For Immediate Release
Contact: Julia Keane Julia Keane 508-368-7226 or 774-530-1207
WORCESTER – On October 23, 2025, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. welcomed community members, including recovery advocates, health and wellness professionals, and law enforcement personnel to Veterans Inc. in Shrewsbury for a half-day event organized by the Prevention and Support Network. This event focused on supporting individuals and families affected by substance use disorders (SUD) through holistic, mind-body approaches to recovery.
Keynote speaker Linda Geraghty, a trauma-informed yoga instructor and family recovery specialist featured in the award-winning documentary Our American Family, spoke about the deep connection between trauma and substance use. Drawing from both professional expertise and her own experience, she emphasized how recovery requires attention to one’s entire system – body, mind, and family – not just the symptoms of addiction.
“Addiction is relentless. We often try to hide it while our families get sicker. Engaging in open conversations is crucial to truly understanding this disease, and that understanding is vital for the family’s healing,” said Linda Geraghty.
Geraghty highlighted the ways in which stress and trauma can live in the body, and how practices like yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness can help release those patterns, restore regulation, and rebuild trust in oneself and others. Geraghty underscored the importance of supporting families, emphasizing that addiction affects loved ones as profoundly as those experiencing it firsthand, and that breaking generational cycles of trauma and addiction begins with compassion, communication, and consistent support. Her work integrates trauma-informed principles to help families navigate recovery with understanding, boundaries, and resilience – key themes that resonated with many in attendance.
A panel of local wellness professionals expanded on these ideas, offering practical insights into how holistic methods can complement traditional treatment and recovery pathways. Panelists included Kellie Hamilton, founder of A Better Path to Wellness; Phil George, clinical biochemist; Jacqueline Monteiro, wellness practitioner and recovery coach; Anthony Bizzotto, president and co-founder of Revive of the U.S.A., Inc.; and Heidi Moody, personal trainer and L3 CrossFit coach. Each spoke about the ways nutrition, movement, mindfulness, and community engagement contribute to sustainable recovery and overall wellbeing.
Throughout the event, attendees also took part in guided mindfulness exercises and movement breaks, offering moments to practice the very mind-body techniques discussed during the program. These activities encouraged participants to experience firsthand how mindfulness and movement can support focus, stress relief, and emotional balance.
District Attorney Early commended the speakers and attendees for their shared commitment to exploring new, compassionate approaches to supporting recovery throughout Worcester County. He noted that addressing addiction requires collaboration across every part of the community – treatment and health care providers, families, schools, clergy, law enforcement, and local organizations – working together to reduce stigma and create lasting change.
