March
"when clients push back"
Resistance can feel personal—especially when you're new. But pushback is rarely about you. This month is about learning to stay steady when clients test the waters, and recognizing what their resistance is really telling you.
💡 March Tip
Your calendar has more—trends to watch, clinical insights, and key dates for the month. Get the Winter 2026 Quarterly Kit →
Personalize Your Calendar
Your quarterly kit includes stickers for dates that matter to you—client milestones, personal reminders, or trigger dates to watch. Make it yours.
📋 Q1 Goal Check-In
You're three months in. This is a good time to zoom out and look at the goals you set in January. Are they still serving you?
- What progress have you made on your clinical skills goal?
- Have you connected with a mentor or taken a step toward professional development?
- How is your sustainability goal holding up? Be honest.
- What needs to shift for Q2? Sometimes the goal was right but the approach wasn't.
When Clients Push Back
This three-page worksheet helps new clinicians reframe client resistance as information rather than rejection. It walks through four areas: understanding what pushback might really mean, identifying your personal triggers when clients resist, grounding strategies to stay steady in the moment and after session, and a reflection exercise to process a recent difficult interaction. The worksheet normalizes that resistance often has nothing to do with your competence — clients may be testing safety, protecting themselves, or communicating something about pace and autonomy.
Best for: New clinicians who take client resistance personally or feel their confidence shake when a session doesn't go smoothly. Also useful for anyone preparing to bring a challenging client interaction to supervision.
Available March 1stSelf-Injury Screening Quick Reference
This two-page reference guide helps addiction counselors screen for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) — a coping mechanism that often co-occurs with substance use but gets overlooked when clinicians focus only on suicidality and drug use. It covers what NSSI is and how it functions, signs that may indicate self-injury, how to ask directly without increasing risk, what to do if a client discloses, and next steps for documentation, safety planning, and referral. Designed to be printed and kept within reach during assessments.
Best for: Addiction counselors who want practical guidance on screening for self-injury alongside substance use, especially around Self-Injury Awareness Day (March 1) or when working with clients who show signs of using self-harm as a coping mechanism.
Available March 1stSpring Restlessness: "I'm Good Now" Syndrome
As the weather warms up, watch for clients who suddenly want to "take a break" from treatment. A few good weeks can lead to overconfidence. Warmer weather also brings new triggers—outdoor gatherings, old routines resurfacing, social events increasing.
Try this: When a client says "I think I'm good now," get curious instead of defensive. Ask what's changed, what their plan is for maintaining progress, and what warning signs they'll watch for. Collaborate on an exit plan rather than just letting them drift away.
National Recovery Day (March 18)
Recovery is worth recognizing—however it looks. Use this day to celebrate client wins, big and small. A week without use counts. Showing up to session counts. Trying again after a setback counts.
Ideas: Acknowledge milestones in session. Write a brief note of encouragement. Ask clients what they're proud of—and actually listen to the answer.
Video: March Survival Tips
A quick walkthrough of this month's resources and how to use them. Coming soon.
📝 Related Reading
They Keep Relapsing: Redefining Success in Addiction Work
Client Relapse In my first year working with adolescents, I had a client using opiates — Vicodin, they said. They denied using needles, but I
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I’m Too Tired to Care: Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
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When the Judge Says Abstinence but Evidence Says Harm Reduction
Blog #2 in the Justice-Involved Treatment Mastery Series: Harm Reduction with Court-Mandated Clients Read Blog #1: Beyond Court Compliance if you haven’t already. The email
Cultural Competency Guide – Coming Soon
This practical guide equips clinicians with the tools needed to deliver culturally responsive, equitable addiction treatment. Through real-world examples, reflection prompts, and actionable resources, it supports providers in building empathy, reducing disparities, and honoring client identities and lived experiences.
Covers:
- Cultural humility framework
- Bias recognition strategies
- Sample cultural assessment forms
- Case studies from diverse communities
This upcoming guide delivers practical tools to strengthen inclusive, respectful client care.
Join the waitlist to get notified when it’s released and gain early access to exclusive companion tools.
Estimated Release: Spring 2026
Want early access or release updates? Fill out the form below.
CE Course Coming Soon – Coming Soon
This 5-hour self-paced course is designed to enhance clinical awareness and confidence when working with individuals in early addiction, co-occurring conditions, or unclear diagnoses. It provides an in-depth look at how addiction presents across populations and offers practical strategies for recognizing early, acute, and masked symptoms.
You’ll explore:
The difference between signs vs. symptoms
Clinical red flags often missed in intake or early treatment
Cultural, behavioral, and neuropsychological indicators of substance use
Case-based decision-making to strengthen recognition skills
📚 Already Available: The full resource guide is live in our store and can be used now
⏳ Coming Soon: This course is currently pending CE approval through NAADAC. You’ll earn 5 CE hours upon launch.
🗓 Estimated CE Release: Mid to Late Summer 2025
Want early access or CE release notifications? Join the waitlist below.
Breaking Barriers – Coming Soon
This upcoming guide offers clinicians a compassionate, evidence-informed framework for supporting LGBTQIA+ clients through the addiction and recovery journey. Developed with cultural humility and intersectionality at its core, Breaking Barriers includes:
- Clinical guidance on affirming care across diverse identities and experiences
- Scenarios and case studies for reflective practice
- Tools to help clients explore identity safety, stigma, and resilience
- Strategies for addressing minority stress and internalized shame in treatment
Designed for individual therapists, group facilitators, and programs ready to do better by queer and trans clients.
Estimated Release: December 1, 2025
Want early access or release updates? Fill out the form below.
Closing the Divide – Coming Soon
This enhanced eBook explores the deep-rooted gender disparities in addiction care—and offers concrete strategies for closing the gap. Designed for seasoned clinicians, advocates, and program directors, this guide includes:
- Data-driven insights on gender differences in access, engagement, and outcomes
- Real-world case studies and reflection prompts
- Worksheets and trauma-informed tools tailored by gender identity
- Strategies for building inclusive, gender-responsive recovery systems
Join the waitlist to get notified when it’s released and receive early access to exclusive companion tools.
Estimated Release: October 31, 2025
Want early access or release updates? Fill out the form below.
Parenting in Recovery – Coming Soon
This upcoming resource is designed to help clinicians support clients navigating both recovery and parenthood. The Parenting in Recovery workbook explores strategies for rebuilding trust, establishing stability, and fostering meaningful communication between parents and children.
Whether used in family therapy or individual treatment, this guide includes:
Evidence-informed parenting strategies
Tools for restoring structure and safety at home
Guided activities to promote connection and resilience
Session-ready prompts and clinician insights
Built for therapists, counselors, and parenting specialists, this resource will be released in Spring 2026.
Want early access or release updates? Fill out the form below.