FINDING FREEDOM
FROM ADDICTION
These classes provide a powerful introduction to the steps and principles of recovery, helping individuals build a solid foundation for healing. Designed for use in treatment programs, jails, or prisons, the classes foster engagement and offer a meaningful way to increase attendance at recovery meetings or clubs. Additionally, they can serve as a successful fundraising initiative, benefiting both participants and the broader community.
The Principle Approach Recovery Classes:
Developed by Dr. David Sutton, who has been teaching this process since 1985 and is now over 40 years clean and sober, these classes offer an engaging and proven path to freedom from addiction. The Principle Approach introduces the 12 Step process in a way that is both effective and accessible for those new to recovery or struggling with relapse.
Many participants who have lacked access to treatment programs or have been persistent relapsers have successfully broken the cycle and achieved long-term sobriety through these classes. The program has been widely used in treatment centers, 12 Step groups, jails, prisons, and Celebrate Recovery, providing a time-tested, reliable method for lasting recovery.
What’s required:
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The Principle Approach: The Keys to Recovery Books
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The Principle Approach Workbooks
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Facilitator or teacher
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Classroom or meeting hall
MATERIALS:
Available on Amazon or in discounted packages.
CLASS STRUCTURE:
This 12-week course guides participants through the 12 Steps and corresponding Principles of recovery, requiring a weekly commitment of three hours.
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Pre-class reading of the textbook to prepare for discussion.
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Instructor-led class session focused on teaching and discussing the material.
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Workbook exercises completed individually, with a group, or alongside a sponsor to reinforce learning. (This is done alone, in a group setting or with a sponsor.)
OUTCOME:
By the end of the 12-week course, participants will have:
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Gained a thorough understanding of addiction.
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Completed the 12 Steps of recovery.
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Developed a strong grasp of the Principles of recovery.
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Learned about ongoing sobriety resources and options.
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Realized that living a clean, sober, and productive life is achievable.
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Made meaningful life changes to prevent future relapse.
If you’d like more information about our classes, get in touch today.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
This book represents a culmination of a life of sobriety now extended over 30 years. It is a compilation of wisdom and information from meetings I have attended, books I have read, people I have helped and tried to help, and mentors who have spoken into my life and of course it is a reflection of the daily building of my relationship with God. I have attempted to take of the best of what I have heard, learned and experienced and provide it in an organized understandable manner. It is my heart desire that anyone who begins to read these pages can glean from the grace I have been afforded. From the person just trying to find their path to recovery to the seasoned veteran with years of clean and sober life experience, it is my goal that all can find help and understanding from this volume. This is in no way presented to be an exhaustive study of addictions, but more a tapestry of one mans real life experience. Having stood in front of and face to face with thousands of alcoholics, drug addicts, codependents and their families, I have seen firsthand the destruction that comes from this disease. On the brighter side I have seen thousands of people come out of the destroyed life to find a better life, whole, healed and restored. Of course there is talk of God in this book and more specifically my relationship to the God of my understanding. My struggle to find a belief in God, my anger and resentment toward the "God people", finding faith as a Christian and ultimately becoming a minister of this faith, is a journey worth mentioning. It is my hope that my open discussion of this subject will help you in your personal journey with faith and sobriety.
Dr. David Sutton has been clean and sober for 38 years and is active in helping those breaking free from addictions. He teaches weekly recovery classes, speaks at conferences and conventions, and continues to work one on one with many struggling to break the cycle. David is serving as the Dean of the Institute of Ministry, at Christian Retreat, in Bradenton, Florida. He has trained both addictions counselors and ministers throughout his career. His church based experience includes serving as a pastor in multiple venues, a teacher and has travel to many nations as a missionary. Compelled by a compassion for hurting people, prayer has been the main focus of his life. David’s message on activating prayer will change your life. With first hand experience and humor he inspires others to reach the build their relationship with God. David has been an ordained minister for over 30 years, holds a PhD in Psychology and a Doctorate in Divinity. David has served on the Board of Directors for many community and ministry organizations. Currently a Director on the International Embassy of Faith. He has written 2 books. The “Principle Approach” developed out of his own experiences in recovery from addiction and "The Optional Element", written out of his passion for helping others develop a successful prayer life.
There are two ways of learning recovery, or anything else for that matter. Make all the mistakes yourself and hope you learn from your blunders, or find out what other people have done. If your only learning from your mistakes, your only learning error. One more wrong way to do something. Why not take what other people have learned and build on it. For a small investment of your time and a little money, you can gain from 40 years of recovery experience written about in this book. If you have had in your life “bad drinking days”, trust me when I tell you “the worst drinking days are the ones ahead of you”. Why not put an end to this addiction cycle before it destroys everything that is important to you? If you feel that you are never going to recover again; that the best days of your life are behind you, and recovery is impossible, I get it. At one point I had lost all hope for my future. In this book we talk about the benefit of finding “hopelessness”. If your addiction has brought you to a state of being hopeless, there is help for you. You think you have heard it all before, and there is nothing new, think again. This is not just the don’t drink and go to meetings message. There is a true pathway to permanent sobriety and a relationship with God. This book is written out my personal experience of 40 years of living a clean and sober life. I trust this material will be as meaningful, practical and life-changing to you, as it has been to thousands of people over the years. By the way…Welcome to your New Life.
My motivation in putting this book together is partly out of compassion and partly out of frustration. I have been to two memorial services this week. Both were overdose casualties, both had been in the program, and both left their families and friends reeling from the loss. My heart is touched by the grieving and my thoughts are vacillating between I guess you really have to want to get clean and sober, and what are we missing? The focus of this writing is to look again at this topic and try to offer some of what I have learned in my journey of recovery.
Welcome to Your New Life of Prayer. I have seen David for several years lock himself away for hours every day to pray. It's an awesome thing to be a part of. With envy I never found that kind of time or found a true desire. When David and I got married, we prayed for 5-10 minutes every morning. We gave our blessing to each other and our families. David had made time in his schedule to continue praying and I had to get on with my work. It wasn't just the time he dedicated but he had a passion and focus that made me envy and sometimes I didn't understand. My question at first was, "how can you pray for hours?" David has taught me to understand prayer and the language of prayer. I have a special peace to start each day. We are rising to be great prayer partners. My hope is to share this little scene from our private life with you and inspire you in your life and throughout your marriage or family. It is my prayer that your spiritual development continues to be your major focus as you read this book. Make a decision to grow from thinking about what you are going to do with your prayer life to finding the time to actually pray right now! And remember that you just have to be transparent with God and He will become a reality for you. -Lori A. Sutton
Have ever been accused of something that you didn’t do? This book will be a good short study for you. It was written this somewhat out of my own experience and also out of my observation of others experiencing the process. If you have been subjected to false complaints and criticism, you are not alone. The purpose of this book is to learn how to acknowledge and appropriately respond to them, so they do not become a predictor of your future