Ester Nicholson celebrated 34 years of recovery on November 2nd, but that doesn’t mean her recovery journey is finished.
“My work is Soul Recovery – the roadmap home to your authentic self,” says Nicholson, referring to her world-wide program as outlined in the popular book Soul Recovery: 12 Keys to Healing Dependence. Soul Recovery is a program that bridges the gap between the 12 Steps and universal spiritual principles, coupled with powerful healing modalities that include (but are not limited to) the Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping) and affirmative prayer.
She started Soul Recovery after working through the 12 Steps herself and feeling like something was missing. “I had to find a way to come home to my authentic self … and [Soul Recovery] was that way.”
Nicholson became a licensed spiritual practitioner to dive deeper into the vast world of spirituality, where she “awakened to [her] true identity as a beloved expression of God/the Higher Power,” and became passionate about teaching others how it’s their identity as well. “It is the highest version of ourselves,” said Nicholson.
What she learned became incredibly influential in how she approached recovery: “Recovery isn’t so much recovery from addiction … but it’s recovery from a deeper addiction – a belief system of unworthiness, guilt and shame.”
Nicholson believes that all addiction has its foundation in spiritual disconnection, and that recovery is found in spiritual reconnection. “We were born into dysfunction, but we were created out of wholeness and greatness… Soul Recovery supports us in remembering, rediscovering and reawakening to our authentic and essential nature of wholeness. Addiction is healed in light of that truth.”
In order to help others do this, Nicholson offers 21 days of free two-minute meditations, and she also facilitates retreats, offers an online course and private counseling, gives keynote presentations, and writes. Her deepest passion is to inspire others to release their addictions, learn to heal and forgive themselves, and “awaken to the magnificence, worthiness and enough-ness that is their true identity.”
Nicholson has also written a book, Soul Recovery, that dives further into these processes and thought patterns. It’s available here. And in January 2020, Ester will be facilitating a featured class on the In The Rooms.
Looking ahead, Nicholson sees the future of alternative recovery programs like hers as a bright one. “The time has come for [alternative recovery] – for many years, people weren’t ready for it, but now they are.”
