The BALM (Be A Loving Mirror) is a method of family recovery that provides both education and coaching using the ITS (Information, Transformation, Support) model. (see below)

We call the BALM a Fast Track to Family Recovery because it allows us to implement what the research has since named ‘evidence-based practices’ for families into an easily accessible program of 12 Principles and 7 Steps.

They are the missing link.

When they understand what is going on with their loved one and learn how to respond and why, things often get better

There are many ways to approach recovery.

The classic misunderstanding in the recovery field has been that the identified patient needs 1-3 months of treatment followed by 6-12 months of aftercare, sober living, outpatient care, etc. and AA and the family just needs education at the treatment center and Alanon.

Alanon is helpful but it is not treatment, nor does it provide a curriculum to help the family learn a new way to communicate with the person coming out of treatment. It is self care of the highest order. We posit that more is needed and that is what we have been providing for the past 10+ years.

The BALM Holistic Model of Family Recovery Development is a model that describes how families develop in their recovery before, during and after they utilize the BALM.

Understanding this model is critical for BALM Professionals as it helps them understand the family journey and provides tools to utilize it in their work with the families they serve.

They are also BALM 12 Principles Facilitation Specialists and can do all that a CBFS can do. In addition, they become certified to:

• Work one-on-one with family members

  • Do group coaching

  • Provide support groups

• Life Coach anyone about anything (Level 1 and 2 graduates)

• Facilitate the 12 Principles for their clients

• Work with the BALM Training Institute to sponsor professional trainings at treatment centers and other agencies. When you bring the BALM to an organization you become their BALM rep. This is especially important once you become a coach because the organization will often refer individual clients to you.

• Speak in public venues as a BALM Family Recovery Coach subject matter expert.

Facilitation Specialist Certification indicates knowledge of the BALM, which is the foundation of all of the work we do with families. 

We decided to change the structure of our professional training so that all professionals we train will first become facilitators including going through supervision and observation piece so we can help them get started on their facilitation journey.

Being a CBFS (certified BALM facilitation specialist) also gives the graduate an offering they can share at their place of work or independently. 

Coach trainees often find that their 12 Principles students become coaching clients and that they can put their own coaching clients through their 12 Principles classes.

This gives our BALM professionals a ‘go to’ path of sharing the BALM with agencies, treatment centers and community organizations.