At the recent Empower Collaboration event held August 3–6, Sacred Journey Recovery took center stage in a robust conversation around men’s mental health and addiction recovery. Hosted at the intersection of innovation and wellness, the event brought together pioneers in behavioral health, recovery, neuroscience, and holistic well-being. Among a distinguished lineup of presenters, including transformational leaders and behavioral health innovators, Sacred Journey Recovery’s presence underscored the center’s rising profile in the national conversation surrounding men’s substance use and mental health treatment.
The Empower Collaboration, known for creating a platform where heart-led professionals come together to inspire collective change, attracted hundreds of clinicians, coaches, trauma experts, and advocates. Keynote voices such as David Meltzer, a globally recognized entrepreneur and humanitarian, set the tone for a weekend rooted in purpose, transformation, and unity. Meltzer, who has long championed mental health and service as a business cornerstone, shared the stage with leaders like Rachel Graham, founder of Healing Springs Ranch, and Dr. Josh Schwarzbaum, an ER physician focused on trauma-informed care. Each presentation served as a call to action to rethink behavioral health from a multidimensional lens, merging clinical excellence, community-based healing, and personal purpose.
Sacred Journey Recovery contributed to this dialogue by presenting its trailblazing Wolf Therapy initiative. This program has captured attention for its deep therapeutic impact on men healing from substance use disorders and co-occurring trauma. Unlike traditional talk therapy alone, Sacred Journey’s Wolf Therapy sessions leverage the nonverbal, intuitive presence of socialized wolves to help clients confront fears, reconnect to their own power, and rewire patterns of detachment. The wolves, provided in collaboration with the Wolf Education Project, are not only symbols of strength and survival but also partners in the recovery process. When clients come face to face with these majestic animals, it invites them into an encounter that bypasses intellectual defenses and awakens emotional truth.
This program is part of Sacred Journey Recovery’s broader model, which incorporates evidence-based addiction treatment practices such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Narrative Therapy. Unlike conventional facilities, Sacred Journey interweaves these modalities into real-world experience through adventure therapy, wilderness outings, rites of passage weekends, and brotherhood-based peer support. Based in Vista, California, the center provides a safe space where men are called into deeper self-awareness, radical honesty, and transformative accountability.
As the nation confronts an epidemic of fentanyl, methamphetamine, alcohol, and prescription drug abuse—especially among men who have long felt disconnected from traditional therapeutic models—Sacred Journey is positioning itself as a leader in experiential, masculine-centered recovery. The Empower Collaboration was a fitting venue for this work to be highlighted. At a time when many are questioning the efficacy of outdated treatment systems, the event made it clear that innovation is not only welcome—it is essential.
CEO Drew Anagnostou shared his appreciation for the experience, stating, “We are so grateful to be here at the Empower Collaboration event. Being able to share the stage with amazing thought leaders in the space is humbling and invigorating. Sacred Journey Recovery is poised to bring clinical excellence with holistic healing to men across the United States, based right here in Vista, California. We aim to help men reconnect with their authentic masculinity through outdoor-based adventure therapy, while also leveraging industry-leading technologies like Brain Mapping and cutting-edge therapies.”
With the national spotlight growing brighter on men’s mental health and substance use, Sacred Journey Recovery’s participation in the Empower Collaboration signals that the field is evolving. The presence of wolves in a therapeutic setting may seem unconventional to some, but for those in recovery at Sacred Journey, it is just one of many life-changing encounters on the path to wholeness. As conversations from the August event ripple across the behavioral health landscape, Sacred Journey Recovery remains at the forefront, committed to redefining what meaningful, masculine, and sustainable recovery truly looks like.
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