Helping Women Recover: A Program for Treating Addiction is an evidence-based, manualized curriculum for treating women with histories of addiction and trauma. It is designed for use in a variety of settings including outpatient and residential substance use disorder treatment programs, domestic violence shelters, and mental health clinics. Helping Women Recover is grounded in research, theory, and clinical practice. The foundation of the treatment model is the integration of three theories: a theory of addiction, a theory of women’s psychological development, and a theory of trauma. The therapeutic strategies include psycho-educational, cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness, expressive arts, and relational approaches.

Additional updates to the third edition include:

• Expanded from 17 to 20 sessions
• Trauma-sensitive yoga exercises
• Updated gender information
• Incorporates more mindfulness
• New brain research as it relates to addiction and trauma
• Updated statistics
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
• Process of trauma and its effects on the mind and body

A Woman's Journey, the participant's workbook, allows women to process and record the therapeutic experience. The program is organized into four modules: self, relationships, sexuality, and spirituality. These are the four areas that recovering women have identified as triggers for relapse and as necessary for growth and healing. The materials are designed to be user-friendly and self-instructive. This allows the program to be implemented by a staff with a wide range of training and experience.

The groups are designed to be two hours in length and to include 6 to 10 women with one facilitator. It is recommended that the curriculum be implemented sequentially in closed groups, but this is not a requirement. It can also be adapted for work with individuals.