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The following is the transcript of Andrew’s speech at NCPSG’s 10th Annual Addiction Awareness Vigil at 6 South Avenue in New Canaan, held on September 2, 2026. To view the video of his speech, just CLICK HERE. For a long time, I avoided my own feelings, and convinced everyone else I had it all together. Both seemed to work for

A look at Daniel Levitin’s exploration of the healing power of music and its connection to the brain, recovery, and personal empowerment.

On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the New Canaan Parent Support Group held its 10th Annual Community Addiction Awareness Vigil in downtown New Canaan. Sadly, we had to postpone the event from Tuesday; this dashed our previous hopes for an all-out attendance record but not our optimism for a great event. Despite the rescheduling, a mid-afternoon shower, and threatening skies later

The following is the transcript of Maggie’s speech at NCPSG’s 10th Annual Addiction Awareness Vigil at 6 South Avenue in New Canaan, held on September 2, 2026. To view the video of her speech, just CLICK HERE. The last day I drank I woke up with the shakes again, already withdrawing from the days and nights before. The last day

I grew up in New Hartford, Connecticut, a small town with a loving family and every opportunity I could have asked for. Looking back, there wasn’t one defining event that made me feel the way I did. It was more of a feeling that followed me for a long time. I moved through life with a persistent sense of discomfort.

On June 9, 2026, we hosted Frank Bartolomeo, PhD, for a Pathway Session on how the Family System can promote recovery. Frank is a well-known local psychotherapist and founder of the Well Center for Development n New Canaan. Frank started off introducing the Family Systems Theory (Bowen), which conceptualizes the family as an interconnected emotional unit. In Frank’s view, families organize around

I was the girl people expected to make it. I was a straight-A student. I was accepted to Yale with hopes of becoming an attorney. I was a first violinist in local philharmonics and symphonies. I played sports, danced, and studied abroad in Japan. Growing up in Norwalk, I had dreams bigger than anything I was facing at the time.

On May 13, 2026, we hosted Sean McGowan, VP–Continuing Care for High Watch Recovery Centers, for a Pathway Session on Aftercare Planning to promote recovery. In his storytelling style, Sean talked about his own journey from addiction and recovery, and how important his aftercare program for long-term recovery success. Sean started off with his own story, which is a story

Question: “How does one perform reverse alchemy, going from a normal newborn with almost unlimited potential to a diseased, depressed adult? How does one turn gold into lead?” (Felitti, 2002, p. 45).  Answer: Trauma. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, conducted by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente (1995–1997) with over 17,000 participants, found a powerful, graded relationship between childhood trauma

On April 15, 2026, we hosted Tracey Masella, LCSW, for a Pathway Session on setting healthy boundaries. Per her style, Tracey encouraged the participants to ask questions throughout, which made for an informative and relevant session indeed. Tracey started off with a review of the brain, which has two key opposing parts: the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala