announcement of new programs

Hi,  This is my first blog!  I will be using it to announce what is going on at The Inspire Programs here in Austin, Texas.

I am now certified to teach Prime for Life (PFL) and Prime Solutions  (PS) developed by Prevention Research Institute (PRI) in Lexington, Kentucky.

They provide trainings all over the country.  I went up to Nashville, Tennessee last May to get the training because I wanted to get the latest and most up to date information about prevention and intervention research of drug and alcohol use for my clients.  I learned a lot.

The program is for anyone.  For those who already have a problem a treatment program may be recommended to support changes.  PFL and PS serve as pre-treatment and support for abstinence.


PRI uses the Lifestyle Risk Reduction Model (LRRM) which is based on documented research findings.  I have been using the programs since May 2010 and believe it fills a huge gap in public education.  This class is for anyone, any group, any age.

As a parent it is vitally important to give our children accurate information in order to set limits around alcohol and drugs.  I'm very happy that research and medicine are taking the alcohol and drug field to another level of help and hope.

The program begins by challenging common beliefs and attitudes that contribute to high risk alcohol & drug use.  The goal is to reduce health and impairment problems.   For instance, I hadn't thought about all the different kinds of problems high risk choices have created for people until this training where I also learned that every time you get a buzz you are developing a problem.  More on that in a later post.

Even after being in the field for over 25 years I feel more strongly than ever that I now have some new tools to help you know how to protect yourself and the things you value.

I have been fascinated by all the brain research in the last 20 years and I appreciate the way PRI has linked that information in a way that is easy to understand.  Some of this information shows how we block ourselves from seeing the dangers we face from our own physiology.  For example, we are easily fooled by a slow progression of memory and abstract thinking skills (higher brain functions) into believing we are sober when we are not.  I don't mean someone with alcoholism either, I mean anyone!  As I said above every time you get a buzz you are getting closer to having a problem, and that means anyone of us can have a problem any time we make high risk choices.

We need to know what high risk choices are and that is part of what we are teaching.

Today our society is deeply ingrained in social drinking and recreational drug use leading to social dependence that creates a wall around each of us.

One last thing... the program is designed to help family members too!  You can learn a new vocabulary and get easy to understand, accurate information that is non threatening and not coercive.


Be Inspired!  Genna


See program links (and links to my friends' sites) on the right.