On this Father’s Day, I thought I might tell you a familiar story with a slightly different message…The parable of the prodigal is not a story about two sons. It is a story about all of us and how easy it is to get lost in our own point of view and our own self will. The emphasis in the story is not on the sons, but on their father. It is an unveiling of the mercy and the grace of God. The central truth of the parable is the picture of a Higher Power who wants to care for us and who is able to restore us- no matter how lost we have been. This parable reminds us that we need the initiating love of God. The father did not wait … Continue reading Sunday Sermon: The parable of the prodigal →

2018 Alumni Relations Canoe Trip on the Harpeth River Join Alumni Relations for a 5 mile float down the Harpeth River. You can pick your paddle buddy or we can pair you with someone the day of the event. Price includes canoe rental and cookout afterwards hosted by Scott A. (His address is: 8732 Cub Creek Road Nashville, TN 37209) Please wear comfortable clothing and closed toe shoes. Don’t forget to pack water, sunscreen, snacks and a change of dry clothes. Event Details: Saturday July 21st – launch at 9:30AM, please arrive by 8:45AM (The float will take approximately 4 hours to complete) $5.00 per person (2 people per canoe) $10.00 for a kayak (limited number available) For more information, check out the Canoe Music City Website 1203 Highway 70 South, Kingston … Continue reading 2018 Alumni Relations Canoe Trip on the Harpeth River →

June 10, 2018: Sunday Sermon: You Have To Serve Somebody…or Something We are all worshipping something, whether we realize it or not. In this talk, Stan explores the various “Higher Powers” at work in our lives like seeking the approval of others, chasing financial success or needing to control people, places, and things and compares them to the benefits of the Gospel of Jesus, the Eightfold Path of Buddhism, and the Twelve Step recovery process.

Singer/songwriter and piano player John McAndrew, Bogie Bowles, LMSW, and Tammy Stone, LADAC, LPC-SMHP take us on a musical and spiritual journey from self-centeredness to humility, using stories and songs. This journey is a long and difficult one in recovery. Recent studies show us that music can reach the parts of the brain that are linked to addiction, and can function as an integral part of recovery. This experiential session demonstrates how music and music therapy can be applied in a variety of treatment settings to bring about therapeutic change. Cost for this workshop is $30 (lunch is included). WHO: Anyone & Everyone!! WHAT: Music and the Brain Workshop – A musical and spiritual journey from self-centeredness to humility, using stories and songs. WHEN: Friday, July 27, 2018 from 11:30AM – 2:00PM … Continue reading Music and the Brain Workshop →

God. Program. Family. In this talk I share a bit of my personal story and the powerlessness I felt when my husband relapsed. I had been working my own program, but when the relapse happened, my fear was bigger than my program, and my fear was certainly bigger than my faith. This tells the story of how I came to understand what surrender really means and what it looked like when I turned over my will and my life. Embracing God’s will for my life meant having faith enough to be obedient to the uncomfortable – and not just the uncomfortable but becoming obedient to the unenforceable. That’s really what living in today is all about. Can I have faith enough, just for today?

Sumner County Community Education Program LOCATION: Volunteer State Community College, in the Thigpen Library, Rochelle Center DATE: June 14, 2018 TIME: 6:00PM – 8:00PM REGISTER NOW! Please join us Thursday, June 14 at Volunteer State Community College in the Thigpen Library, Rochelle Center from 6:00PM – 8:00PM. The mission of the Sumner County Anti Drug Coalition is to unite people with vision, commitment, and resources to provide solutions to eliminate substance abuse and make a difference for youth, families, and individuals in Sumner County. We envision a healthy, safe, and thriving community free from substance abuse. Join us to hear more about prevention efforts in your community and how you can help.

Meaningful Engagement with the Substance Abusing Adolescent Male DATE: June 29, 2018 LOCATION: The Dilworth Center — 2240 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28203 TIME: 8:30AM – 3:00PM COST: FREE! PRESENTED BY: Cumberland Heights Dean Porterfield, LPC, MHSP, NCC Cole Szabo, CPRS Register Now! WORKSHOP OVERVIEW This presentation will focus on how to best engage adolescent males and young men who suffer from primary substance abuse diagnosis and co-occurring issue within a therapeutic context. Research driven approaches and techniques will be explored and applied to direct service delivery. Adolescent development issues, including exploration of the developing adolescent male brain, social influences and family systems will be considered. These modalities taught will be multi-sensory focused, explaining how such approaches as Impact Therapy, kinetic engagement and experiential exercises lead to enhanced comprehension of traditional therapeutic … Continue reading Meaningful Engagement with the Substance Abusing Adolescent Male →

May 27, 2018: Sunday Sermon: The Rich Young Man Revisited Our most treasured possessions are the belief systems we use to navigate life as we understand it. In this talk, Stan borrows from the Biblical story of a rich young man who could not envision another way of being in the world and missed out on the greatest opportunity of his life. And so it is for those of us faced with the choice of recovery or continuing to use.

