In addition to clinical services, Harbor House believes in the power of peers. The story we tell about our substance use is the heart of our recovery program. Sharing our story is one of the most powerful tools we have for breaking through the denial that keeps us stuck in our disease. Some of the benefits of telling our story include keeping us honest and accountable, giving us a new perspective on the events in our lives, and helping us break through the isolation of feeling alone and shame that blocks our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical growth and recovery.

Certified Peer Support Staff facilitate life story groups where group members can help increase each other’s self-awareness by providing feedback about self-defeating behaviors and “stinking thinking” patterns that group members recognize in themselves and the story that is shared. Those who walk the walk are the best at helping each other identify “blind spots” and character defects that need changing.