Hello everyone! My name is Jamie Marich, and I am a woman in long-term recovery from alcohol, drugs, co-dependency, compulsive overeating, and work. I am also a survivor of trauma. When I set out on a path of recovery fourteen years ago, I had the privilege of being twelfth stepped by Janet, a wonderful woman with over twenty five years of recovery who really got trauma. She understood that if she tried to take me through the steps in a rigid, fundamentalist manner, I would not stay in the rooms. Not only did she help me realize that so many of my addictive responses were intertwined with traumatic reactions, she guided me through my first two years of recovery in a compassionate way. I am now a dually licensed mental health and addiction counselor specializing in trauma, and I have the awesome privilege of traveling the country to train others in trauma-informed and mindfulness-inspired approaches to healing. In 2012, I wrote a book called Trauma and the Twelve Steps: A Complete Guide for Recovery Enhancement. When one interviewer asked me what my mission was for writing the book, my answer was simple: To make sure that as many newcomers as possible are greeted at treatment centers and in the rooms of recovery in the way that I was received by Janet. With compassion. And with full understanding of how unhealed trauma shapes the human experience.
Leading professional workshops, open retreats, and counseling others with the principles I set forth in Trauma and the Twelve Steps has given me more rewards than I could ever imagine. Now, it is my great privilege to be able to bring the spirit of this work to the InTheRooms.com format for a combined show and meeting, which will begin on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 8:30pm EST. My hope is to reach even more people on a path of recovery and generate a safe, communal conversation around the issues of trauma recovery in 12-step circles. Here is a snippet from our opening statement:
Trauma & The Twelve Steps is an all-paths meeting that is not affiliated with any particular 12-step group. We welcome anyone to this meeting who believes that healing unaddressed trauma is a vital to their growth in recovery. We also welcome those who are interested in learning more about trauma and how unhealed trauma can keep us stuck in our recovery journey. Our definition of trauma is very broad—trauma comes from the Greek word meaning wound, and the metaphor of the wound can be incredibly useful. If wounds remain unhealed and unaddressed, they can fester and affect us in many areas of our daily living. You are not required to have any specific clinical diagnosis to be affected by unhealed trauma, and we welcome anyone feeling called to this meeting.
We will be InTheRooms every Wednesday evening at 8:30pm EST. Stop by and check out what we’re doing, and I hope that you will join in our conversation!
4 Comments
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Hi! Thank you for your work. I got In The Rooms app. I can’t choose a category. I entered Trauma and the Twelve Steps and the app says I “need to choose a category”. Is there another way to access your meeting or if I check into the app on Wednesday I will see a notice for the meeting?
I’m starting the book/daily reader/workbook, and am already so impressed. After 64 years of trauma I have so much to unpack! I am also starting Al-Anon and trauma therapy.
I’ll be here for the meeting on Wednesay at 6:30 MST, and hope the meetings are occurring. Thank you, Jamie Marich!
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