Episode 06: Jessica Helmka, LADC/MH
Jessica Fowler: Hello listeners. Welcome to what your therapist is Reading. I'm your host, Jessica Fowler. Today we are speaking with Jessica Helmka, LADC-MH. She has two workbooks that she's written, the Addiction Recovery Workbook, and the one for families. It's titled 360 Building a Perimeter of Support: A Mindful Plan for Life and Recovery.
Jessica is the owner of 360 Perimeter Counseling. On today's episode, not only are we talking about addiction, we're also talking about her workbooks and how they can be helpful for those in recovery and for the family mothers. And as always, the information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
Welcome back, listeners. Today we are talking with Jessica Helmka about her two workbooks. They focus on the Addiction Recovery Workbook and the one for family members. Welcome, Jessica.
Jessica Helmka: Thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here.
Jessica Fowler: I'm excited to talk to you about this topic. This is one of my areas in my practice, so I'm excited to be able to talk to you about this.
Jessica Helmka: Me too.
Jessica Fowler: Can you just share a little bit about yourself?
Jessica Helmka: Sure. So I'm a LADCMH, so here in Oklahoma, that's a licensed alcohol drug and drug counselor, but I have a mental health identifier, so that just means that I see people for addiction and also mental health issues. So, I've been doing that in a professional capacity since about 2015. I've been in a variety of settings from, uh, community mental health, residential treatment, and now I'm in private practice and I have my business 360 Perimeter counseling. Um, before I was a therapist, I was a soldier in the army, so I'm a veteran. Um, very proud to have that title. It was a great part of my life and really has influenced and still does, um, the things that I do and the work that I create, like my business name perimeter, uh, 360 Perimeter counseling, and the concept that I teach in the workbook is that we must create a perimeter of support. Uh, I make mention to that because that again, is completely from my experience in the military, in the, in the military, a perimeter is something that is created to protect something usually. For example, if you're out in the field and you have all the soldiers and your equipment, and you have to stay there overnight, let's say you would build a perimeter around that stuff and the perimeter would consist of foxholes where soldiers would be and they would hold that position and also look forward to anything that could infiltrate that perimeter and bring danger or death to that unit. Uh, the same is true in life and recovery when I am lost in myself, uh, I am best to look outside of myself. And as I teach, I must connect to all parts of myself, my mind, body, and soul, uh, to find my balance and have protection. And that's what the perimeter of support provides.
Now I know, I know you didn't ask me that question at, that wasn't the question, but, it's directly connected to who I am and, and what I do, and in the explanation of how I got here. Um.
Jessica Fowler: So that makes sense to me, especially having a background in addiction and reading these books, that, that fits very perfectly. It's an, it's another way of saying, right, of all the supports in place, you can't do it alone. Being aware of your triggers, for example, things like that.
Jessica Helmka: Right, exactly.
Jessica Fowler: Nice. Yeah. Can you share a little bit about your workbooks? Cuz you have two, right?
Jessica Helmka: So I created two workbooks. Um, I guess I can tell you a little bit how they were created and that leads me to help you understand them. So when I got out of college, you know, young brand new therapist go to a residential treatment and it's, you know, pedaled to the metal. You're busy, busy, busy here. You gotta teach this class and do this group, and here's this little worksheet. It's got two questions on it. Go teach it for three hours. So, of course I can hip pocket, but I, I wanted it to be, have more substance. So I started creating PowerPoint classes and worksheets and, and so it started to develop and over time, I was like, wow, I have a whole curriculum that I've created. And so, I decided to put that together and I have that and I teach that in my group. So, in, in addition to the workbooks, those worksheets in the workbooks are the bridges that, that, uh, that bridge the gap between the subjects that I teach in my curriculum. So for example, on one week I'll teach the neurobiology of addiction. Mm-hmm., we'll talk, I'll talk about and teach about the brain and then the bridge that gaps that to the next subject would be like the triggers worksheet. So they'll do that worksheet for homework, we'll come back and process it and then move on to the next subject. So, everything is interrelated. So initially I created that for the person with addiction cuz I was in residential treatment directly engaging with that person. Then when I got into private practice, a colleague who I was in school with and also worked with at a methadone clinic, uh, in my internship period, uh, he was, he had a group for people with addiction and he wanted to start a group for people, the family members.
Jessica Fowler: Mm-hmm.
Jessica Helmka: So then I said, oh, well I can take these worksheets and I can turn 'em into the family version. And so then was born the family workbook. So the two workbooks are in the same order of content.
Jessica Fowler: Yeah.
Jessica Helmka: But the examples are different. So, one speaks directly to the person with the addiction and the other speaks to the family member in that same relationship. So, I did that because I feel like it's such a rich experience. And the best-case scenario obviously is to have the whole family in recovery.
