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Rehab Blog

Read more about the A2R approach. What makes it unique and how it can help your recovery!

Unblend to overcome!

Unblend to overcome!

You are complex If you have been following my work for any length of time, you will already know that this approach turns a lot of medical thinking on its head. The idea of unblending is no exception to that idea! So many of the clients I work with have been trying...

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The non-medical approach to recovery

The non-medical approach to recovery

If you have been thinking about attempting to recover from your addictive behaviour, it’s possible that you have not even considered what approach you will be taking. The medical model of addiction has become so prevalent in our (western) culture that you may be...

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Understanding and working with your parts

Understanding and working with your parts

Not considering your parts may be restricting your progress After nearly forty years working in the field, I am in no doubt about the biggest difficulties you face when trying to make positive lifestyle changes in your life. It is not considering the complex nature of...

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Would you rather be excited or contented? 

Would you rather be excited or contented? 

The pressure to be excitedWe live in a world where we are encouraged from all sides to be excited about everything. This is a part of a cultural shift towards hyping everything. This has become extreme now so that when passing someone the salt we are no longer...

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Consciousness and the observer position

Consciousness and the observer position

Have you ever stopped to consider the idea of consciousness? And what part it plays in your recovery journey? If you have, you will have been using your consciousness to do it! But what is it? What makes us aware that we are aware? Neuroscience is around a hundred...

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How neuroscience can help your recovery

How neuroscience can help your recovery

A vast majority of the collective is traumatized. It's our secret, unrecognised, epidemic. Trauma extends far beyond the 'big' events. At its core is disconnection from the true self. It presents as depression, as deep lonliness, and anxiety.  All of us have healing...

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Validation

Validation

In this piece you will learn what validation is and how it can be problematic when your source of validation is external rather than internal. I will then talk about the connection between validation and recovery as part of self leadership. Let’s go! Definition I want...

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Domestic abuse – Where the addict is made

Domestic abuse – Where the addict is made

Recently I watched a programme on the BBC which had been made from the experiences of one of our most famous footballers, Ian Wright. Although domestic abuse is not my area of expertise there is no doubt in my mind that the trauma of domestic abuse produces lots of...

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The observer position

The observer position

The ‘observer’ position  I want to say something more about one of the key points in this approach. In order to understand, develop and practice my method you must first develop your understanding of what I call the ‘observer position’. Things like a raised awareness...

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Building your ground floor

Building your ground floor

From survival to flourishingWhether you have been down and out, or what used to be called a 'high functioning' addict, you will have been used to employing some form of manipulation, denial or downright deceipt. Probably a mixture of all the above. These things become...

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Normality!

Normality!

The Ground Floor - Normal life At this point I will assume that you have a solid and stable foundation. If you do not, don't worry. Try to concentrate on the relationships inside any room that is unstable or weak and allow yourself to know what it is about that...

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Building Recovery – Solidity and stability

Building Recovery – Solidity and stability

Okay. So you have looked at the challenges involved in your recovery. You have now considered the most important questions such as cost, location and design. We now need to think about starting the work of recovery. That means building a good foundation. Once we are...

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Building Recovery – Cost

Building Recovery – Cost

Now we are going to get into more detail about the idea of ‘cost’. Another one of the ‘big three’ things to consider when building your recovery along with ‘design’ and ‘location’. Most of us get the general idea that things cost and that we have to pay, but what...

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Building Recovery – Your design

Building Recovery – Your design

Of the three most impotrtant factors when thinking about building your recovery - Design, cost and location. We could say that design is the one I see most often misunderstood, or left out altogether. Remember, if you do not design your recovery, someone else will!...

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Inside out The growth process explained Part one

Inside out The growth process explained Part one

Common sense is not always the best guide Today I want to talk to you about the growth process and how it can sometimes go against our common sense. There's a very good reason why we tend to start any change process from the outside-in. it doesn't take a genius to...

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The trap of success and failure

The trap of success and failure

Most things exist in a form which can be thought of as a duality. Would you know what 'up' is if there was no 'down'? Dark if there was no 'light'. Left and right, wrong and right. I think you get the idea. My name is Dave Cooper and I am a recovery coach and...

