About Us
Room to Heal opened in May, 2021 and is the first recovery residence / sober living home for men battling pornography and sexual addiction on the East Coast.
Andrew Reichel is a Sexual Recovery Coach certified by the American Association for Sex Addiction Therapy. His wife Lisa provides partner support and communication for Room to Heal. Together, they help couples negotiate and establish boundaries during this time apart.
Why are we in the recovery business?
We've been through this recovery journey ourselves. Sober living gave us the healthy time apart needed for the wounds to heal, forgiveness to take place and for trust to begin to be restored.
We started Room to Heal to make this critical part of our recovery accessible and more practical for people who can benefit from it.
Mission
Room to Heal is a sober living home in Charlotte, NC specifically to support men battling pornography and sexual addiction, defined by Carnes level 1, and assessed by a Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist. We provide the community, accountability and space men need to start gaining control over their addiction and begin the process of healing.
Room to Heal provides healthy time away from family to heal in a positive environment so that men can re-enter their family situation without animosity and a chance for a fresh start. This time away also allows for a reset for spouses and other family members and the opportunity to break cycles of co-dependency and other unhealthy dynamics. Peer-run groups and peer-accountability are the core of Room to Heal. Services include coordination of treatment and collaboration with other modes of treatment and recovery coaching to help individuals set and reach their recovery goals.
Values
Honesty – Stepping out of the darkness of shame-based living and into the light of honesty and transparency is a marked change for men in recovery.
Hope – Sexual addiction can be confounding and many people battling this have tried (and failed) countless times to quit. We strive to restore hope of recovery that grows stronger as they see others around them (and themselves) gain consistent victories over this addiction.
Accountability – One of the most impactful components of a powerful recovery plan is for the addict to empower other people in recovery to hold them accountable to sobriety and, in kind, to humbly serve others by holding them accountable.
Empathy – Learning to show empathy to those impacted by our addiction (including ourselves!) is paramount to the humility required to live a life of recovery.
Vulnerability – A common phrase in recovery circles is, “We are only as sick as our secrets.” Being open with the right people about the behaviors, feelings and actions that we’ve been keeping secret for a long time can be deeply impactful and healing.
Health – A foundational goal of Room to Heal is to model and enable a healthy lifestyle. The tendency of addicts early in recovery is to latch onto other unhealthy addictive behaviors (over-eating, sugar bingeing, video games, TV. We understand this and, as an alternative, will provide and encourage, healthy behaviors instead.
Meet our Advisory Board
Our advisory board is made up of individuals who are experts in addiction recovery. Most have walked with us through our journey of recovery. They are the sounding board for all major decisions.
Sheila Maitland, LCMHCS, CSAT
Founder & Director of the Relationship Enrichment Center
Sheila has been working with individuals, couples, groups and families for more than 20 years. With a focus on addiction and co-addiction, Sheila works with her clients to discover the cause of their pain, uncover trauma and heal these wounds.