NILES — At any given moment, nearly 42 million Americans struggle with addiction.
Eleven years ago, Dr. Cullen Hardy decided to address his own addiction, and has been sober ever since. Today, in a new office at 2527 S. 11th St., in Niles, he helps others make the same decision.
On Monday, Hardy opened the doors to Midwest Recovery and Wellness, alongside co-founder Robin Harvell, a licensed professional counselor and clinical director.
As a recovered alcoholic, Hardy offers treatment with the experience of having battled addiction himself.
“I’ve been sober over 11 years and it’s really a dream to be able to give back and help those as I was helped,” Hardy said. “Having been in their shoes allows us to provide better treatment. We know exactly where they’re coming from.”
A Grand Rapids native, Hardy became familiar with the Michiana area when he earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame. While studying in South Bend, Hardy began to see the impact of alcoholism and addiction throughout Michiana. After graduating from Notre Dame in 2009, he decided to study the subjects throughout his post-grad studies in New Hampshire, where he trained in substance abuse centers.
“Upon returning to the Michiana area I noticed that there weren’t many options around [for addiction treatment],” Cullen said. “There were a few, but as I was working in community and mental health, I learned there weren’t a lot of places to refer people.”
To fill this need, Hardy and Harvell set out to open their own practice.
“Niles was the perfect location because it’s so close to South Bend and there’s a huge need in Niles,” Hardy said. “There are treatment options available in South Bend, but there really weren’t any in Niles. … I was hoping to find a place where I could serve as much of the Michiana region as possible.”
Midwest Recovery and Wellness is a treatment facility designed to help people battle addictions of all kinds through intensive outpatient therapy.
“Being an outpatient program allows the patients to be able to receive treatment while living their lives, as opposed to residential treatment where they go off for a few months and they have to come back and reintegrate into society,” Hardy said.
With the goal of designing a program that would treat all needs, Hardy and Harvell put a lot of thought into the treatment process.
The outpatient therapy is offered in group sessions three nights per week for three hours per night. Program participants also receive individual therapy and sober coaching.
“Usually there are other underlying disorders such as anxiety, depression and trauma that require therapy,” Hardy said.
Hardy brings his own experience and a strong passion for helping others to his approach to helping patients. Harvell, who is described as a warm, empathetic therapist on the Midwest Recovery and Wellness website, has 16 years of experience treating a wide range of clients.
“We are also one of the nation’s only programs offering 24/7 Sober Support, which allows patients to have access to us at any time when they are outside of treatment,” Hardy said. “Especially in early recovery, someone trying to get sober will encounter many risky situations that can put their recovery at risk.”
Hardy said having this lifeline will help turn a potential relapse into a learning experience, which he said drastically increases the chance of sustained sobriety.
Those interested in learning more about the programs offered at Midwest Recovery and Wellness can visit MidwestRecoveryandWellness.com, call (269) 262-1815 or email contact@midwestrecoveryandwellness.com.
“It’s not hopeless and it’s never too late to give yourself the gift of sobriety,” Hardy said. “As a recovering alcoholic I know what it feels like to be hopeless and I realize how scary it can be to seek treatment, but it’s worth it and will be the best thing you ever do for yourself.”