Why Do We Do Step Six?

Step Six says, “[We w]ere entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”

The step is briefly worded, and the Big Book offers a single paragraph of explanation, essentially instructing us to evaluate our willingness and to pray for willingness where lacking.

To newbies and the uninitiated, the purpose of this step may appear elusive. It clearly addresses our willingness to have God remove negative character traits, but why an addict should be concerned with this isn’t immediately apparent. The temptation is to think our proper focus should be upon removing the attachment to drugs and alcohol. Step Six actually helps do this, as we explain below.

In 12 Step meetings, members will use various illustrations to explain the importance of Step Six for recovery. Two popular stories involve “dropping the rock” and the “monkey trap.”

Dropping the rock in recovery is likened to a boat journey to an island called Serenity. One passenger struggles to swim to the boat, weighed down by a rock symbolizing fears, resentments, and other character defects. Urged to 'Drop the rock!' by those already onboard, she releases her character defects, reaches the boat safely, and finds lasting serenity.

In the monkey trap story, usually set in a forest or jungle, a hunter places a treat in a container with a small hole. The monkey eagerly grasps the treat but becomes trapped because its fist won't fit back through the hole. The treat symbolizes our character defects, and our instinctive refusal to let them go leads to dire consequences. (Our CEO Cary McKee tells a similar story about someone getting their hand stuck in a vending machine!)  

Click To Read More

Counselor Bruce Wood: Making A Difference

Meet Bruce Wood! He’s a seasoned substance abuse counselor who has dedicated 40 years of his life to helping people find their way to recovery. His career is marked by his commitment to understanding the complexities of addiction, adapting to the evolving landscape of substance abuse, and most importantly, participating in the transformation of countless lives.

Bruce's professional venture into counseling began in 1984. His motivation stemmed from personal experience and his college education. Growing up in an alcoholic home, he felt a calling to help others navigate the challenges of addiction. Despite initially preparing for a medical career, Bruce says his Higher Power guided him towards counseling, where he found his true calling. “I could see that this was what I’m supposed to do. I was set for a medical career, just waiting for the semester to start. When the time came, I'd already committed in my head and heart to do counseling.”

Over the course of his distinguished career, Bruce has worked with all of the big names in Springfield – the hospitals, the behavioral health centers, and also Springfield Public Schools. He even owned his own clinic for a time. As owner and manager, he oversaw more than a dozen counselors, but he tells us that "administration wasn't my cup of tea.” What Bruce really wanted was to do client care, so when an opportunity in Branson opened for him in 2011, he answered the call. For the next ten years, he conducted counseling, groups, and SATOP classes. Then came the Covid pandemic and a decision to retire. "I decided to retire after two years of Covid, where I did treatment out of my living room by computer. It had become so impersonal sitting at a computer screen. So, I thought maybe this would be a good time to bow out, to retire," Bruce says.  

Happily, his decision was short-lived, and it was a telephone call with CORE’s CEO Cary McKee that marked the turning point. As if reliving the moment out loud, Bruce recalls, “I called Cary just to talk. I had six weeks into retirement. I said to him, ‘Cary, I'm tired of fishing. I've had my fill. I've got to figure out something to do.' When I mentioned some agencies who might be looking for a counselor, he said he’d been wanting to create the CARE program. I said, ‘I'd be willing to develop that if you need help.'” Within two weeks, Cary called Bruce back, seeking his expertise to plan, develop, and conduct our CARE relapse prevention and awareness program for individuals committed to maintaining sobriety.

Click To Read More