Four Circles To Lead Focus On Women Recovery Seminar

CRC Health Group will be represented at the 26th Annual ADDICTION: Focus on Women (AFOW) Conference by two experts from Four Circles Recovery Center, who will be leading a three-day seminar on incorporating experiential wilderness therapy into addiction recovery treatment.

Four Circles Clinical Director Heather Schnoebelen, MS, LPC, LCAS; and Program Director Dr. Melanie Weis, PhD, LPC, LCAS-P, NCC, will be presenting "Out of the Chair and Into the Wild: An Experiential Approach to Systems and Addictions Work" at the conference, which is scheduled for May 15 to 18 at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Demonstrating the Power of Wilderness:
The theme of the 2012 AFOW Conference is "SHE: Self-determination. Help. Empowerment." The conference is designed for professionals who work with women and families in the fields of substance abuse, mental health, criminal justice, human services, healthcare and related professions.

"I love this work because it allows me to combine my love for the magic and beauty of the natural world with my passion for the magic and beauty of the human spirit," Ms. Schnoebelen said. "I have devoted myself to this work because I am honored enough to work with and witness people aspiring to grow and change and I cannot imagine a more perfect job."

Focusing on Family Dynamics:
As the title of Four Circles seminar indicates, "Out of the Chair" attendees won't be passive recipients of information about concrete methods for working with families and groups who are struggling with addiction-related issues.

Instead, they will have the opportunity to experience the healing power of nature and adventure based counseling for themselves by completing some of the therapeutic outdoor activities that have proved so beneficial to patients and families at Four Circles.

"Through these activities, families learn new ways of interacting with each other," Dr. Weis said. "With these workshops, it's all about asking families to get out of their comfort zone. We engage in activities that encourage them to be uncomfortable in order to address the problems that they've been dealing with."

The Nation's Premier Program:
According to Four Circles Executive Director Jack Kline, MS, LPC, LCAS, CCS, Ms. Schnoebelen and Dr. Weis are particularly well suited to teach other professionals about wilderness-based treatment for women.

"We have the nation's premier young adult drug & alcohol treatment program, and we have the only program in the nation that provides wilderness therapy to young women who are struggling with substance abuse." Mr. Kline said. "Heather and Melanie's leadership ensures that Four Circles is a clinically sophisticated and emotionally safe environment where women can deal with the issues that are specific to their unique situations."

About the Presenters:
Ms. Schnoebelen, who holds a master's degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology (with an emphasis in Wilderness Therapy) from Naropa University, has been working with adolescents and families in the wilderness for more than 10 years. Her focus has been on addictions, depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, gender identity issues, oppositional behavior, and conduct disorder with adolescents and young adults.

Dr. Weis, who joined the Four Circles team two years ago, has a wealth of professional experience working with children, adolescents and adults on issues of grief and loss, domestic violence, addictions, anxiety, low self-esteem, trauma, and depression. Prior to becoming a part of the Four Circles family, she was in private practice counseling adults and couples.

For more about Four Circles, visit http://fourcircles.crchealth.com. For more about the AFOW conference, visit http://www.mahec.net/afow/.