Thunderbird Partnership Foundation
Thunderbird Partnership Foundation
Ep 28: Bridging the Gap - Koral Hamilton on Indigenous Approaches to Addiction Recovery
Ep 28: Bridging the Gap - Koral Hamilton on Indigenous Approaches to Addiction Recovery
Ep 28: Bridging the Gap - Koral Hamilton on Indigenous Approaches to Addiction Recovery
Thursday 7th August 2025
Explore Indigenous approaches to addiction recovery with Koral Hamilton, highlighting cultural healing and stabilization facilities.
65 minutes
informative
hopeful
compassionate
challenging
encouraging
About this podcast
Author:
Thunderbird Partnership Foundation
Overview:
Categories:
Innovative Treatments & Recovery Paths
Sobriety Toolkit
Family Recovery from Addiction
Navigating Intimate Relationships
Holistic Health Innovations
Links:
Visit site
Episodes:
29 (View all)
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!Indigenous Paths to Healing: Koral Hamilton's Insights
Episode Overview
- Understanding the impact of identity loss in addiction recovery.
- Importance of cultural healing in bridging recovery gaps.
- Introducing stabilization facilities in Thunder Bay.
- Role of dialectical behavior therapy in self-regulation.
- Empowering individuals with informed choice in recovery.
"Kindness. Really important message that you shared with us today. I can't say thank you enough for coming on the podcast and all that you have shared."
In this insightful episode of Mino Bimaadiziwin, Carol Hopkins engages in a meaningful conversation with Koral Hamilton, a program manager with Feathers of Hope, an Indigenous youth advocacy nonprofit based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Koral, a proud Métis woman with roots in Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, shares her expertise and personal journey in bridging the gap between detox and long-term addiction recovery treatment.
Koral emphasizes the critical phase of stabilization in recovery, where individuals confront the loss of identity that often accompanies addiction. She discusses how cultural healing and therapy can fill this gap, providing individuals with the tools they need to succeed post-treatment. The average relapse rate after long-term treatment is seven, highlighting the need for more effective strategies that incorporate cultural insights. The conversation explores the concept of dialectical behavior therapy as a toolkit for self-regulation, emphasizing mindfulness and emotional control.
Koral highlights how these therapeutic approaches align with Indigenous teachings and healing practices, offering a holistic path to wellness. Koral shares her vision for a stabilization facility on Fort William First Nation, designed to bridge the detox and long-term treatment gap through culture, trauma therapy, and life skills. The facility aims to be scalable, sharing its results with other communities and addressing missing elements in current recovery models.
The episode sheds light on the westernized harm reduction strategies and practical tools such as safe needle kits, drug testing strips, and opioid agonist treatment. Koral advocates for empowering individuals in their recovery journey by ensuring they are informed about their rights and the effects of different medications. Carol and Koral's discussion underscores the significance of kindness and compassion in supporting others without judgment, promoting a message of hope and encouragement.
The episode concludes with a call to embrace cultural healing and community connection, fostering a supportive environment for those dealing with addiction. Listeners are encouraged to engage with this powerful episode, subscribe for future insights, and visit Thunderbird Partnership Foundation's website for further resources on Indigenous mental wellness.