The path to recovery is unique for everyone. While many find strength in 12-step groups, others are looking for a different kind of support to build a life free from addiction. For those people, SMART Recovery offers a powerful, science-based alternative. SMART, which stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training, is a program focused on self-empowerment and practical skills.
At Spring Grove Recovery in Colorado Springs, Colorado, we provide a range of evidence-based options to support your healing journey. SMART Recovery is an important part of our approach, offered alongside expert counseling, medical care, and thorough aftercare planning. This program is not about a rigid set of rules; it’s about empowering you with tools, providing a supportive community to practice them in, and helping you apply them to your daily life.
What is SMART Recovery?
Founded in 1994, SMART Recovery was created as a secular alternative to traditional 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). It was designed for people who prefer a recovery model grounded in scientific methods and evidence-based psychological principles. Instead of asking participants to rely on a higher power, SMART Recovery empowers them to find motivation within themselves and develop the ability to create lasting change.
Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART)
At its heart, SMART is built on the belief that you have the power to manage your own behaviors and create new, healthier patterns. The program helps you take control of your recovery by teaching you how to:
- Identify the underlying thoughts and feelings that drive substance use.
- Build confidence and self-efficacy through small, achievable goals.
- Develop new strategies for handling stress, cravings, and difficult emotions.
- Create a balanced and fulfilling life that supports long-term well-being.
Core principles and approach
The SMART Recovery program is guided by four key ideas that foster a supportive and empowering environment:
- Self-empowerment: You are the expert on your own life and the one who makes the decisions about your recovery.
- Practical skills: Meetings are focused on learning and practicing tools that you can use immediately.
- Evidence-based methods: The program is built on proven therapeutic techniques backed by decades of research.
- Inclusive support: Everyone struggling with any type of addictive behavior—whether substance-related or not—is welcome.
The support you deserve—Colorado Medicaid accepted.
How SMART Recovery works: The 4-Point Program
The foundation of SMART Recovery is its 4-Point Program®. Each point is designed to help you build practical skills that you can apply to daily challenges both during and after treatment.
1. Build and maintain motivation
This point helps you connect with your personal reasons for wanting to change. One person might be motivated to stop drinking to become a more present parent, while another might want to improve their physical health or advance their career. SMART meetings provide tools to explore these motivations, make them personal, and revisit them often to keep your commitment strong.
2. Cope with urges and cravings
Instead of just white-knuckling through cravings, SMART teaches you actionable strategies to manage them, such as:
- Urge surfing: A mindfulness technique where you learn to observe a craving and "ride it out" like a wave until it naturally subsides.
- Distraction techniques: Engaging in a healthy activity, like going for a walk, listening to music, or calling a supportive friend, when an urge strikes.
- Thought-stopping: Learning to recognize and interrupt unhelpful thoughts about using before they gain momentum.
3. Manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
Using techniques from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), you learn to identify, challenge, and reframe the negative thought patterns that can lead to substance use. For example, the thought, “I’ve relapsed before, so I can’t do this,” can be changed to, “A setback is a learning opportunity, and I can keep moving forward.”
4. Live a balanced life
Lasting recovery is about more than just avoiding substances; it’s about building a life that feels full, meaningful, and satisfying. This point encourages you to:
- Rediscover old hobbies or find new ones.
- Improve relationships with family and friends.
- Focus on your physical health through nutrition and exercise.
- Set and pursue goals related to your career, education, or personal growth.
The evidence base: CBT, REBT, and motivational interviewing
SMART Recovery’s effectiveness is rooted in well-researched therapeutic approaches:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): Helps people recognize and change the harmful thought patterns and behaviors that fuel addiction.
- Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT): A form of CBT that focuses on identifying and disputing irrational beliefs that lead to unhealthy emotions and actions.
- Motivational Interviewing (MI): A collaborative counseling style that helps individuals resolve ambivalence and find their own internal motivation to change.
These methods are widely used in professional treatment settings, which makes SMART Recovery a natural and effective complement to the clinical programs at Spring Grove Recovery.
SMART Recovery vs. 12-Step Programs (AA/NA)
While SMART Recovery and 12-step groups both aim to help people achieve a life free from addiction, their philosophies and methods differ in key ways.
- Secular vs. spiritual: 12-step programs are spiritually based and emphasize surrender to a higher power. SMART Recovery is a secular program that focuses on self-empowerment and teaches you to rely on your own abilities and the skills you learn.
- Flexible goals: In AA and NA, total abstinence is typically the primary goal. SMART Recovery allows you to set your own goals, which may include harm reduction as a step toward complete abstinence or aiming for full sobriety from the start.
- Meeting structure: 12-step meetings often focus on personal shares and working through the steps. SMART meetings are more like workshops, centered on learning practical tools, practicing exercises, and discussing how to apply those tools to real-life situations.
Meetings, tools, and support
SMART Recovery offers a wide range of support options, making it accessible to almost anyone.
- Meeting formats: Meetings are held in person in communities worldwide and online through video and chat-based groups available 24/7.
- Facilitator-led discussions: Meetings are guided by trained facilitators who introduce tools and guide conversations in a structured, supportive way.
- Confidential and free: There are no fees to attend SMART Recovery meetings, though voluntary donations are accepted.
The SMART Recovery "Toolbox" is a collection of worksheets, guides, and exercises that help you practice what you learn in meetings. These resources empower you to continue making progress on your own time.
Who can SMART Recovery help?
SMART Recovery is designed to be inclusive and adaptable, welcoming a broad range of people.
- Substance addictions: It is effective for people struggling with alcohol, opioids, stimulants, cannabis, and other substances.
- Behavioral addictions: It also helps those dealing with behaviors like problem gambling, gaming, or compulsive eating.
- Family & friends program: A dedicated program offers support and teaches coping skills to loved ones of those struggling with addiction.
Integrating SMART Recovery at Spring Grove Recovery
At Spring Grove Recovery, we believe in a whole-person approach. SMART Recovery integrates seamlessly with our other clinical services, including:
- Individual and group therapy: The skills learned in SMART complement the deeper work done in counseling.
- Medical care: The program works well alongside medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and other medical support.
- Relapse prevention and aftercare planning: SMART tools become a vital part of your plan for navigating high-risk situations and building a strong support network for life after treatment.
This combination of professional care and peer support provides a comprehensive safety net to help you achieve and maintain lasting recovery.
Start your journey at Spring Grove Recovery
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, take the first step in a comfortable, supportive space. Detox at Spring Grove Recovery provides the medical care and emotional support you need to begin healing with confidence.
Whole-person healing in the Rockies starts here. Call us at 719.415.3460 today or complete our secure online contact form to learn more, verify your insurance, or begin your admission. We’re here whenever you’re ready.
FAQs: Cost, meeting format, and participation
Participation is free, although some groups accept donations to cover expenses. Payment is not required to join.
Meetings typically begin with a check-in, followed by a focus on one of the 4-Point Program skills. Facilitators may include worksheets, exercises, or open discussions.
No long-term commitment is required. You can attend as frequently or infrequently as you’d like. Many continue participating for motivation and connection.
Not at all. SMART also supports those addressing behavioral addictions and offers a Family & Friends program for loved ones.
