From Residential to Outpatient: One Counselor’s Journey Through Recovery, Treatment & Growth

In this episode of Conversations with Cumberland Heights, host Nick Hayes, PhD sits down with Jason Silletto, a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor who is himself in recovery. Jason shares the winding path that brought him to Cumberland Heights — from sober living house manager on the West Coast to primary counselor on the residential campus — and opens up about the transition he’s making to Cumberland Heights’ Outpatient Program location in Cool Springs/Brentwood.

The conversation goes deep on what residential treatment actually looks like day to day, how counselors balance structure with flexibility in group settings, and why stabilization is the real goal of those critical first 30 days. Jason also discusses his decision to pursue a master’s degree through the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, what the new residential building means for patients and staff, and the evolving landscape of addiction treatment — including the role of mental health, trauma, and the spectrum of counseling approaches.

Whether you’re someone in recovery, a family member, or a professional in the behavioral health field, this episode offers a rare, honest look inside the work of addiction counseling and the people who dedicate their lives to it.

Topics covered:

• What a day in the life of a residential counselor looks like
• The goal of the first 30 days of treatment: stabilization
• How trauma, mental health, and adverse childhood experiences connect to addiction
• Client-centered counseling vs. structured, directive approaches
• Jason’s transition from residential to Outpatient Program — and what he hopes to bring
• The Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School and opportunities for counselors without a bachelor’s degree
• Cumberland Heights’ new 40-bed residential building and how patients responded
• Balancing tradition and evolution at a 60-year-old treatment center