Seeking Safety Groups

Beginning in October of 2024, we will begin to offer Seeking Safety groups, which will run in three cycles throughout the calendar year. Seeking Safety is a skill-building program designed to help people on the road to recovery from trauma and co-occurring substance use issues, and other problematic coping behaviors. Together, we will learn about the ways in which past traumatic experiences can effect us in the present, and how to move forward by creating safety in our lives while learning how to manage our emotions in healthy ways that can lead us to victory.

Please see the calendar below for information about each group and the topics to be covered. To request more information, or to sign up, please contact me to set up an initial consultation to discuss how this group may meet your specific needs.

*Note, the first Seeking Safety group will consist of 8 sessions, while all groups after will consist of 12 sessions.

Seeking Safety Group Schedule
2024
Group
Safety
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Vanguard Counseling
Creating safety is the first stage of healing from both PTSD and substance abuse, and the foremost guiding principle throughout this program. We will explore what safety means, and will work together to identify healthy coping skills to help us on our journey.
Group
Detaching from Emotional Pain
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Vanguard Counseling
We will look at a powerful strategy known as “grounding” to help us detach from emotional pain. Three types of grounding will be presented (mental, physical, and soothing), with an experiential exercise to demonstrate the techniques. The goal is to shift attention toward the external world, and away from negative feelings.
Group
Asking for Help
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Vanguard Counseling
Frequently, those struggling with PTSD and/ or substance use experience difficulty in asking for help. Today’s topic encourages us to become aware of our need for help, and provides guidance in how to seek it effectively.
Group
Honesty
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Vanguard Counseling
We will be looking at the role of honesty in recovery and to role-play specific situations. We will explore such issues as: What is the cost of dishonesty? When is it safe to be honest? What if the other person doesn’t accept honesty?
Group
Taking Good Care of Yourself
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Vanguard Counseling
We will explore how well we take care of ourselves, using a questionnaire listing specific behaviors. We will then commit to taking immediate action to improve at least one self-care problem.
Group
Compassion
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Vanguard Counseling
Those who with PTSD and substance abuse typically express enormous self-loathing. They “beat themselves up” and blame themselves. Today’s topic will guide us in replacing destructive self-talk with compassionate self-talk, and we will learn how a loving stance toward the self can produce lasting change.
Group
Recovery Thinking
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Vanguard Counseling
Thoughts associated with PTSD and substance abuse will be contrasted with healthier “recovery thinking.” We will work to change our thinking using rethinking tools such as “List Your Options,” “Create a New Story,” “Make a Decision,” and “Imagine.” The power of rethinking will be demonstrated through think-aloud and rethinking exercises.
Group
Healing From Anger
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Vanguard Counseling
We will look at anger as a valid feeling that is inevitable in recovery from PTSD and substance abuse. We will learn how anger can be both constructive (a source of knowledge and healing) and destructive (a danger when acted out against self or others), and how to work with both types of anger.
2025
Group
Safety
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Vanguard Counseling
Creating safety is the first stage of healing from both PTSD and substance abuse, and the foremost guiding principle throughout this program. We will explore what safety means, and will work together to identify healthy coping skills to help us on our journey.
Group
PTSD: Taking Your Power Back
6:30 PM
Vanguard Counseling
We will be looking at four handouts to help us understand PTSD:

(1) What Is PTSD?

(2) The Link between PTSD and Substance Abuse

(3) Using Compassion to Take Back Your Power

(4) Long-Term PTSD Problems.

With each of these, the goal is to provide information as well as a compassionate understanding of the disorder and how it affects us(the key to “taking back your power”).
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Office Location

1528 Peachtree Lane NW, Cullman, AL, 35058

Availability

Primary

Monday:

Closed

Tuesday:

11:00 am-7:00 pm

Wednesday:

11:00 am-7:00 pm

Thursday:

11:00 am-7:00 pm

Friday:

11:00 am-7:00 pm

Saturday:

8:00 am-12:00 am

Sunday:

Closed

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