Harlan Serenity Foundation

09/29/2026

Fellowship Saved my Life

By Jonathan Marx
Blog September 2026

As a new member of a 12-step program, you will repeatedly be told to ‘go to
meetings, get a sponsor, and work the steps.’ You will also be suggested to take a
service position, such as making coffee or cleaning up after the meetings. These
activities are encompassed within two of the three pillars of Alcoholics Anonymous,
recovery and service. And they are essential to a successful program of recovery.
However, a three-legged stool will not stand on two legs. The third pillar, unity, can
make or break your recovery. And that starts with fellowship. When first getting sober, it
is strongly recommended to stay away from those with whom you used or who are in
active addiction. You may be asking yourself at this point ‘who am I going to hang out
with when all my friends still get drunk or high.’ You certainly would not be the first
person to voice this concern. Fortunately, there is a solution.

Please visit our site to read the rest of the post at HarlanSerenityFoundation.org

08/31/2026

Hope to see your there! 4 days!!

08/27/2026

Honoring Overdose Awareness Month Through Wilderness Recovery

By Melissa Squier

August 27, 2026 - 4 minutes read- 813 words
August is Overdose Awareness Month, and on August 31 we observe International Overdose Awareness Day. This year marks 25 years of a global campaign that began with a simple act of remembrance and has grown into a worldwide call to end overdose, reduce stigma, and support those left behind.

Recovery doesn’t always mean survival, but every step toward recovery deserves recognition. Recovery can look different for everyone. It may involve treatment, medication, peer support, family, rebuilding relationships, finding meaningful work or purpose, creating a safe home, or simply taking life one day at a time

At the Harlan Serenity Foundation, we pause this month to remember the lives lost, to acknowledge the quiet grief carried by families and communities, and to reaffirm our belief that recovery is possible—and that nature can be a powerful ally on that path.

Please visit our website at HarlanSerenityFoundation.org to read the rest of this post and learn how you can be a part of recovery.

08/20/2026

Nature based therapy...

Does ecotherapy need to be decolonized?

This week on Stories from the Field, Will White sits down with Laura Marques Brown, LCPC, ecotherapist and founder of Natureza Therapy and Natureza Coaching Collective.

Laura challenges some common assumptions about nature-based mental health treatment—including the idea that simply being outdoors is inherently therapeutic for everyone. She shares her journey as the daughter of Brazilian immigrants, her training at Naropa University, and why she has spent much of her career questioning and “unlearning” traditional approaches to ecotherapy.

The conversation explores decolonizing ecotherapy, Land, Lineage and Liberation, belonging in outdoor spaces, therapist burnout, and practicing mental health care during what Laura calls the “polycrisis.” At the center is a provocative idea: What happens when we stop viewing nature as a resource to use in therapy and begin viewing it as a relationship?

Listen at StoriesFromTheField.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

07/16/2026

July post by John Marx

Maintaining Recovery while Living Abroad

As someone who commissioned into the military later in life, and was stationed overseas, I realized that I had taken the recovery community in the United States for granted. It is somewhat rare for somebody with many years of recovery already under their belt to join the military, and it can feel isolating to be one of the few people in that situation. Things would have been much easier had I been stationed stateside. In nearly every midsize to major city across the U.S, there are AA and NA meetings virtually every hour on the hour from sunrise to sunset. Outside the U.S. and other English-speaking countries, meeting availability becomes a bit more challenging. However, that certainly does not mean that living abroad means being cut off from the recovery community altogether. In fact, there are opportunities to engage in a rich recovery community in some very unexpected places.

Read the rest on our site at Harlan Serenity Foundation

07/02/2026

Come out September 3 and support recovery. We are excited to see you there!

🌳 Sponsor Spotlight 🌳

Today we’re proud to recognize Harlan Serenity Foundation as a sponsor of the 2026 WNCRCC Recovery Rally!

The Harlan Serenity Foundation provides partial scholarships to young people in the United States for wilderness programs assisting with addiction recovery.

Because of sponsors like Harlan Serenity Foundation, we’re able to keep the Recovery Rally free for the community while celebrating recovery, reducing stigma, and connecting individuals and families with valuable resources.

Thank you, Harlan Serenity Foundation, for helping our community stay Rooted in Recovery. 💚

Learn more: HarlanSerenityFoundation.org

06/30/2026

🎶 Calling all musicians! 🎤

The 2026 WNCRCC Recovery Rally is looking for talented musicians to help us celebrate substance use/mental health recovery through music and community.

📅 Thursday, September 3
🕑 2:00–7:00 PM
📍 Pack Square Park | Asheville, NC

Whether you’re a solo artist or part of a band, we’d love to hear from you! Scan the QR code or apply online at WNCRCC.org/rally.

Note: you do not personally have to be a party of the recovery community to participate—allies are welcome!

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post with the musicians in your network! 🎵💚

06/30/2026

The woods are made for all kinds of recovery check it out

Can spending time in the forest become a pathway to healing?

On this week's episode of Stories from the Field, host Will White sits down with Regan Stacey, founder of the Forest Therapy School, to explore one of the fastest-growing nature-based approaches to wellbeing.

Regan shares the deeply personal story of how a life-changing cancer diagnosis led her to discover the healing power of the forest and inspired her to create the Forest Therapy School. Together, they discuss what forest therapy is, how it differs from simply taking a walk in the woods, the research behind nature's impact on stress and wellbeing, and why people around the world are training to become forest therapy guides.

Whether you're a mental health professional, outdoor educator, coach, or simply someone looking for a deeper connection with nature, this episode offers a thoughtful conversation about mindfulness, healing, and our relationship with the natural world.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or visit StoriesFromTheField.com.

06/06/2026

See you there on September 3rd!

The WNCRCC is excited to present the official flyer for the 2026 WNCRCC Recovery Rally! 🌳

Thank you to our amazing Presenting Sponsors and their representatives who volunteer on the Rally Planning Committee. Their dedication, hard work, and support help make this event possible!

For more information about the rally, or to apply as a sponsor, speaker, performer, or vendor, visit WNCRCC.org/rally.

Questions? Email us at [email protected].

06/05/2026