RecoveryView.com community, we reflect on the profound impact that our authors and members have made on this journal.  And, with the recent passing of Robin Williams, we also pay tribute to a man of many gifts.  It is our hope that this tragedy will bring light to serious mental health issues faced by many Americans.  Robin Williams’ long battle with addiction and depression has come to a close, but with the increasing rates of depression in this country, we hope that his struggle will inspire action to help those who continue in their fight. 

Thank you again for your contributions, and we look forward to hearing you raise your voices as National Recovery Month fast approaches. We are grateful to see your enduring dedication to recovery!

In Love and Light,

Josie and Jim Herndon