Dutchess recovery coach Janet Sacco has worked in the field of addiction for more than 20 years, along the way incorporating yoga and mindfulness meditation with experiential therapy, and focusing on teens and young adults. When the current heroin epidemic surfaced, she found that her coaching style was perfectly suited for addressing the unique problems these addicts face.

“I have learned so much from my clients,” she says. “I believe that at the core of addiction is shame, which is masked by control and perfectionism issues. I’ve learned how to get to the deep-rooted issues without spending years in therapy. Most people are not sure how they are feeling, and the techniques I use help clients become more aware and learn to connect with the feelings they have been medicating for years.”

For long-term recovery, putting the drug down isn’t enough, she says; it’s also necessary to “collide” with the feelings being masked through self-medication. “I believe the spiritual journey is twofold. The first part is finding those spiritual emotional blocks—guilt, anger, fear, pain—and the second part is finding peace. Many substance abusers don’t know how to cope with stress. I teach them how to meditate, do chair yoga and learn to be in the moment. I also teach them Buddhist philosophy, which I compare to recovery.”

Sacco focuses on building trust with her young clients and keeping her rates affordable. She works with both individuals and groups of 10 or fewer.

For appointments, call Sacco at 914.772.4284.