Transforming Trauma: Episode 140

Most addiction treatment models focus on behavioral change. And yet, many of these models fail at helping people fully recover from their addiction. Perhaps it is time to try something different? Applying NARM® to addiction brings focus to areas that behavioral interventions miss, like understanding the role of trauma, attachment, relationships, and shame. Addressing these areas has a profound impact on addiction recovery. NARM-AC™(also known as NARMA™), a newly developed addiction treatment model, already provides promising answers.

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth invites James McNinch, LCSW and PhD candidate and addiction specialist, to introduce NARM-AC, the NeuroAffective Relational Model® – Addiction Centered, an approach he co-developed alongside Dr. Laurence Heller, the creator of NARM. Emily and James explore the evolution of NARM-AC and its application.

NARM-AC propels Dr. Heller’s groundbreaking work into new territory. “It’s interesting because NARM doesn’t really get into behaviors, socialization, boundaries, and things like that. So, Larry and I are really feeling this out alongside practical approaches of accountability, social support, existing things like the 12 steps, motivational interviewing, and integrating that with connection, trust, autonomy, all the pillars of NARM,” James says. “What NARM-AC does is it compliments. Right now, in our treatment centers, [they] are utilizing the social model, and they’re having an immense experience with themselves, and they’re doing a 12-step thing to work with their mind. And, it’s very useful to use all these things all together in unison.”

James discusses the clinical focus of self-agency, which NARM-AC highlights as a critical component for sustained sobriety. “NARM-AC gives patients the option of having autonomy over how much they can handle in the moment, to go away and come back. It allows them the freedom to start trusting that their experience is not gonna kill them.” James continues, “The beautiful thing (about NARM-AC) is that clients are coming to their own conclusions. [We support] them to have the choice to stay in that phenomenology, and reminding them of what’s happening.”

Using a clinical model that goes well beyond the standard behavioral and cognitive focus provides clients with new pathways to change addictive patterns. Treating the trauma underneath addiction is a new paradigm. While this depth-oriented trauma work may take longer, it often reduces the risk of repeat behavior, as people truly heal. As James says, “It gives them hope. They stay longer; they connect deeper; they feel something that’s possible versus us all staying in denial.”

Transforming Trauma is grateful to James for co-creating the NARM-AC model and we hope that this framework for treating addiction can reach many more centers for helping people recover from addiction.

RECOMMENDED EPISODES

TT136: Addiction Recovery Within A Trauma-Informed Community With Laura Sorte

GUEST CONTACT AND BIO

NARM Therapy Los Angeles

James McNinch, LCSW, is an experienced addiction treatment and trauma clinician with 16 years of experience. He is a NARM-AC Co-Founder who facilitates the creation of addiction treatment programs at the world’s most elite treatment centers. James is writing the NARM-AC Workbook and Treatment Model Book with Dr. Laurence Heller for publication by North Atlantic.