Meet John – Founder of Beyond Addiction Retreats
John is a qualified addiction therapist with a genuine passion for supporting people in building lasting, meaningful recovery. He works with a wide range of addictive behaviours, with a particular specialism in sex addiction, offering a compassionate and non-judgemental space where individuals can begin to heal and reconnect with themselves.
John has undertaken specialist training with SASA (Sex Addiction Specialist Aotearoa – New Zealand), APSATS (Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists), and is trained in the ERCEM model (Early Recovery Couples Empathy Model), enabling him to work both with individuals and couples impacted by addiction. His background is rooted in residential rehabilitation settings, where he gained extensive experience supporting clients through primary and secondary care. He now works privately, offering more tailored and ongoing support to those navigating recovery.
The vision for Beyond Addiction Retreats grew from John’s awareness that many people continue to struggle after leaving structured treatment programmes - even those actively engaged in 12-step recovery. Recognising this gap, he created these retreats to offer ongoing support, helping individuals strengthen their recovery, reconnect with themselves, and reduce the risk of relapse.
John brings both professional expertise and personal lived experience to his work. Having witnessed addiction within his own life and family of origin, he understands the complexities of recovery and the reality that maintaining sobriety can remain challenging, no matter how much work someone has done. This insight underpins his belief in the importance of continued support and connection.
At the heart of the retreats is a balance between psycho-educational work and wellbeing. This combination offers participants the opportunity to refresh their recovery knowledge, deepen self-awareness, and re-evaluate their self-care in a supportive and restorative environment. Just as importantly, the retreats foster a sense of community - bringing together like-minded individuals who can both receive and offer support in a meaningful way.
John has worked both internationally and across the UK, bringing a broad perspective to his approach. However, he is the first to acknowledge that Beyond Addiction Retreats would not be what they are without the incredible team around him. He feels very fortunate to work alongside a group of highly skilled therapists and clinicians, each bringing invaluable expertise, insight, and dedication. Their shared commitment to supporting others in recovery is at the core of what makes these retreats such a powerful and transformative experience.
John and all of the facilitators share a clear and heartfelt aim: to ensure that every attendee leaves the retreat feeling renewed and nourished in their recovery, with access to ongoing support and the foundations of long-lasting, meaningful connections, both with the facilitators and with others they meet on the journey.