ABSTRACT
Recovery from drugs or alcohol abuse is a process, where not only the cessation of the use occurs, but the interactions of family members change. Therapists working with families may assess where in the family recovery process the family is in order to adapt and tailor their treatment to match how the family is functioning. One avenue of treatment is a focus on relapse, as people tend to view slips or relapses as a sign that nothing has changed. However, by viewing recovery in a more recursive way, where treatment spirals back and forth, the family can understand the gains they have made and may more readily build on these changes. A significant source of change is recovery capital—the elements in people’s lives that help them to change and maintain those changes. Therapists can help clients to access as wide variety of recovery capital to push forward the change process and increase the possibility of the changes holding. This chapter presents various typologies of family recovery as well as recovery capital. It further discusses the area of family-based prevention.