Jessica Fowler: Yes.
Jessica Helmka: Like that's the best. We get help for hope. So, I have the person with addiction doing the workbook in their group and with their counselor. Then I have the family members in their group with their counselor doing the same content, uh, just from their vantage point. And everybody is gaining their own strength and balance individually to then be able to come back together as a stronger whole unit. It mitigates a lot of the swampy water that comes with addiction, it minimizes manipulation. It, it helps the family heal. I mean, it, it's just a really, a full package. Uh, so that's what they are.
Jessica Fowler: That makes a lot of sense to me. So, anyone who has worked in addiction or chemical dependency has probably done group work. And if you're like me, you probably had a filing cabinet of like a million worksheets, right?
Jessica Helmka: That's right.
Jessica Fowler: That you were gonna pick from somebody, somebody leaves and you get to like, go through all of their, their papers and figure out which ones you wanna keep and hope you don't like get rid of the last one of the one you really liked. And I was…
Jessica Helmka: Yes.
Jessica Fowler: …like I was reading this and I was like, this, this, like it's, I will show it's very nicely just user friendly in that way to have worksheets and have people go through and they're all topics that are you know, covered in addiction, right? There's not one thing in here that I haven't covered, and I actually did a lot of, I ran a family group for a few years and it was a six-week cur curriculum and I was like, oh yeah, like we talked about that. We talked about that. There's a lot of things we didn't talk about in the six weeks that probably should be added. Um, , but it's that idea, right? With having both. But I like how you, it sounds like you run your groups, this idea that both are going through it at the same time, which can be really helpful.
Jessica Helmka: Right.
Jessica Fowler: And both are getting the same information.
Jessica Helmka: Right. But it doesn't have to be that way. So, I'm glad that you've made reference to that because that's exactly the experience. And then you're in that filing cabinet and this thing is all jagged. Somebody copied it, hacked sideways, and it looks terrible and you can't really read it. And I mean, it's just…
Jessica Fowler: You apologize for photocopies, right.
Jessica Helmka: But what I wanted was the person, oh, therapists, but also the person using the worksheet.
Jessica Fowler: Yeah.
Jessica Helmka: That, that they would have something that they could understand. .And so this, this workbook goes from beginning to end. I start with more simplistic…
Jessica Fowler: mm-hmm.
Jessica Helmka: …um, principles. And then we work into the more integrated concepts. So, you can do it from beginning to end or you can cherry pick what's important to you. And each lesson has like an intro to it. So, there's an explanation of the topic that is, I tried to make it understandable to anyone, and so I can do a worksheet within this workbook with having to have a bunch of education about the whole workbook because each worksheet makes sense within itself. And so that's important for a person using it, but also, again, the other driver was for other clinicians that have no time, they're already way overworked, and so they don't have a lot of prep time. So, they're like, okay, this person needs help with forgiveness. Let me just scan this real quick. And then, okay, I'm in the game and I've already got processing questions to ask right there. Like if I have a client that it's hard for me to pull stuff out of, I have a guide to help me do that. It really easy. And so that was another reason that I created.
Jessica Fowler: It is, it's very user friendly. Can you share some of the topics? So, like, you know, the ones that come off, like you just said, forgiveness, right?
Jessica Helmka: Yeah.
Jessica Fowler: So enabling what's in there triggers. What are some of the other ones that you think are important for the readers to know that you cover or, yeah. Readers and listeners self to know?
Jessica Helmka: Self-awareness. So some major concepts. So in the front of the book, I have, some foundational elements that are present throughout are very important. But if I were to pick out some of the most, of course, I think all the topics are important.
Jessica Fowler: Mm-hmm.
Jessica Helmka: But the major foundations are self-awareness, values, priorities, and actions, and becoming objective to how I, the person doing the workbook, am experiencing myself, the problem that I'm having and the relationships that I'm in. And so again, it's about creating a perimeter of support. And that means that I engage in things that strengthen all parts of myself, my mind, body, and soul. That is my mission. My mission is to find and strive for balance in each day and, and consider my whole self.
Jessica Fowler: Mm-hmm.
Jessica Helmka: When I do that, I am then more capable, becoming self-aware, so no matter what I do or don't do, instead of filtering everything through my emotional experience, I have to become objective, meaning that I consider the facts and I act upon things instead of reacting to the symptoms of my disorder or my life, whatever other problems there are. So, my new filter is my values. The, the beauty of being a, a human being that is an ever-changing thing is that we are ever-changing.
Jessica Fowler: Mm-hmm.
