Sending email to yourself in the future: A possible tool for counselors

When working as the clinical director of an inpatient treatment program for individuals with substance use disorders I would often suggest that before completing treatment, individuals compose a letter to themselves. In this letter I would suggest that thoughts on change (early recovery) be recorded: What challenges will I face in early recovery? What resources are at my disposal to meet those challenges? Where do I believe that I will be in my recovery in “X” amount of time? What did I learn in treatment? What possibilities await me in the future now that I have “put the train back on the tracks”?

There are literally countless “spins” that can be placed on this assignment, but the common denominator for most is the creation of a fixed point in time where one engages in “possibility thinking” and then casts that message into the future to be reviewed at a later date, not unlike placing a message in a bottle—as an aside, for an interesting true story about messages in bottles, recovery, and connections, visit http://www.robertchapman.net/essays/Anyport.pdf

Regardless of your reaction to my thoughts on letters to oneself, you may find this website, http://www.futureme.org to be of interest and use as you look to create innovative ways to blend your personal approach to counseling with 21st Century technology :)

What do you think?
Dr. Robert