Evidence-based · Peer-informed · Non-religious
What shaped this
A twelve-month curriculum grounded in the belief that people can experience post-traumatic growth through a deliberate connection with the natural world.
Post-traumatic growth research
Doctoral research at Xavier University examined post-traumatic spiritual growth in the LGBTQ+ and ally communities following religious trauma. 24 interviews, 407 survey responses, and the finding that shaped everything: growth moved people from formal religion toward spirituality.
Read the findingsThree connections to optimal self
Adapted from Sinnott’s Adult Development Theory, with one deliberate change: connection with the transcendent becomes connection to love. Mother Nature, Creator, Source, Oneness, or simply love itself — the definition is yours.
Allen, 2023 — modified from Sinnott, J. D. (2014)
Trait-based model of recovery
Links strengths already present in the recovery community to traits found in strong leaders. Grit and grace, with self-awareness at the center. Rejects the idea that parts of a person are inherently flawed.
Dr. Jason Roop, 2023, Start From Strength.
Four dimensions of recovery
Emotional intelligence
Four agreements, four elements
Participants read The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz alongside the curriculum. We pair each agreement with the element it echoes: your word with fire, not taking things personally with air, dropping assumptions with water, doing your best with earth.
Ruiz, don Miguel. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom. Amber-Allen Publishing, 1997. Referenced as supplemental reading; Elemental Recovery is not affiliated with or endorsed by the author or publisher.
Affirmation instead of admission. No higher power required, no powerlessness, no confession. Accountability without shame.
One
I am present
I claim that I am now in control of my life and gaining a greater understanding of myself.
Two
I am balanced
A supportive community, along with my own inner strength, can restore me to balance.
Three
I am growing
I choose healthier ways of coping, knowing growth is an ongoing process.
Four
I am self-aware
I explore my past actions and patterns honestly, to better understand my journey.
Five
I am open
I share what I find, recognizing that vulnerability is a key to growth.
Six
I am letting go
I am ready to release destructive habits and thought patterns.
Seven
I am understood
I seek support and guidance from those who understand my journey.
Eight
I am willing
I list those I may have hurt, and I am willing to make thoughtful amends.
Nine
I am forgiven
I make direct amends where I can, taking responsibility and promoting healing.
Ten
I am responsible
I admit when I’m wrong promptly — and I celebrate my successes too.
Eleven
I am peaceful
I seek understanding and peace through intentional, mindful, personal practice.
Twelve
I am connected
Having changed, I share my insights and support with others on their journey.
Evidence-based practices woven together with the trait-based model, all delivered through a mindfulness lens.
Fire
Trauma-responsive care. Facing the heat of trauma with grounding and progressive relaxation, building resilience and self-awareness.
Air
CBT and DBT. Observing thoughts without judgment, cognitive restructuring, and emotion regulation through the breath.
Earth
Twelve-step and Matrix models. Stability, grounding in the present moment, and a foundation to build on.
Water
Peer support and motivational interviewing. Fluidity in emotions and relationships, and the ebb and flow of change.
Workforce development
Supported Employment Services and Therapeutic Rehabilitation Programming, integrating vocational exploration with mindfulness practice.
Community treatment
Assertive Community Treatment for people facing severe mental health challenges, plus positive psychology throughout.
Nine alignments — the ground rules of the space, held by everyone in it.
Prudence asks three questions before you speak: is it kind, is it truthful, is it needed?
Five stages of the recovery process, each met with the ABCs — awareness, balance, and connection.
Stage one
Impact of illness
Mindfulness practices bring attention to the present moment. Awareness becomes the foundation.
Stage two
Life is limited
Establishing balance through vocational exploration, stability, and purpose.
Stage three
Change is possible
Building awareness, fostering balance, and strengthening connection all at once.
Stage four
Commitment to change
Peer support becomes central. Commitment is reinforced through the ABCs.
Stage five
Actions for change
Solidifying positive change in employment, relationships, and daily practice.
Throughout
The ABCs
The frameworks our curriculum draws on, and where to find them yourself.
Partner organization
Start from Strength
Center for Trait-Based Transformation
The home of the Trait-Based Model our curriculum builds on. Founded by Dr. Jason Roop, it takes a strengths-first view of human development: rather than starting with what is broken, it helps people identify and activate capacities they already have — resilience, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, authenticity.
The Tree of Traits organises ten capacities across three domains: Grit, Balance, and Grace. The aim is not to score people or maximize every trait, but to understand what a moment requires and build the capacity to meet it.
One model runs through three settings — prevention in schools, recovery in treatment and community, and leadership in teams and organizations — so the language travels with a person rather than ending when a program does.
Dr. Jason Roop, Start From Strength. Elemental Recovery uses the Trait-Based Model within its curriculum; the Center is an independent organization.
Supplemental reading
The Four Agreements
don Miguel Ruiz · Amber-Allen Publishing, 1997
Four principles drawn from Toltec wisdom: be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, always do your best. Each week of our curriculum carries a lens, and several of those lenses come from this book.
It is short, plainly written, and worth owning — you will return to it.
Free · and better for your town
Ask your library first
A library card costs nothing, and The Four Agreements is on almost every shelf in the country.
If your branch doesn’t have it, ask anyway. Interlibrary loan means they can borrow it from another library and call you when it arrives — usually within a week or two, and still free.
This matters beyond saving money. Library funding often follows circulation, so borrowing a book is a small vote for the library staying open. And rural libraries do far more than lend books: free wifi, computers, printing, meeting rooms, and staff who know what else is available in the county.
A place where nobody asks why you’re there is worth protecting.
Sinnott’s Adult Development Theory
The source for our three connections to optimal self, with connection to the transcendent reframed as connection to love.
Sinnott, J. D. (2014)
The Elemental Recovery workbook
The full 365-day curriculum in print. Every cent goes to our programming — the authors take nothing.
Paperback or KindleAsk for a free copyAllen & Dawson, 2024 · ISBN 979-8-234-19990-4
Every week’s reading list
The curriculum recommends a book, a film, and a podcast for most of its 365 days — around a thousand items in all.
Browse the curriculumRead it in full
The complete methodology document covers every evidence-based practice, the elemental embodiments, and the full trait-based framework.
The curriculum file is large — on a slow connection, download it over wifi. The full curriculum is also free to read page by page here.
This curriculum is educational material for personal use. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for professional mental health or addiction care.
Read the full disclaimer