Jessica Helmka: So, no matter where I've been, today and with my workbook, this is the book of me and I decide what I value today. And so I reconnect to that. And now that is my filter through which every decision I make is run through. And that helps me to maintain my balance. It helps me to decrease my shame. It helps me to not be connected to pu puppet strings of other people, right? Yeah. That, uh, it doesn't mean that it's easy, but I can feel confident that my decisions are based on values and not emotional reactions. So those, those things are, are major key points. And then in addition to that, another big part is identifying my cognitive distortions. This is very heavy in cognitive behavioral therapy.
Jessica Fowler: Mm-hmm.
Jessica Helmka: uh, but also mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy and, uh, systems theory that I have to recognize where my thinking grossly distorted, and then I take the action to restructure that thinking, and I use objective assessment to do that.
Jessica Fowler: Mm-hmm.
Jessica Helmka: And obviously in, in the midst of that, I am healing and validating the hurts that really have given those distortions.
Jessica Fowler: Who, what would you say are one or two takeaways you would want your readers to walk away with after looking at this book?
Jessica Helmka: I think that kind of one of the things I just said, that there is no wrong answer in this book. If I was a person using this as self-help, because that's, you know, what somebody could do, they could order it from my website and just use it to work through by themselves that there are no wrong answers because it is a book of them.
Jessica Fowler: Mm-hmm.
Jessica Helmka: That the most raw and, you know, seemingly, seemingly wrong or weird answer is probably the exact answer you need to be writing down, because in the process of healing, I must be able to exercise that negativity or whatever that heaviness is within my soul. I, I must get that out. And so, speaking is one way to do it. Writing is one way to do it, and then being able to reflect on it so that I can see myself in an objective way. I can't see the forest through the trees when I'm standing in the forest. I, it's just, I can't do. So, I, I have to be able to get it out of me and, you know, um, I need to be mindful and careful if, if it's so upsetting to my being that I need some help. So I, I wanna make sure to say that that person can do this on their own, but if it becomes really upsetting, I, I obviously recommend that they…
Jessica Fowler: Yeah.
Jessica Helmka: …they bring it to therapy with them. So I, I guess, that was a lot of words to say that this is really a great opportunity to continue on the evolution of themselves. That it's, it's not just a place to learn about addiction and mental illness imbalances, but it is an act of evolving and it's a, it's a great opportunity…
Jessica Fowler: Mm-hmm.
Jessica Helmka: …to learn about yourself and, and just move the needle to where you want it to be.
Jessica Fowler: And we sort of said this, but who would you say this these two books are for?
Jessica Helmka: Well, for a person suffering with addiction, obviously they would use the addiction workbook, and then the other book is for a family member. But that's not just for like mother, father, sister, anybody who's in relationship to a person with addiction. Whether that be actively right now or you were raised with the person who is an addict, this is an opportunity for them to reflect on the past or get through the present, um, heal from all of those situations.
So it's really for everybody. And my third book, I haven't done this yet, is going to be a more general book. It won't be just addiction specific because what's also true about this book, even though it has addiction specific language, all of these concepts…
Jessica Fowler: Yes.
Jessica Helmka: …are important for all people to engage in. So, everyone is wise to engage in their mind, body, and soul, and to find that balance and filter all of their decisions through their values. So, anyway, it's for everybody. But these two, anybody who has a relationship with addiction in some way can really benefit from these folks.
Jessica Fowler: And I would add on the therapist who's looking to organize a filing cabinet.
Jessica Helmka: Yes. Yes. Yes. So, a therapist can buy this and use it as their guide for therapy sessions, maybe. Maybe they don't think this part one particular client needs the whole thing, but they're, you know, they're talking about distortions or cognitive restructuring or empowerment or, uh, family dynamics. There's lots of different things in here. They can use it in that way.
Jessica Fowler: Well, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today and talking about your workbook. I appreciate it.
Jessica Helmka: Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm excited to have been here.
Jessica Fowler: Where can our listeners find you?
Jessica Helmka: My website, 360 perimeter counseling.com, uh, has all my information and the variety of packages that I sell for these workbooks. Also, that's a working thing. My, my website, I, I sell these books. They can just go on and buy 'em or, and I also provide training to organizations and to individual therapists who need and, and, o want more guidance on how to deliver this workbook, whether it be in an individual setting or to a group. So I have a lot of things to offer in that way. So, I tailor the training to meet the needs of the person who's buying it.
Jessica Fowler: Excellent. Well, thank you so much.
Jessica Helmka: Yeah, thank you.
Jessica Fowler: Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of what your therapist is reading. Make sure you head on over to the website or social media to find out if there's a giveaway going on.
The information provided in this program is for educational and informational purposes only, and although I'm a social worker license in the state of New York, this program is not intended to provide mental health treatment and does not constitute a patient therapist relationship.