Happy Wednesday to you. A Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) is a person who has not only lived the experience of mental illness but also has had formal training in the peer specialist model of mental health support. We use our unique set of recovery experiences in combination with solid skills training to support peers who have mental illness, addiction, and trauma.
One day a CPS and a peer in Recovery were walking along a river stream. The dialogue was very intimate ranging from topics of Recovery to the impact the person’s mental health affected their activities of daily living. The CPS asks the person, “Do you love your Recovery Plan?”
Their response was, “Yes I love my Recovery Plan”.
CPS says, “Continue feeding your heart and soul with love and compassion.”
The CPS asked the same question two more times. The peer in Recovery became frustrated with the line of questioning and two more times had the same response, “CPS you know I love working my Recovery Plan.”
Why did the CPS ask the same question three different times? These three confirmations demonstrated the unity of mind, heart, and soul. The deeper thing the CPS was attempting to register with the peer is they must first love themselves. If we don’t first have love of self we may fall short of healing. This is the first necessity or foundation of our Recovery work. Love energizes all of us. Love of self allows us to fill our inner world allowing Recovery to blossom inside each of us.
Peace
Larry
email: ljw@superhumanbeing.net
