“The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety; it’s connection.”

For those in the world of recovery, that’s a statement worth its weight in gold. It was originally made by journalist Johann Hari in his now famous TED Talk entitled “Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong.” The best research, he argued, points to the true antidote of addiction: meaningful human-to-human connection.

Addiction (whatever its form) isn’t primarily about feeling good; it’s primarily about escaping the pain of alienation, disconnection, abuse, and relational trauma. Real connection, marked by vulnerability, acceptance, safety, trust, offers the critical context for healing and transformation. Connection heals.

Think about it. Just as our deepest injuries come from our relationships, our deepest healing comes only through relationships wherein we experience the power of redemptive love and grace.

For those who believe in Jesus and this body of believers called the church, this ought to convict and inspire us. We feel a deep sense of conviction as we face the reality that the relationships between members of the body of Christ have often caused more harm and injury than healing. How many people do you know who have been wounded by some negative experience at the hands of a fellow believer or Christian leader?

And we feel a rising sense of inspiration. Christ has given us power through the Spirit (Eph 3:16) to offer one another and the world a wholly different kind of love. A love full of grace and truth. A love enacted in the Incarnation, expressed in the crucifixion, and glorified in the resurrection. Our healing begins in relationship - to our Creator and one another.

The therapeutic process is, among other things, a journey in connection.

The therapist seeks to be a safe person for you to venture into places of hiddenness, shame, and captivity. When you join a support group, you find fellow companions to process your raw feelings and thoughts without judgment.

Our hope and prayer is that the church might live into its calling to be a healing community.

On May 6, a gunman opened fire at an outlet mall located in Allen, a suburb of Dallas, killing 8 people and injuring 7 others. The victims were part of the same communities and churches connected to many of our therapists. The following is a note written to our team by our Executive Director, Ly Tran, addressing our response to this tragedy. Photo by Smiley N. Pool.

New Location in Allen

In August Lifeologie Allen will move to its permanent location at 1101 Raintree Circle, Suite 180 in Allen, Texas. We are excited to have a new space which allows us to expand our care for the community by offering play therapy for children ages 3+ and to continue to come-along-side adolescents, couples, and adults of all ages.

Congratulations to Heather Dutcher who is now serving as our Allen Clinical Director!

Founded in 2017 by Ly & Dana Tran, Sweet Deeds is the philanthropic non-profit arm of Watershed Initiative. It is named in honor of their late son, Aaron Josiah Tran, who was affectionately nicknamed “Deeds” by his father (“DiDi” means “little brother'' in Mandarin Chinese). 2023 marks a new phase for Sweet Deeds, where we’re actively seeking to expand and build partnerships in Dallas, Houston and Austin. Let us know if there’s someone you think we need to talk to! Learn more about Sweet Deeds.