Charles Elin, LCSW

Recovery and Psychotherapy

The process of recovery for the severely mentally-ill begins when acceptance moves to empower valued actions. ​This can be a slow process.  Like any blow to the system, our nature is to fight back in the most familiar ways.  The tendency is to blame the mental health system, the medication, doctors, family.  Anger is expected and evidence can support almost any position.   However, the recovery movement is moving beyond blame to focus on the privileged position of the client, in providing guiding information in living with an illness or "altered state". Sometimes, policy comes from the wagging tail -- and more programs have found a more empowering approach. ​And yet, any gains in recovery will always lead back to how one is able to access the cultural, family, or medical supports that are valued by the one in recovery.