ABSTRACT
Chapter 8 continues to provide guidance for the Reconnecting for Recovery (R4R) therapists on how to educate group members regarding (a) the spiral, stages, and processes of change; (b) Motivational Interviewing principles; and (c) how mutual connections encourage us to be “different-in-connection.” Additional instruction is provided about how to facilitate large and small group discussion regarding the patient’s stage of change. A clinical vignette shows how the therapist responds to a family wherein the patient’s assessment of his stage of change is different from that of his parents. The outcome is that the family is able to practice being different while remaining connected and can reflect on how collaboration in recovery is impeded when differences and emotions are left unspoken. There is emphasis on the importance of helping group members identify, process, and repair disconnections that obstruct recovery, including a list of therapist interventions that facilitates this work. Chapter 8 ends with suggestions to allow for more question and answer time related to material covered in Sessions 3 and 4, and time to provide information about continuum of care, local resources, and typical treatment team member roles. Session 4 main goals and handouts are outlined at the chapter’s end.
