Codependency Turns 40! Should We Celebrate, Adapt or Simply Reconsider?

The past 35+ years have brought endless new, useful, even cutting-edge treatments to the addiction space with experiences like: motivational interviewing, Smart Recovery, EMDR, trauma work, somatic work and more. All of these allow us to evolve increasingly better treatment outcomes. But when it comes to the treatment of an addict’s spouses and beloved family members, we have seen little new thought (or change) since the introduction of the codependency model over 35 years ago. Prodependence, moves beyond the trauma-based theories of codependency and co-addiction, allowing us to view this population with fresh eyes and fresh ideas. Prodependence is invitational, loving and personally affirming to those who are intimately involved with addicts. Prodependence, a fully new way of viewing loved ones of addicts neither assumes nor assigns any pathology (or labels) to those who love addicts in the best way they can. This model turns codependency on its head, and by doing so brings a more compassionate, client-centered way of treating with wounded spouses and families.