From Stage Lights to Safe Spaces: Establishing Trust in the Recovery Community
Woody Giessmann lived in a much different type of community before he began building recovery communities. It was one of lights, sounds, and cheers. But in the peaceful places of healing, he discovered something much stronger: trust.
Woody Giessmann’s memoir A Life of Recovery: Breaking the Chains of Addiction is full of contrasts. Fame and loneliness. Turmoil and peace. Use and abstention. Yet, most striking of all may be this: the distinction between being noticed and being known.
As a drummer with the rock band The Del Fuegos, Woody understood what it was to be noticed. Fans, tours, press there was endless notice. But notice is not connection. It wasn’t until he got into recovery, left the stage, and started working with other hurt people that he felt what it was to be fully known, accepted, and supported.
That level of support necessitates trust. And trust is central to recovery.
The Role of Trust in Healing
Addiction recovery, both as a clinician and interventionist, has taught Woody that no one can recover alone. But in order for a person to become a member of a recovery community, first they must feel safe. And that safety begins with trust.
In his book, Woody talks about how hard it was for him to trust people in the beginning of recovery. Years of trauma, shame, and disappointment had created a wall. He didn’t want to be vulnerable. Didn’t want to depend on anyone. But recovery compelled him to open up or remain sick.
As he started to tell his story to others, something changed. The more truthful he was, the more he felt connected. And that connection, based on trust, was the basis for his future as a community leader and counselor.
Building Right Turn: A Recovery Space That Felt Like Home
Woody didn’t simply become sober he redefined it. In 2003, he established Right Turn, a innovative recovery program in Massachusetts that integrated traditional treatment with music, art, and community activity.
But Right Turn was not just about innovation. It was about safety. It was about creating a place where individuals could walk in broken and not be condemned. A place where they could fail, tell the truth, and still be invited back the following day.
That feeling of safety was not an accident. Woody structured Right Turn around one thing: “Healing only happens when people feel safe enough to be real.”
From group to songwriting workshops, each aspect of the program was filled with empathy and responsibility. Clients didn’t need to pretend. They didn’t need to put on a show. And that enabled them to regain something addiction had stolen: the ability to trust.
Breaking the Barrier of Distrust
Most individuals who come into recovery don’t trust others nor themselves. They’ve been deceived, abandoned, or hurt. Or they’ve hurt others and feel they don’t deserve to be helped.
Woody relates to that frame of mind because he experienced it firsthand. He speaks of times when he didn’t trust therapists, sponsors, or even supportive friends. But through ongoing support and sincere connection, he came to believe that trust isn’t something that’s received it’s something that’s earned.
In his current private practice, Woody still brings that style. He doesn’t make people trust him day one. He arrives, listens, and provides space. He lets people open up on their own terms.
Establishing Trust in a Group Environment
Group recovery programs are founded on commonality but trust is what sets them ablaze. Woody identifies several elements that contribute to establishing trust within recovery groups:
- Consistency – When clients see familiar faces and reliable structure, trust begins to build.
- Confidentiality – A sacred rule of recovery: what is shared in group stays in group.
- Empathy over judgment – No one heals in a space where they feel ashamed.
- Shared leadership – Peer mentors and recovered individuals create authenticity.
- Creative expression – Art, music, and storytelling allow people to share safely, even when words are hard to find.
Woody also emphasizes the need for boundaries in trust. Trust does not equal chaos or anything-goes conduct. It equals clear expectations, empathetic consequences, and respect.
Why This Matters for Families
Families must establish trust, too particularly if relationships have been damaged by addiction. In family recovery workshops, Woody frequently deals with parents and spouses who are fearful of trusting again. They’ve been hurt. Been lied to. Had things stolen from them?
But he reminds them: blind forgiveness isn’t trust. It’s a journey. A bridge that is broken and can be rebuilt, one brick at a time.
One of the most healing things a family can do is to tell one another: “We’re willing to begin again, but we need consistency and honesty.”
When both parties commit to showing up with responsibility, trust can be restored and relationships can be revolutionized.
Trust Is the Foundation of Belonging
In his memoir, Woody says: “It wasn’t until I allowed myself to be fully seen that I began to feel truly free.”
For years, he played for thousands but was alone on the inside. Now, in one-on-one sessions, group workshops, and recovery coaching, he assists others to discover what he was lacking: a sense of belonging.
Trust is not glamorous. It does not include applause or headlines. Yet in recovery, it’s the silent vow that declares: “You’re safe here. You’re not alone. You can heal.”
And at times, that vow is more compelling than any limelight.