Pura Vida Sober Living

Relapse doesn’t begin with using. It begins with warning signs.

Maybe you’ve started isolating. You’re skipping meetings, holding everything inside, sleeping poorly, or thinking more often about people and places connected to past substance use.

These changes do not mean you have failed. They may mean you need more support right now.

Relapse can develop through emotional, mental, and physical stages. Recognizing what is happening early gives you time to reach out, reconnect with your recovery plan, and ask for help before things progress.

And if you have already returned to using, your recovery is not over. What matters now is getting support and taking the next step forward.

Learn more:
https://pvrecovery.com/blog/what-are-the-warning-signs-of-an-impending-relapse/

Need help getting back on track? Contact Pura Vida Recovery Services:
https://pvrecovery.com/contact/

Recovery is built one decision, one connection, and one day at a time.

These words from Pura Vida alumni and their families reflect what compassionate, consistent support can make possible: a safe place to begin, people who do not give up on you, practical tools for life, and a community that continues celebrating your progress.

We are deeply grateful to every person who has trusted Pura Vida to be part of their recovery journey. Your stories are why we do this work.

If you or someone you love is ready to explore treatment and recovery support, visit PVRecovery.com.

Recovery is not just about abstaining from drugs or alcohol. It is about rebuilding a life filled with connection, purpose, opportunity, and joy.

We’re honored to be featured in the North Bay Bohemian for the work Pura Vida Recovery Services is doing throughout Sonoma County. The article explores our real-world approach to treatment, including individualized clinical care, community involvement, recreation, vocational opportunities, and support across every stage of recovery.

Since opening our first sober living home in 2015, we have grown into a comprehensive recovery community guided by one principle: When someone trusts you enough to ask for help, go above and beyond to honor that trust.

In the words of our co-founder, Ben Pahlavan, “Getting sober is only the beginning of something so much bigger and better.”

Thank you to our clients, alumni, staff, community partners, and referral providers who continue to show what is possible with the right care and support.

Read the full feature in the North Bay Bohemian.

https://bohemian.com/pura-vida-recovery-builds-community-through-experienced-care/

Meet our team: Collin Hoctor, LMFT

Collin Hoctor is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over a decade of experience working in substance use and co-occurring mental health treatment. His career has spanned both inpatient and outpatient levels of care, where he has supported individuals and families navigating the challenges of recovery.

Collin served as Clinical Director for intensive outpatient and residential treatment programs, overseeing multidisciplinary teams and developing evidence-based programming to support long-term sobriety. His leadership emphasized integrating trauma-informed care, family systems, and relapse-prevention strategies into treatment, helping clients build the skills and resilience necessary for sustainable recovery.

In his clinical work, Collin draws from Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic psychology, polyvagal theory, and Buddhist psychology. He integrates mindfulness and compassion-based practices to help clients cultivate awareness of craving, develop healthier relationships with difficult emotions, and deepen their connection to the present moment.

With a holistic and compassionate approach, Collin has a particular passion for supporting individuals who feel stuck in cycles of addiction, helping them reconnect with their inner resources and rediscover meaning beyond substance use. He believes recovery is not just about abstinence but about cultivating a life rooted in connection, self-compassion, and purpose.

https://pvrecovery.com/about/treatment-team/

Every day, someone walks through our doors looking for a way out of active addiction. And every day, our team shows up to help them find one.

That's the whole job, really — more than the therapy modalities, beyond the accreditations & awards, or the level-of-care acronyms, it's about people showing up for other people on the hardest day of their lives, then the next day, and the one after that.

To our clients doing the hardest work of their lives on purpose: we see you. To their families rebuilding trust one day at a time: we see you too. And to every counselor, nurse, and case manager on this team who keeps showing up — thank you for making Joy for Living more than a mission statement.

Addiction rarely affects just one person — it affects the whole family system.

That's why Pura Vida offers family & couples counseling, alongside a free-for-life family program, to every client we treat. Loved ones learn how to support someone in early recovery through clear communication and healthy boundaries — skills that don't come naturally just because someone got sober.

Treating the person without treating the family around them only gets you halfway there. Call today to learn more.

A trigger isn't random. It's your brain protecting you from something that once hurt — even when the moment now isn't actually dangerous.

Unresolved trauma, grief, feelings of worthlessness or shame, rejection, chronic stress, loneliness: these are the most common emotional triggers behind substance use, and they work by reminding the brain of old pain, not by creating new danger. That's why willpower alone rarely resolves a trigger. The brain isn't being irrational. It's running an outdated warning system.

A useful starting point is asking yourself directly: what emotions do I struggle with the most? When do I feel most vulnerable to using? Are there patterns from my past still shaping how I react today? Journaling, mindfulness, and working with a therapist can all help surface answers that aren't obvious on the surface.

Naming your specific triggers is one of the most practical relapse-prevention tools there is — not because it removes the trigger, but because it turns an automatic reaction into a choice.

Read the full post: https://pvrecovery.com/blog/understanding-the-emotional-triggers-behind-addiction/