The Right Step in Houston, the first addiction treatment center in the world to use Positive Recovery, announces the launch of an intensive training program called “The Positive Recovery University” on March 4. More than 75 employees at The Right Step, a network of outpatient and inpatient addiction treatment centers in Texas, will receive the training, which will apply the principles of Positive Psychology to addiction treatment. In combination with other evidence-based strategies and treatments, the Positive Recovery coursework will serve as a guidepost for the staff as they work to help addicts discover meaning and purpose in their lives upon achieving sobriety. The Positive Recovery University will be led by The Right Step and Promises Austin Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jason Z.W. Powers, who holds a Masters of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and was recognized as a top addiction doctor in Houston four times by H Texas Magazine. Positive Recovery is based in Positive Psychology, which seeks to make normal life more fulfilling, rather than merely treating mental illness. Addicts can flourish in recovery if they develop Positive Recovery habits, such as keeping track of the blessings in their lives each day, Dr. Powers said. “We are the first treatment center to use Positive Recovery,” Dr. Powers said, “which strives to discover the deeper reasons and meaning behind people’s use of addictive substances and behaviors in order to help them uncover effective replacements that meet their fundamental needs. Doing so enables people to live lives in recovery that are ultimately rewarding and fulfilling enough to be self-sustaining.” Dr. Powers said he hopes to one day expand The Positive Recovery University by making the coursework, which consists of weekly meetings, weeklong practices and small group sessions, available to therapists worldwide. “There’s a lot of buzz here [at The Right Step],” Dr. Powers said. “I’m excited to start training this amazing group of people.”
