Recovery Practice

Ecomap for addiction recovery.

Map the support scaffolding and the stress triggers around the person in recovery, so treatment planning targets both — not just the abstinence goal.

Open the recovery template

Protective systems

  • Sponsor
  • 12-step / SMART group
  • Therapist / counselor
  • MAT prescriber
  • Sober peer network
  • Stable housing
  • Steady employment
  • Faith community
  • Family of choice

Common stressors

  • Using friends
  • Conflicted family of origin
  • Financial pressure / debt
  • Legal involvement
  • Unstable housing
  • Job instability
  • Untreated co-occurring disorders
  • Chronic pain
  • Trauma anniversaries

How to build it in a session

  1. 1. Center the client. Put the person in recovery (or the family) at the center.
  2. 2. Map the recovery infrastructure. Sponsor, group, therapist, prescriber, employer. Use strong solid lines.
  3. 3. Map family / friends. Differentiate using friends (stressful) from sober peers (strong). Note any cut-offs.
  4. 4. Capture stressors. Add stressful or stressful_strong lines for financial, legal, housing, or chronic-pain systems.
  5. 5. Track over time. Save a snapshot. Re-do at 30/60/90 days and compare — recovery capital should grow.

Generate from a case note

Paste your intake summary into the AI ecomap generator — supportive + stressful systems get extracted automatically.

Try the AI generator

FAQ

Why use an ecomap in substance-use treatment?+

Relapse risk is mostly relational. An ecomap surfaces the supportive systems (sponsor, sober peers, therapy, employer) and the stress sources (using friends, conflicted family, financial pressure) in one glance — so the treatment plan addresses both.

What systems should I include?+

Family of origin, current partner/kids, sponsor, AA/NA/SMART group, therapist + prescriber, employer, sober peers, using peers (label as stressful or broken), housing, financial supports, legal involvement, faith community.

How often should I update it?+

Repeat at 30, 60, 90 days. Compare versions to see whether protective ties are strengthening and stress ties weakening — that's measurable recovery capital.