Trauma and the Twelve Steps: Introducing Dr. Jamie Marich

This is a guest post by Jamie Marich, Ph.D., LPCC-S, LICDC, author of Trauma and the Twelve Steps: A Complete Guide to Enhancing Recovery.

Somebody recently asked me what I hoped to achieve, as a larger mission, in my new book Trauma and the Twelve Steps: A Complete Guide to Enhancing Recovery.

After giving it some thought, it came to me. I would love it if, one day, every person coming into addiction recovery could have the same experience that I had with Janet. Janet is a central figure in my book, which is part clinical, part self-help, and part autobiographical.

I met Janet, a retired American social worker with (at the time) 25 years of recovery under her belt when I worked in Bosnia-Hercegovina from 2000-2003. I went to Bosnia as Croatian-American English teacher trying to “find myself” in this recovering war zone, and through a series of events that I now see as divine, I found recovery…and Janet was the messenger.

I went to my first recovery meeting of any kind as her translator and something made sense. Janet patiently met me where I was “at” on my journey, answering the questions I had about alcoholism and addiction that I noticed in the community around me and in my own family, even though I wasn’t quite ready to identify these problems in me.

When I hit one of many low points that summer and started to realize that I struggled with chemicals, I approached Janet with the story of my life, and she met me not with judgment, but with assurance. She helped me to understand that I wasn’t crazy or defective, but that I had a disease I could treat. Being a social worker, she was also well-attuned to the realities of trauma and how it can affect a person’s development, and she spotted it in me a mile away.

I am grateful for this recognition, because it helped her realize that she needed to tread gently with me and honor my past experience. I will never forget the anthem that she instilled in me from those early days when I approached her, “Jamie,” she said, “After everything you’ve been through, no wonder you turned out addicted…but what are you going to do about it now?”

Janet didn’t tell me to sit down and shut up. She didn’t tell me that I had to take the cotton out of my ears and put it into my mouth. Janet didn’t approach me like a drill sergeant with a my way or the highway approach to recovery.

Janet made suggestions, like trying out some meetings, like meeting with her for coffee or in her office to talk things through. She impressed upon me that I didn’t have to identify, one way or another, as an alcoholic or an addict, when I went to meetings, I simply had to go and listen up, assuring me that I would know if I belonged. And sure enough I did!

And when I cried, especially those violent tears of overreaction, Janet helped me to explore the traumatic roots of these tears. Janet never judged me, even though there were some moments when I defied her suggestions or downright rejected recovery for weeks at a time. She always helped me work towards a greater understanding of myself and my situation. Eventually, Janet helped me see things in me that I couldn’t see in myself. That is what led me back to the states to get further training and launch my career in human services here.

I owe my life, my recovery, and my career to Janet. It all started with her ability to meet me where I was at and honor the complications that my unresolved trauma brought to my recovery.

Needless to say, it disheartened me greatly when I came back to the states. I saw that not all meetings and not all treatment centers promote this same spirit of mutual understanding and challenge that Janet embodied. In my view, I experience, with Janet, the best of what 12-step recovery could be. Yet, I observed that the reality in many parts of the world is far from what I experienced.

Meetings at which people feel forced to identify one way as an alcoholic or an addict scare me. Treatment centers where people are told things like, “You’re just an addict,” or “You’re not here to deal with your trauma, just your addiction,” literally make my skin crawl. Programs where people are told to be grateful and accept what that program offers (e.g., places that are notorious for promoting a one size fits all approach to treatment).

 My frustration with these meeting and treatment center styles was my push for writing Trauma and the Twelve Steps: A Complete Guide to Enhancing Recovery. I hope to promote a picture of what integrated, healthy recovery that promotes the best of what traditional 12-step approaches can offer together with innovations in trauma treatment. Had Janet not worked with me in this spirit of integration, I believe with all my heart that I never would have stayed put to wait around for the miracle to happen (as the cliché goes).

So, after everything that happened to you, it’s no wonder you became addicted (the validation)…what are you going to do about it now (the challenge)? This simple question, first given to be by Janet, best summarizes my approach in my clinical work and writing. I honor and respect a person’s past, yet I equip them with proactive steps they can take, both within and outside of the 12-step framework, to make changes.

My hope for you is that if you are in need of this integrated approach, you will find a treatment center, counselor/clinician, and a sponsor or other support figure willing to work with you in this manner. Never be afraid to ask how a treatment center, clinician, or sponsor approaches trauma in making your choices. If something doesn’t rest right with you, keep searching…hope is on the horizon.

Dr. Jamie Marich is a licensed clinical counselor and chemical dependency counselor in the State of Ohio. She is the creator of the “Dancing Mindfulness” practice. She travels the country offering continuing education workshops and retreats on issues related to trauma and addiction. She is the author of Trauma and the Twelve Steps: A Complete Guide to Enhancing Recovery and EMDR Made Simple: 4 Approaches for Using EMDR with Every Client. Her dissertation on the use of EMDR in addiction continuing care was published in the prestigious APA journal, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. 

For more information:

Trauma and the Twelve Steps: A Complete Guide to Enhancing Reocovery

Dancing Mindfullness

Dr. Jamie Marich

Jamie Marich Consultation and Training Services

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