Episode 154: Why Psychoeducation Still Matters in Addiction Treatment (featuring Tom Karl of R1)

Psychoeducation is often treated as secondary to “real” clinical work—but what if it’s actually foundational? In this episode of the Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast, we are joined by Tom Karl, Founder and CEO of R1 Learning, to explore the critical (and frequently undervalued) role psychoeducation plays in addiction treatment and recovery. Drawing from Tom’s background in corporate learning and development—and his personal recovery journey—the conversation challenges how treatment programs think about education, engagement, and fundamentals.

Together, we unpack the gap between counseling and teaching skills, the importance of shared language and basic vocabulary in early recovery, and why engagement between sessions matters just as much as what happens in the therapy room. We also explore gamification, learning styles, stages of change, and how tools like micro-content and feedback loops can support both clients and clinicians. This episode is a reminder that effective treatment doesn’t always mean more complexity—it often means returning to the basics and doing them well.

About the Guest:

Tom Karl founded R1 as the result of his own personal experiences in addiction, and recovery. The idea and vision for the R1 Learning System, the Discovery Cards, and R1 Discover App was inspired following Tom’s last substance use and hospitalization when he noted a lack of practical tools in addiction treatment settings. He has used the creation of the tools to help better understand himself, make a living amends to those he impacted, and build a positive path for others on a similar journey. Through R1, Tom’s goal is to put impactful self-discovery tools into the hands of individuals in recovery and empower them to reach their full potential. In addition, R1’s mission is to address the workforce shortage in the Behavioral Healthcare industry by equipping practitioners at all levels of knowledge, skill, and experience with evidence-based interactive support resources in both hands-on and online formats and in multi-languages. Tom has 25+ years of experience in workforce and leadership development, learning and development, employee engagement, and talent retention, working with global companies, government agencies, and education institutions.

Links:

• Website: https://r1learning.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/r1learning/posts/?feedView=all

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Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.