About
Charlie Risien
Charlie Risien, a cancer survivor, sober since 1990 and the adult child of two alcoholics, has been practicing in the mental health community since 1995. Known across the country and highly accredited in the recovery community, she trained at The Meadows in Wickenburg Arizona with Pia Mellody and Dr Patrick Carnes. Built on a belief that recovery can change lives, her passion is helping others to process trauma, break addictive cycles and change the perceptions that keep us tied to our pain.
Experience
Why Charlie is so well known:
Charlie Risien holds a master’s degree in Addiction Studies and is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, an Advanced Addiction Counselor, a Certified Multiple Addiction Therapist, a Certified Criminal Justice Addiction Professional in the state of Texas and a certified Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner and Brainspotter. She is a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and Supervisor and has worked and trained with Dr. Patrick Carnes on his task-based model at The International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals.
Ms. Risien has trained extensively in Pia Mellody’s Post Induction Therapy model of love addiction/love avoidance and codependence and in Terry Real's relational couples intensive work at the Relational Life Institute. She has conducted numerous workshops and intensives based on all of these ground-breaking models. She completed Dave Berger’s comprehensive BASETM Training: Bodywork and Somatic Education for Trauma Therapists using the principles of trauma healing, anatomy, movement and Listening Hands.
Ms. Risien is an active member of the Texas Association for Addiction Professionals (TAAP). She has presented and trained at conferences and workshops for TAAP and for The Meadows Lectures.
Ms. Risien developed the out-patient program for the Alcohol Rehabilitation Center of Bexar County in San Antonio, Texas. She is a co-founder of The Women’s Journey, a conference for AA and Al-Anon women, which has met annually since 1990. She has been invited as an expert guest speaker on numerous talk radio programs in Texas to discuss addiction-related topics.
Ms. Risien has been a therapist in private practice since 1995 in San Antonio, Texas, where she treats individuals and couples for substance abuse, sex addiction, love addiction/love avoidance, codependence, relational issues and trauma. She leads a weekly sex addict group of 6-8 male clients. Charlie did workshops for Pinegrove Treatment Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to facilitate five-day intensive workshops centered around codependence, addiction and trauma for individuals as well as relationship, intimacy and communication issues for couples.