About Us
Taking the Escalator
Professional Therapy Worksheets & Recovery Resources for Mental Health Providers
About Taking the Escalator Method
Taking the Esclator Methodology is Explained in Detail in the Following Publications:
Taking Another Look at Addiction, Recovery and Sobriety
Why Take a Different View?
Understanding Some Key Concepts in a New Light
Motivation and Insight
What Exactly is Insight?
Enhancing Insight Part 1
Enhancing Insight Part 2
Internal Motivation
External Motivation
Addiction as an "Incurable" Disease
Managing Setbacks Using the Escalator
The 10 Principles of the Escalator Change Process
13 Expectations and AspirationsMASTER THE METHOD: Starting Here:
The Tools of Engagement Intro - The Puzzle: Then and Now
Understanding the Escalator Method from a Theoretical Perspective
Taking the Escalator: Evidence-Based Theoretical Basis
The Escalator Method is a Combination of the following Evidence-Based Treatment Practices & Perspectives:
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
The Stages of Change (aka the Transtheoretical Model)
Harm Reduction (HR)
Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders
Co-Occurring Disorders (Version 2)
Intro to Coexisting Issues (COI)
Engagement Skills for Clinicians: Background:
What is Engagement?
The Ideal Vs. The Real in Substance use Treatment
Examining Your Comfort Level
Engagement at the Intake/Assessment: Mission Impossible
Understanding the Key Roles of Insight & Motivation for Engagement in Counseling
Practical Strategies for Engaging Clients in Substance Use Treatment
The Tools of Engagement:
Take Time to Engage
Just Be Nice
Let Go of Your Ego
Be Positive
Judging What it Really Means to be Nonjudgmental
Sometimes the Counselor Must be an Entertainer
Empathy is Your Lifeline: Never Let it Go
Candor and Honesty are Your Shield
Values
Values and CBT
Taking an Interest
Engagement: Illustrations and Analogies
Additional Key Thoughts to Always Keep in MindWorking with Adolescents and Young People
Culture. Meaning, Purpose and Belief: Broadening the View - Understanding over Assumption
Integrating Coexisting Issues by Treating Substance Use and Mental Health Together
The Challenges of Working with Clients who are Primarily Externally Motivated
Setbacks and Engagement: For Counselors
Engagement, Safety and Risk: An Assessment Framework
Challenges Helping Families with Substance Use Issues
Obstacles to Engagement
Escalator Methodology Overview and Engagement Skills ListHalf Measures for Good Measure
Heroin is a Game Changer
The Marijuana Legalization Issue
Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders in a Mental Health Setting - (A compilation of info for training MH providers)
What's Wrong with Mandating 12 Step Meetings?
How to Handle the "Are you in Recovery?" Question if you are not in Recovery
13 Guiding Principles of Escalator Support Groups
Opinion: Venting about VapingThe Builder
Jails, Institutions or Death...So What!
For Families - Can Tough Love be Too Tough?
The Right Dose (The Power of Encouragement)
Unfollowing the Nonsense
A Book Written by a Social Worker?
Three Paths - An Effective Way to Answer the "Is Marijuana a Gateway?" Question
A Life-Changing Assignment
Founder
Kenneth Pecoraro
LCSW, LCADC, CCS
A Word from our Founder
Kenneth Pecoraro LCSW, LCADC, CCS, has been the Director of Addiction and Co-Occurring Services at CPC Behavioral Healthcare since 2001. Kenneth got his Masters at Rutger's University and he has been in the substance use and mental health treatment feild for 30 years specializing in co-occurring disorders.
Therapy Resources
Taking the Escalator provides free and paid subscriptions for mental health professionals, offering access to therapy worksheets, clinical tools, and practice-support resources
Taking the Escalator is a professional therapy resource platform offering structured worksheets and guided exercises for substance use recovery, mental disorders, and emotional regulation, designed for therapists and mental health professionals.
The platform is designed for mental health professionals who need clear, session-ready tools to support recovery, insight, and skill development. Resources are created for clinical use in individual and group therapy settings and are intended to complement evidence-based treatment approaches.
Who Taking the Escalator Is For
Taking the Escalator is used by:
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licensed therapists and counselors
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addiction and substance use treatment professionals
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clinicians working with co-occurring mental health conditions
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providers leading individual or group therapy programs
The content is designed for professional application, not general self-help, and supports structured therapeutic work across different stages of treatment.
How the Resources Are Used in Therapy
Mental health professionals use Taking the Escalator to:
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guide focused conversations during therapy sessions
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support group therapy discussion and reflection
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assign structured between-session work
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help clients identify patterns, triggers, and emotional responses
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reinforce coping skills and relapse-prevention strategies
The worksheets and exercises are adaptable for early recovery, active treatment, and ongoing maintenance.
Clinical Focus Areas
Taking the Escalator supports therapeutic work related to:
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substance use and addiction recovery
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co-occurring mental health disorders
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emotional regulation and distress tolerance
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relapse awareness and behavioral patterns
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self-reflection, accountability, and coping strategies
The resources are designed to support both short-term therapeutic goals and long-term emotional stability.
The Philosophy Behind Taking the Escalator
The name Taking the Escalator reflects a core therapeutic principle:
meaningful change happens through consistent, supported steps,
not shortcuts.
The platform emphasizes:
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steady progress over perfection
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structured guidance over abstract advice
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reflection paired with practical skill-building
This philosophy mirrors how recovery and emotional regulation are addressed in real clinical settings.
How Taking the Escalator Supports Modern Therapy Practice
Taking the Escalator was built to support the realities of modern mental health care, including limited session time, diverse client needs, and the importance of clear, repeatable tools.
The platform provides therapists with resources that are easy to integrate into existing treatment plans while maintaining clinical integrity and consistency.