05/29/2025
Meet Micha Scholes-Matherne, LCSW; our Director of Outpatient and Family Services.
How do you unwind after work?
Playing outside with my kids, watching the show Lost with my husband, and eating dinner with my family.
What do you do for fun?
Being outdoors with my kids, reading, recently learning sculpting and pottery skills, trying new foods
What’s one thing you wish every parent or partner understood about addiction and mental health recovery?
That progress is not linear. Therapy ebbs and flows. Even in times that you feel discouraged by the external display of progress, progress is being made. Hold on to hope that the process of treatment is working. I also wish families would understand that the role they play in recovery is directly related to the rate of success their loved ones have. Simply by families working in themselves, their loved ones have a better chance at long term sobriety.
How do you help rebuild trust between clients and their loved ones through family workshops?
I think I focus a lot on education and empowerment in family workshops. Giving simple and practical information about the family disease model and the neurobiology of addiction. Everyone can be on the same page about what it is that is causing disconnection in the family system. Then we focus on empowerment that each person has been impacted and they have a portion of the story that is just theirs. As a therapist, I will use healthy self-disclosure about my experience being a loved one. This helps families to feel seen and safe enough to share. The family disease model makes space for everyone to play a role in recovery, the pressure isn’t all on one persons’ shoulders.
What are your favorite self-care activities?
Spending time with my people, massages, therapy, outdoor activities or creative activities.
True or false: if you stop drinking you’ll never have any problems ever again in any part of your life and you’ll actually become charming and fun at parties.
True, the parties you go to will be different than before. You will go to the parties of the people that already know and enjoy who you are. If not, you’re going to the wrong parties.