Summer is host to some of the year’s most festive holidays and events. Parades, fireworks, barbecues and parties are iconic summer traditions which can be stressful for a person in early recovery. Cumberland Heights staff compiled these 5 recovery tips for summer fun to help you enjoy all the season has to offer. 1. Plan ahead Don’t let an event catch you off guard. Bring your own beverages to ensure you have non-alcoholic options, and prepare a response if someone offers you an alcoholic drink. Plan an exit strategy in case you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation. Make certain you have reliable transportation, and bring a sober friend for support and accountability. 2. Do your own thing Be the party planner. Create a fun barbecue or party so you control the … Continue reading 5 Ways to Maintain Recovery and Enjoy Summer →

GROUP NAME: Relapse Process PURPOSE: Check in with status of well being. Hear group peer share treatment assignment of Relapse Life Addiction history addressing denial and relapse prevention. MODALITY: Process OPTIMAL GROUP SIZE: 5 to 8 people LENGTH OF GROUP: 1 hour MATERIALS NEEDED: NONE LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Identify core beliefs learned as a child, how those impacted ability to stay sober, patterns in life to watch out for which gets us to the patterns and all those help us get to understand the relapse warning signs. EXERCISE: Share Personal Relapse History (Relief)

Workshop: Warming Up The Family To Change July 11, 2018 from 8 AM – 4 PM Cumberland Heights Music Row Outpatient Recovery Center 1619 17th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37212 The workshop has met its capacity. Please join the waitlist below. Workshop Description: Addicted family systems are locked into unhealthy roles and behaviors. When working with families, it is crucial to utilize sociometry to lower anxiety and warm them up to change. In this didactic and experiential workshop “learning lab” workshop, we will demonstrate the benefits of treating the entire family system, how sociometry and sociodrama can motivate them towards recovery, and provide concrete and applicable tools for clinicians to bring directly back to their practice. JOIN WAITLIST Presenter Bio: Jean Campbell, LCSW, CIPP, TEP is a Board Certified Trainer and Practitioner of … Continue reading Workshop: Warming Up the Family to Change →

Sunday is Mother’s Day and in an effort to recognize those amazing women in our lives, Cumberland Heights staff members share what makes their Moms so special. Here’s my Momma and me on my wedding day! My favorite thing about her is her ability to make everyone around her laugh. She is the most hilarious person I know with a heart of gold! Her favorite saying is ‘wear your seat belt’ or ‘did you pack a snack?’ ~ Lauren Osborne, Patient Accounting As close to perfection that God has ever gotten when he made my mother Patricia! ~ Frank Vega, Utilization Review This is my mom and my son. This was taken less than a year before she lost her battle with cancer. What I love about her is that she is responsible … Continue reading Cumberland Heights Celebrates Mothers →

Join the Alumni Relations program for our annual white water rafting adventure! We have limited spots available for this event. Your RSVP is required and includes your float cost and a BBQ dinner served after the float is complete, compliments of Scott A. You will need to provide your own transportation. It takes approximately 3.5 hours from Nashville to Adventures Unlimited. If you wish to stay overnight, there is lodging available. However, it is not included in your registration. If you are interested in caravanning please contact amy_lutz@cumberlandheights.org for more information. Tennessee state law requires floaters to be at least 12 years of age. Please wear comfortable clothing, wear water shoes/sandals with straps (no flip flops), and bring sunscreen. Date: Saturday June 23, 2018 Time: 3:00PM EST (must arrive at Adventures Unlimited … Continue reading Alumni Ocoee White Water Rafting Trip →

April 29, 2018: Sunday Sermon: In this chapel talk, Stan explores the inherent dangers of spending too much time either in the past or the future. When we’re stuck reflecting morbidly on our imperfect past, wishing things had been different, we can end up angry, sad, and depressed. And when we zoom ahead to a future that doesn’t even exist yet, we worry and suffer anxiety over things that may or may not ever happen. Time travel prevents us from being present to the joy in our lives in the here and now. The key is learning the fundamental spiritual practice of living one-day-at-a-time, twenty-four-hours-a-day, while also learning to “Let go and Let God” take care of the outcomes.

Art therapy is a growing experiential therapy used by  the Traditional Men, Women, Young Men, and Extended Care programs at Cumberland Heights. It’s offered through weekly groups as well as to individual patients referred by their primary counselors. Art therapy allows patients a non-confrontational mode of expression and communication which fosters self-discovery, internalization of core beliefs and improved self-esteem and identity exploration, while also supporting and enhancing 12-Step work. At Cumberland Heights we’re fortunate to have access to a variety of media for the patients to take risks and play with – including painting, drawing and collage, as well as repurposed and “trashed” materials which can be used to create something new – something out of “junk.”