Recovery Resources

A Curated Guide to Support, Treatment & Trauma Care
3 min read
// From Insight to Action: A Clear Path Forward

Understanding trauma and addiction means nothing if you don't know what to actually do about it. I spent years drowning in information while my life fell apart — reading books, starting programs, burning through therapists — still using, still barely functional. I was holding down a job, keeping up relationships, paying bills. Performing. And failing at all of it in ways I made sure no one could see. The systems felt designed to confuse. The options felt infinite and useless at the same time.

This page cuts through that. Everything in one place. No fluff, no false promises — just the tools and pathways that actually exist.

I've laid this out in steps because if I were starting over, this is the order I'd follow. Your path won't look like mine. Recovery isn't linear — it's messy, it backtracks, it circles the same ground until something finally sticks. Use what fits. Skip what doesn't. Come back when you're ready.

Here's what's covered below. The list here explains what each category is for; the clickable resource sections live farther down the page.

A quick note: the Supplemental Programs, Videos, Talks & Educational Media, and Online Resources & Digital Support sections are still under construction. The list below is an overview only — the live, clickable resource sections appear farther down the page.

  • Detox & Stabilization: Medical or supervised support to stop using safely and get your body to a baseline where you can actually think.
  • Treatment Centres: Residential programs, structured environments where you can rebuild without the chaos of daily life collapsing around you.
  • Trauma Therapy & Mental Health Care: How to find and vet a trauma therapist—what actually signals competence, how to assess fit and pacing, and where to start your search through trusted directories and access points.
  • Navigating Alberta Health Services (Recovery Alberta): Psychiatry, PCNs, RAAM clinics, crisis lines—how to access public support and what to expect when you do.
  • Supplemental Programs: Under Construction SMART Recovery, Recovery Dharma, Al-Anon, CRAFT, peer support—alternatives that fill the gaps 12-step programs leave open.
  • Books, Journals & Tools: Workbooks, reflection guides, nervous system tools—practical resources that helped me build awareness and hold myself accountable.
  • Prominent Voices: Gabor Maté, Bessel van der Kolk, Judith Herman, Peter Levine, Lisa Feldman Barrett—the people whose work helped me understand what was happening to me.
  • Videos, Talks & Educational Media: Under Construction High-quality content that breaks down complex trauma and addiction concepts without the academic jargon.
  • Online Resources & Digital Support: Under Construction Websites, podcasts, virtual tools—reliable information when in-person help isn't an option.

Take what you need. Leave the rest. The point isn't perfection — it's direction. If one thing here makes the next step clearer, that's enough.

// Help Me Expand This

If you're a clinician, provider, or survivor and you know of a resource that genuinely helps, send it my way. The goal isn't to collect everything — it's to build something useful, credible, and worth returning to.

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Detox & Stabilization
Detox & Stabilization Explore
Treatment Centres
Treatment Centres (Residential, PHP & IOP) Explore
Trauma Therapy
Trauma Therapy & Mental Health Care Explore
Alberta Health Navigation
Navigating Alberta Health Services Explore
Supplemental Programs
Supplemental Programs & Peer Support Coming soon — this section is currently under construction. Coming Soon
Books & Tools
Books, Journals & Recovery Tools Explore
Prominent Voices
Prominent Voices in Trauma & Addiction Explore
Videos & Talks
Videos, Talks & Educational Media Coming soon — this section is currently under construction. Coming Soon
Online Resources
Online Resources & Digital Support Coming soon — this section is currently under construction. Coming Soon

Where to Next?

Follow the next step in order, or branch out into related topics.

Feeling overwhelmed by what you’ve read? Support is here • Call 988 Anywhere in Canada 24/7 Suicide Crisis Line • In Alberta call 211 (community & mental health referrals) • Distress Line 780-482-HELP • 911 in emergencies