A practical recovery education model built around the decision point before the drink.
EMERGE 8 helps participants identify the emotional conditions that precede alcohol use, interrupt the trigger-response chain, build accountable support, and rehearse alternatives every week.
EMERGE 8: Emotional Sobriety and Recovery Action Program
A structured eight-week cohort for adults with problematic or emotionally driven alcohol use, with an initial emphasis on men who need structure, accountability, and nonjudgmental support.
If the pattern can be seen, it can be interrupted.
Name
Identify the emotion, environment, story, body signal, and decision chain that precede use.
Interrupt
Use practical grounding, movement, journaling, prayer/meditation, de-escalation, and pause tools.
Connect
Replace isolation with accountable peer, professional, family, faith, or community support.
Execute
Build a written high-risk-moment plan: who to call, where to go, what to do, and what not to do.
From intake to a 90-day continuation plan.
| Stage | What happens | Key artifact |
|---|---|---|
| Intake | Readiness and safety screen; scope and referral boundaries explained. | Intake + referral consent |
| Weeks 1–2 | Trust, orientation, emotional drinking map, consequences, environment and story. | Trigger-chain worksheet |
| Weeks 3–4 | Regulation skills, shame/anger cycle, isolation interruption, support contact. | Pause plan + support map |
| Weeks 5–6 | Relationship repair, accountability, decision-tree relapse prevention. | Repair script + high-risk plan |
| Weeks 7–8 | Support ecosystem, recovery action plan, commitment, continuation. | Personal recovery action plan |
| Aftercare | Optional alumni check-ins, referral tracking, external support continuation. | 30/60/90 follow-up |
Recommended cohort
8–15 participants
Small enough for vulnerability and accountability; scalable with co-facilitation.
Session format
90 minutes weekly
Education, discussion, guided activity, rehearsal, commitment, and field assignment.
Completion framework
6 of 8 sessions
Plus a recovery action plan, support map, and follow-up commitment.
See the actual eight-week curriculum.
Each module has a defined purpose, learning outcomes, participant artifact, and field assignment.