Roger Harrison
Everyone has their own recovery journey, and I combine experience of meeting and supporting hundreds of people over the years to implement and sustain ways that work for them and to develop a loving, fulfilling life for themselves and with family and friends.
I’ve been free from the grip of problem use behaviours, prescription drugs and alcohol for almost 25 years, but still recall the depths of hopelessness, despair, depression and fear about myself and the world around me. I got the help I needed and went on to complete extensive qualifications and professional development to help other people who are in similar positions that I once was.
I’ve had a pretty eventful experience in life which means I can relate to people from many different backgrounds and circumstances. I’m open about being a gay man helped establish local and national support networks for other gay people in recovery, in addition to support for everyone else as-well. I’ve had different jobs and professions, from making teeth, property development, selling fish, before somehow ending up as a senior lecturer at a northern university and a psychotherapist and counsellor – not bad for a guy who left school at 15 years of age. Now I divide my time between teaching, and psychotherapy/counselling and recovery coaching – but it is helping people in recovery which gives me a reason to get out of bed in a morning.
My approach
My approach is influenced by various models, theories and my own lived experience through 12-step and SMART programmes including Psychosynthesis, person centered; existential; mindfulness; harm reduction; relapse prevention; visualisation, meditation, psychosomatic work. I also incorporate where appropriate more coaching approaches, based on a 6-step model adapted from work by Gabor Mate and others.
Qualifications & accreditations
- Post Graduate Diploma in Psychosynthesis June 2010
- PGDip Recovery Coach Academy Professional Training 2023/2024
Therapy approaches:
- Psychosynthesis, person centered
- existential
- mindfulness
- harm reduction
- relapse prevention
- visualisation, meditation, psychosomatic work
