Brian O'Shea

About Brian

Brian O’Shea, CAI, CSI has lived and worked in family systems and personal recovery for more  than 30 years. Well-known as a skillful interventionist, Brian is also a creative, multidisciplinary recovery coach who has successfully mentored individuals and families throughout the U.S. He  has collaborated with many nationally significant treatment centers and industry professionals. 

He draws on trauma therapies, somatic therapies, ancestry connection, peer-to-peer recovery, and  personal contemplative practices, especially ceremony, walking meditation, labyrinth walking,  breath work, and mindfulness. These disciplines in various combinations aid behavioral health,  mental health, substance misuse, addiction concerns, chronic pain, relapse prevention, finding  meaning, relaunch, rewire, trauma recovery, and enhanced spirituality.  

Brian’s consulting and coaching practices focus on understanding the effects of the family of  origin and multigenerational family systems. He is skillful at helping individuals and families  understand and resolve the related traumas and belief systems that contribute to substance  misuse, anxiety, dysphoria, and anhedonia. A profoundly influential experience, an intensive led  by Terra Holbrook, informs his approach to trauma recovery.  

Experience and Expertise

Brian was trained in intervention by Dr. Judith Landau and Heather Hayes. His education also  includes training in family-of-origin and multigenerational family systems (Dr. Judith Landau);  multidisciplinary coaching (Nanette Zumwalt, IRI); CCAR; Gorski-CENAPS® Relapse  Prevention (Terry Gorksi); the Gorski-Cenaps® Addiction-Free Pain Management® Treatment  System (Stephen Grinstead); TINSA® (Michael Barta); and advanced DBT, CBT, and ACT  skills (Eric Schmidt). Wally P. trained Brian in leading Back to Basics Beginners’ Meetings.  

Brian has deep roots in the principles and practices of peer-to-peer recovery programs where  clients find community and support. These include the Twelve-Step groups (AA, NA, Al-Anon,  Alateen, Alatots), SMART Recovery (Self-Management and Recovery Training), Celebrate  Recovery (a Biblical approach), LifeRing Secular Recovery, and Refuge Recovery, a Buddhist oriented, non-theistic recovery program that does not ask anyone to believe anything. He also has  experience in and expert knowledge of Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA or ACoA).  

As a young man, Brian ran groups as a volunteer at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre,  New York and at Pilgrim State Hospital—now called Pilgrim Psychiatric Center—in Brentwood,  New York. Since childhood, he has been an active member of recovery support groups for  families and is grateful to be in long-term recovery from trauma and substance use. Brian has a  great interest in labyrinths, an ancient form of sacred space, and has sited and designed several.  For relaxation, Brian enjoys his meditation practice, watching British television, and reading  novels. On a dare, he once held the spotlight doing improv in a Manhattan comedy club. ​