"Letting go of our ideas about how life should go is a choice that sets life’s magic free.” Melody Beattie Melody Beattie, the woman who brought the term codependency into normal conversation, died on February 27, 2025, at the age of 76. Her story is grounded in Minnesota. She was born in Ramsey, went to| The Phoenix Spirit
This issue, we talk with Hennepin Health's Valerie Gustafson, a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor about her journey from Peer Recovery Coach to LADC. Views expressed are of Valerie's and not of her employer. Can you share a bit about yourself and your role at Hennepin Health? I’m a person in long-term recovery (since 2008)| The Phoenix Spirit
It was May and I had just passed through the most painful period of my life. I was 51 years old and living alone in the same city I had lived with my family for the past twenty years. On warm evenings, I sat in a lawn chair and enjoyed the setting sun. One evening,| The Phoenix Spirit
Jeff Powell, better known as Jay Pee, came from the hellish side of Chicago, broken. In his first 30 years, he did it all – drug dealing, gangs, crime, jail. “It was pretty much like a war zone out there,” he says. Yet the streets were the only place where Jay Pee felt he could| The Phoenix Spirit
When Jason Schneidman meets disheveled-looking people begging on street corners, he doesn’t hand them a couple bucks. He gives them haircuts. And then some. As a hairstylist for Hollywood celebrities, Schneidman is in the lookin’-good business big time. He’s well aware that a nice haircut can lead to feeling better about yourself and of course| The Phoenix Spirit
This article instructs and suggests styles and methods of creating a resume with gaps in employment due to a justice involved history, which then results in absence of employment/and educational history. This information has been collated and recorded through several years of working inside our state facilities, as well as in the community setting with| The Phoenix Spirit
We feature an expert in the mental health and substance use disorder field to answer questions. This issue we talk to Sadie Broekemeier of Recovering Hope about attending school for addiction studies. Q: Could you please share a little bit about your background and what led you to pursue a career in alcohol and drug| The Phoenix Spirit
Minnesota North College nets funding for training counselors, changing lives of students in recovery The shortage of mental health professionals in Minnesota, including those working as licensed alcohol and drug counselors (LADCs), has been well documented. One in four jobs in the field is currently vacant, according to an April Minnesota legislative report. At the| The Phoenix Spirit
Returning to school as an adult posed a serious threat to my mental health. Balancing a full-time career, full-time university, and full-time recovery was a significant challenge. For five years, I focused primarily on surviving the process of obtaining my master's degree. Late nights, lack of sleep, and excessive procrastination all made the road to| The Phoenix Spirit