Substance use disorder is a major problem for both urban Native American communities as well as on reservations. Traditional non-Native approaches to healing from addiction are oftentimes spiritually based in Christian tradition. Wellbriety seeks to heal intergenerational trauma caused by addiction with Native spiritual traditions. We have incorporated Wellbriety into our curriculums for all women, who come from many ethnic backgrounds. Please enjoy this video of New Directions for Women Intake Leader, Victoria Herbert, speaking on Wellbriety.
Hello, my name is Victoria Herbert, I am the Intake Leader with New Directions for Women. Wellbriety is diversity, inclusion, connection, relationship, and most of all healing. And that’s what we globally are in season of: healing. Like New Directions for Women, Wellbriety includes everyone, all nations, all people from all backgrounds. As an Intake Leader for a women’s treatment center I find it really helpful to let women and their families know about the healing process that goes on with Wellbriety and how it involves all family members. There are different groups for women and men, and then bringing the families together. Most importantly Wellbriety, like New Directions for Women, is about breaking that generational cycle of trauma. Trauma and addiction go hand-in-hand and if we can stop that now in this generation, the future generations will be whole and will have more full lives. When I’m called by families or individuals seeking addiction treatment and I’m explaining about our treatment environment, our holistic approach, and some of the different clinical groups, talking about Wellbriety as a spiritual component sometimes brings up a bit of hesitation.
But I let them know that it is a very welcoming, natural, and organic flow of a group. I’ve seen many women where Wellbriety seems to be the time and the place that the light comes on for them, that their spirituality – whatever that means for them inside – comes on. I’ve seen it happen. And that’s a beautiful thing. We as a people globally need to heal from this cycle of addiction and trauma. Wellbriety can be the medicine that we all need to make that happen. It’s non-judgmental, it’s all inclusive. I’m a non-native woman but I very much relate to the concepts and the path and the way that Wellbriety presents options to people. There’s no way of doing it wrong. And there is no person that is not welcome in a talking circle in a Wellbriety group. If we could break down the walls of the stigma and the fear about talking about trauma or addiction, we have the opportunity to heal. That is what New Directions for Women and Wellbriety is all about, healing all nations.
