Though various treatment programs show improvement, treatment compliance appears to be the key operating variable.  However, my life’s mission is to teach everyone that we all have the source of all that’s good, strong, and beautiful within us.  In learning to access that source, we can become the creators of our life story.

The same principle applies to treating substance abuse.  Too often, the substance abuser is acting based upon someone else’s wishes and hopes for his or her life.  But, empowerment research suggests that when people are committed to something, they will act from their own respective source of that which is good, strong, and beautiful.

Therefore, I’m including a short presentation that provides my way of building commitment within treatment. The basic idea is that, if we can teach people to share in their development of their treatment goals, then they probably will stay committed to their treatment.

The core of the presentation, by the way, works for anyone who leads others.  Simply substitute “substance abuse treatment” for any other program or set of activities and the result: building commitment should emerge.  Really, reflective writing and understanding is at the heart of the method and there is work involved.  But the results are worth it.

I do, as usual, welcome feedback about the attached and the methods presented therein. The slides are here: bulidingTxCommitment