The Daring Way | Brené Brown | Austin Area Workshops

There are many innovative and effective approaches to addiction and recovery in the Austin area. Addiction treatment often focuses on vulnerability, being open to emotions and honesty. In addiction, people tend to be more closed off and secretive. It is important for the person addicted to drugs or alcohol to become vulnerable and to break down those walls in recovery. One of the innovative methods focused on that vulnerability is The Daring Way™ developed by researcher and professor Brené Brown.

What is The Daring Way?

The work of The Daring Way focuses on “courage building, shame resilience, and uncovering the power of vulnerability.” Dr. Brené Brown developed the method to help people learn how to “Show Up, Be Seen, Live Brave™.” In addiction treatment, that vulnerability and shame resilience is critical for a successful recovery.

Another focus of The Daring Way program is courage. It takes courage for someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol to address that addiction in a treatment program. It also takes courage to continue to be clean and sober through a successful recovery, especially when temptations, triggers, or cravings arise.

As described in a 2019 Brené Brown  interview in Vanity Fair, “the path to a meaningful, loving life comes through a willingness to be vulnerable—and a rejection of the socially produced shame that convinces us we, or our vulnerabilities, are not worthy of love.”

The training and certification program is empirically based and was developed from Dr. Brown’s own research. The methodology is designed for work with individuals, couples, families, and groups.

About Brené Brown

As Dr. Brown says on her own website, “you have to walk through vulnerability to get to courage, therefore … embrace the suck. I try to be grateful every day and my motto right now is ‘Courage over comfort.’”

Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston. She holds the Huffington Foundation- Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work. She is also a visiting professor in management at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.

Dr. Brown has spent more than 20 years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She has written five #1 New York Times bestsellers, including her latest book, Dare to Lead, the culmination of a seven-year study on courage and leadership.

Definitions

Brené Brown says she is often told by people who have listened to her podcasts or TedTalks that they recognized everything she was saying but they “didn’t have the words for it and … didn’t know we were allowed to talk about it.” Dr. Brown offers the following definitions that are incorporated into The Daring Way:

• Vulnerability – uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure
• Connection – energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued
• Integrity – choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy
• Shame – the intensely painful feeling that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging
• Wholehearted Living – engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness.

Austin Area Workshops

Workshops based on The Daring Way program are offered throughout the year in the Austin area by professionals who have been certified in the program’s content.

Vulnerability is a Superpower: A Daring Way Intensive is a one-day intensive workshop covering the Daring Way curriculum of Dr. Brene’ Brown coming up on March 28 and March 29, 2020, in Buda, Texas. The group leader for this program is Jenn Matthews-Popovich, LPC-S, EMDR, TCYM.

Harder Than I Thought is a therapeutic support group for moms based on the work of Dr. Brene’ Brown, scheduled for March 23 and 30, and April 6, 13, 20, and 27 in Austin, Texas. The group leader for these sessions is Jennifer Alley, LPC-S, CDW-F.

Workshops are also conducted by Heather Outlaw Counseling in Austin, where “Participants are invited to examine the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that are holding them back and identify the new choices and practices that will move them toward more authentic and wholehearted living.”

Innovation360 in Austin conducts workshops based on The Daring Way, looking “at the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that hold us back from living fuller lives. We identify new choices and practices that will help move us to greater authenticity and whole-hearted living.”

IF YOU NEED RESOURCES FOR ADDICTION RECOVERY, CONTACT SOBER AUSTIN

Sober Austin provides information to people in the Austin community who need resources to help with the prevention, treatment, and ongoing recovery from alcoholism and addiction. If you or your loved is struggling with addiction and need to learn more about available resources, you can learn more about finding support in Austin on our site. You can also contact us directly by calling 512-640-9661 or emailing contact@soberaustin.com.

Photo credit: Maile Wilson