Welcome to Groups

This may seem simple — but it’s actually a very powerful clinical tool.

After 30+ years of counseling sessions, one of my favorite prompts for eliciting clearer, richer client material is:

I know — it sounds almost too simple. But if you’re not using this prompt regularly, I strongly encourage you to try it.

When a client is struggling to describe something abstract, confusing, or emotionally loaded, instead of defaulting to:

• “Tell me more about that…”

The Northeast & Caribbean Addiction Technology Transfer Center (NeC-ATTC) is offering a series of free Zoom webinars this February.

If Motivational Interviewing is part of your clinical toolbox (or you want it to be), I especially recommend catching Paul Warren. He’s a nationally recognized MI trainer, and his sessions are consistently practical, evidence-based, and directly applicable to real-world clinical work.

✔ No cost

✔ High-quality training

✔ Strong fit for SUD and co-occurring treatment settings

🔗 Registration link: https://attcnetwork.org/training-and-events-calendar/?_center_dropdown=northeast-caribbean-attc

I’m sharing a free Honesty Worksheet created by Carepatron that can be useful for group or individual reflection.

This worksheet helps participants:

• Reflect on situations where honesty felt difficult

• Identify patterns or triggers related to dishonesty

• Explore how honesty (or avoidance) impacts relationships

• Connect honesty to personal values and goals

  
  

I’m sharing a free, multi-page psychoeducation handout that I found online - It explains:

• How addiction affects the brain

• Why tolerance and withdrawal happen

• What Post-Acute Withdrawal (PAWS) is and why it matters

This is education only - just clear explanations, visuals, and language that help normalize early recovery and reduce shame-based thinking.

It’s designed for group use, especially in early recovery or education-focused sessions.

I came across this well-done introductory PDF on Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy and wanted to share it with the group. This PDF is adapted from an IFS Level 1 training manual and provides a solid, clinician-friendly overview of the model, including:

• Core assumptions of IFS

• The roles of parts (Managers, Firefighters, Exiles)

• The concept of Self and Self-leadership

• Practical language for identifying and working with parts

• The 6 F’s of unblending (Find, Focus, Feel, Befriend, Find out, Fears)

I’m sharing a free recovery workbook I came across online that does a solid job walking through motivation, ambivalence, and readiness for change in a structured but approachable way

This workbook helps people:

• Explore what they like and don’t like about substance use

• Look honestly at short- and long-term impacts

• Reflect on how others may be affected

• Understand the Cycle of Change (pre-contemplation through maintenance and relapse)

🎯 SMART Goal Worksheet Added

Below is a useful two-page SMART Goal-Setting worksheet from Johns Hopkins University. It helps turn vague goals into clear, realistic next steps by focusing on specificity, measurability, and achievability.

Useful for individual and group therapy or anyone who wants structure without overcomplicating things.

Self Care is the topic of the week. Below is a free basic Personal Self Care Plan that can be useful for therapy in a variety of settings. Enjoy!

I wanted to share this free Aftercare Workbook developed by De Novo Treatment Centre for anyone looking for structured, ready-to-use material to support substance use recovery and aftercare programming.

The workbook is organized as a 12-week sequence and includes worksheets and discussion material covering recovery goals, relapse prevention, high-risk situations, mental health, self-worth, relationships, and the mind–body connection. It is well suited for group settings or individual use in outpatient, IOP, or aftercare contexts.

Sharing here in case it is helpful to others.