A New Vision for Collective Well-being: Recovery Healers
Healing the Healers: Why Society Needs the “Recovery Healer” Profession
Introduction: If our existing legal, psychological, and medical systems are trapped in patterns of “addiction” and “dissociation,” who will lead us to genuine healing? Adam O’Brien (PhD) proposes a revolutionary answer: the (re)emergence of the “Recovery Healer” profession. This isn’t just a new job title; it’s a new dissociative-informed and recovery-focused paradigm for understanding and facilitating profound personal, professional, and societal change.
Beyond Traditional Psychology: O’Brien asserts that “the field of recovery is separate from psychology” and possesses “innate expertise” in addiction recovery, spirituality, and morality—qualities he argues industrialized psychology often lacks. The “Healer profession begins because in their ethics, they have advocacy clause for disadvantaged populations and systems level ignorance.” This new profession is presented as embodying the “standards of morality” and having the “moral character” required to address societal ills.
Authority Rooted in “Moral-Ethics”: In a bold claim, O’Brien states that his “new recovery and healing professions… is equal to a judge in the legal system.” However, their authority doesn’t come from legal precedent, but from a deeper source: “our collective unconscious is our teacher because we can now obtain unconscious informed consent from what their professions would label God.” This suggests a form of justice and truth-seeking that transcends conventional legal and scientific frameworks, rooted in spiritual wisdom and lived experience.
Addressing Trauma, Not Just Symptoms: O’Brien emphasizes that his “real expertise is not in trauma, it is naming it and healing it with those who are not ready.” This highlights the proactive, interventionist nature of the Healer, working to address the root causes of suffering rather than merely managing its manifestations.
A Response to Systemic Failure: The creation of the “Recovery and Healer” profession is framed as a direct and necessary response to the perceived failures and patterns of dependence within existing systems. It represents a self-appointed moral authority, born out of deep understanding of trauma and dissociation that traditional professions continue to overlook.
Key Takeaway: The “Recovery and Healer” concept challenges us to imagine a future where healing is not dictated by institutional power, but by genuine moral authority, lived experience, and a deep commitment to collective well-being. It’s a call for a radical restructuring of societal authority, where wisdom, morals, and compassion lead the way because that is where the qualitative science has lead those who are willing to do the science that heals them.
References
O’Brien, A. (2023a). Addiction as Trauma-Related Dissociation: A Phenomenological Investigation of the Addictive State. International University of Graduate Studies. (Dissertation). Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/courses/addiction-as-dissociation-model-course/
O’Brien, A. (2023b). Memory Reconsolidation in Psychedelics Therapy. In Path of the Wounded Healer: A Dissociative-Focused Phase Model for Normative and Pathological States of Consciousness: Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/courses/addiction-as-dissociation-model-course/
O’Brien, A. (2023c). Path of the Wounded Healer: A Dissociative-Focused Phase Model for Normative and Pathological States of Consciousness: Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
O’Brien, A. (2024a). Healer and Healing: The re-education of the healer and healing professions as an advocation. Re-educational and Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
O’Brien, A. (2024e). Path of the Wounded Healers for Thrivers: Perfectionism, Altruism, and Ambition Addictions; Re-education and training manual for Abusers, Activists, Batterers, Bullies, Enablers, Killers, Narcissists, Offenders, Parents, Perpetrators, and Warriors. Re-Education and Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
O’Brien, A. (2025). American Made Addiction Recovery: a healer’s journey through professional recovery. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/