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Addiction as an inappropriate Relationship #2

Addiction as an inappropriate Relationship #2

Looking for something from a relationship it cannot give you This is the second of three posts where we look at addiction as an inappropriate relationship. Why deepening a relationship with a ‘dead’ or inert thing is so tempting to some and what is fundamentally...

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Addiction as an inappropriate Relationship #1

Addiction as an inappropriate Relationship #1

Addiction - Being in relationship with a dead thing  I define addiction as an ‘inappropriate relationship’ in all my teaching and practice. Today I want to offer you some definitions and reasons why I work that way and how you can benefit from this understanding. Here...

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Creating Magic moments

Creating Magic moments

Raising moments above the ordinary You have many ordinary moments in your life. What makes a magic moment for you? Many times we encounter people and circumstances that never rise above the ordinary. In all fairness we must admit that we have a huge part to play in...

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The effect of addiction on children

The effect of addiction on children

Families in addiction Over the past few years I have felt more and more moved to work with the families of addicted parents more than the addicts themselves. I am committed to getting the best information I can out there. Particularly for people who are often not well...

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Planning Recovery – Is it your design?

Planning Recovery – Is it your design?

Is it your design? Are you planning Recovery? Before you build anything there is a planning stage to complete. This stage is so important but is the first one you may be leaving out! Consider anyone trying to build a house without an architect! So you have materials...

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My approach to addiction and recovery

My approach to addiction and recovery

The Relational View of recovery from addiction I take the ‘relational view’ on what are primarily social issues such as addiction. What does this mean? It means that your aim in treating your issue is focused on your relationships and social bonding. It means that the...

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Relationships and Recovery

Relationships and Recovery

Relationships and Recovery from addiction Relationships and recovery go hand in hand. I would go as far to say that the quality of your relationships will equal the quality of your recovery! Let me put it another way. The effort, open mindedness and courage that you...

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A2R Blog – Risk

A2R Blog – Risk

Hi. Thanks for taking the time to read this. We are on a journey of change from an unhealthy pattern of living to a healthier pattern of facing and processing difficulties. By doing this we simply ‘outgrow’ our problems! How do we do this exactly? Today I want to give...

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A2R Blog – The cycle of addiction

A2R Blog – The cycle of addiction

Hi. Thanks for taking the time to read this. We are on a journey of change from an unhealthy pattern of ‘exits’ from our life to a healthier pattern of facing and processing difficulties. How do we do this exactly? Today I want to give you a method of working with...

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A2R Blog – EXITS

A2R Blog – EXITS

Hi. Thanks for taking the time to read this. We are on a journey of change from an unhealthy pattern of ‘exits’ from our life to a healthier pattern of facing and processing difficulties. How do we do this exactly? Today I want to give you more of an understanding of...

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A2R Blog – The moment of temptation

A2R Blog – The moment of temptation

Hi. Thanks for taking the time to read this. We are on a journey of change from an unhealthy pattern of ‘exits’ from our life to a healthier pattern of facing and processing difficulties. How do we do this exactly? Today I want to give you more of an understanding of...

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A2R – Processing what you own

A2R – Processing what you own

Hi and thanks for taking the time to read this. I am assuming that you are an interested party in the area of recovery generally, either an addictive personality yourself, or wanting help for a loved one. Today I want to take the idea of direct and indirect...

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A2R – Auditing confirming your progress

A2R – Auditing confirming your progress

Hi there, thank you for taking the time to read this. Today I wanted to cover in some detail the method of 'auditing'. You have probably heard the term in other contexts but we need to understand what a powerful tool this can be in the context of recovery, so let's...

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A2R Blog – The Recovery Box

A2R Blog – The Recovery Box

Hi. Thanks for taking the time to read this. We are on a journey of change from an unhealthy pattern of ‘exits’ from our life to a healthier pattern of facing and processing difficulties. How do we do this exactly? Today I want to give you a method of how we can...

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