Visions Journal

Scott Tremblett, CCAC, CCTACP and Carolyn Rennie, MSc

Reprinted from the The Ongoing Journey of Recovery: Recovery across the lifespan issue of Visions Journal, 2025, 20 (3), pp. 20-22

The majority of our team at Red Road Recovery has first-hand experience with substance use issues in addition to our education. Because of this, we have a mission to provide quality addiction recovery care to others through trauma therapy, holistic healing and traditional ceremony and land-based practices. Our vision is to build a network of wellness centres that creates a seamless system of support from detox to treatment to aftercare, providing an entire recovery journey on the Red Road to Recovery.

The idea of the “Red Road to Recovery” originated from Indigenous spiritual teachings. It signifies a deep commitment to living your best possible life with respect for yourself, others and creation. The Red Road also means turning away from addictions that may damage you and others.

Our business, Red Road Recovery Ltd., was incorporated in late 2021. In just three years, we’ve opened three assisted living supportive recovery residences in the BC interior. Our original Red Road Recovery is a 14-bed residence in Sorrento, and we also have a 25-bed residence called Red Road Ranch in Lumby and a 10-bed residence called Red Road Rise in Salmon Arm.¹ 

The program

Our rehabilitation program focuses on healing the mind, body and spirit through the biopsychosocial model. We integrate this model, which considers how biological, psychological and social factors interact to affect all areas of health, with traditional Indigenous health practices and recovery through the 12 steps. 

We are proud to partner with local Indigenous communities to include cultural programming, such as a sweat lodge on site, medicine wheel teachings, art therapy, spiritual guidance and land-based healing. Canadian Certified Addiction Counsellors are on site six days a week and facilitate group therapy and provide individual counselling sessions to support clients in building a strong foundation of recovery. 

We offer a host of extracurricular programming. This includes yoga and meditation, an on-site gym, nature walks, boating in the summer, snowshoeing in the winter and everything else the beautiful land has to offer. We’ve found that our regular programs, like yoga and meditation, as well as our on-site gym, have really helped to bring out physical wellness in our residents, who may be getting in touch with their bodies for the first time.

We also offer equine therapy, an increasingly popular modality for addiction recovery. It involves guided interactions between individuals and horses. Equine therapy has multiple benefits, including greater emotional regulation, trust building, accountability and non-verbal communications, plus reductions in shame and guilt. 

In order to assist our residents on their Red Road to Recovery, there are several more activities, events and practices they participate in. We describe these below.

Smudging

Each morning, we perform a smudging ceremony before group therapy. The ceremony allows for the cleansing and purifying of that space. The purpose is to create a positive mindset and connect with spirit, Creator or your version of a higher power. 

The ceremony is usually led by a resident or trained staff member who will burn sacred herbs. One by one, each resident will come and partake in their individual smudge. We notice a palpable peace within the group circle during and after smudging. It’s a great way to get grounded, centred, connected and ready to start the day with intention. 

Sweat lodges

All of our locations have an on-site sweat lodge. The sweat lodge ceremony is performed weekly and is an all-day event consisting of gathering materials for the fire, preparing the fire and participating in the ceremony. 

Sweating is a spiritual ceremony for prayer and healing led by local Indigenous elders. Many transformations have occurred for our residents while in the sweat, including the release of abundant emotions. It can be a very spiritual experience. Many non-indigenous residents also feel a strong connection to it, allowing them to heal when the ceremony is approached with a warm heart and open mind. 

We’ve received so much positive feedback from attendees about the sweat lodge ceremony. For example, some people who struggle with religion and "God" seem to be more open to the term "Creator" and begin to have a spiritual experience. This, in turn, can help them with the 12-step part of our program, which invokes a higher power. 

Medicine wheel

Medicine wheel teachings and cultural arts and crafts are staples of our program. Medicine wheel teachings help to demonstrate that all aspects of life are interconnected, and that balance and harmony are essential. Arts and crafts provide a creative outlet while learning about cultural traditions. Examples of crafts include making rattles, drums, medicine pouches, moccasins, prayer flags and dream catchers, plus basket weaving and beading. 

In addition to the ceremonies at our centres, residents participate in off-site land-based healing ceremonies, such as water ceremonies and baths, medicine gathering, berry picking and other ways to spend time in nature and reconnect to the land to promote spiritual, mental and emotional well-being. 

Although there is a strong Indigenous healing focus in our program, people of all ethnicities, faiths and beliefs are welcome at Red Road Recovery, and many have found the spiritual guidance they’ve learned assists them on their own recovery journeys. For example, several non-Indigenous residents have received high therapeutic value from learning to drum and sing, beginning with going through the process of making their own drums.

Barrier-free access through CMHA

We are proud to have been awarded a CMHA grant to provide barrier-free access to 23 of our beds. Barrier-free means people can attend regardless of social or financial status. That means the program is available at no cost to BC residents. 

But Red Road Recovery is also open to everyone else, regardless of place of residence, status or gender. And although we are extremely grateful for our funding, we hope additional funds will come soon, as we’re in the midst of a large expansion and our ever-growing waitlist is evidence of the need for support beyond BC’s borders. 

To those who feel their relationship with substances needs to change, please know: you are not alone. It’s never too late. Now can be the time you choose the right road.

Applications are available now at redroadrecovery.com.