Life Skills Training

At Guardian Recovery we remain dedicated to a “whole person” approach to recovery, meaning that we focus on a complete restoration of physical, mental and emotional health. Our Lifeskills Training program reflects this outlook.

The vital life skills that we teach and services that we provide include:

• Nutritional counseling – Adequate nutrition is absolutely essential to the overall recovery process. Many clients who struggled with long-term drug addiction and alcoholism come to us severely malnourished. Not only does the ability to prepare nutritious meals at home completely fall by the wayside, but chemical substances prevent the body from absorbing the nutrients it needs to function properly. At Guardian Recovery we have licensed nutritionists on staff who conduct nutrition-based workshops on a regular basis. Our clients learn how to make healthy choices at the supermarket, how to eat well on a budget, and how to prepare nutrient-dense meals and snacks that facilitate comprehensive healing.
• The development of healthy communication skills – Most of our clients lack the ability to communicate their personal needs and their emotions in healthy and productive ways. They might find it difficult to socialize in sobriety – simply because they have not had ample practice, or they previously relied on chemical substances in social settings. Some clients have a difficult time expressing and maintaining personal boundaries, listening to others or engaging in healthy, verbal conflict resolution. Clients learn to communicate in individual and group therapy settings, where they are able to offer and receive peer support and speak (in turn) in a safe environment.
• Stress management through physical fitness – Every adequate Lifeskills Training program should focus on stress relief and stress management. Most clients find that engaging in regular physical exercise is a wonderful way to relieve stress. We introduce our clients to a wide range of healthy physical activities, including yoga, going to the gym and exercising in nature (like swimming or going on hikes).
• Effectively planning for the future – It can seem somewhat overwhelming to plan for the future, especially after a prolonged period of active addiction. But transition from inpatient treatment back into independent living is much more overwhelming without a solid plan in place. At Guardian Recovery we help our clients plan for future success by helping them each develop a highly individualized plan for continuing care. This might mean continuing on with individual therapy or regularly meeting with a licensed psychiatrist, continuing with daily 12 step program involvement and stepwork, or discussing appropriate career options or a return to school.
• Vocational training – Some clients come to us with their career paths still intact – others come to us after losing job after job, unable to hold down employment for more than several days at a time. We teach a range of skills that go hand-in-hand with finding an appropriate career, including resume building, interviewing skills, managing workplace triggers and solving conflict with co-workers or employers.
• Educational training and placement – Many of our clients drop out of school once their substance abuse disorders take a turn for the worst. We help them re-enter into higher levels of education and choose subjects of study that interest them.