Get to know Avant Recovery

Our Mission for Today...

We bring together people in recovery to share strength, resources, and everyday support, so we can all move forward without judgment or labels - because no one understands life after addiction better than those living it.

About Avant...

We’re a brand-new community built by and for people in recovery—those who know that life after addiction is about more than staying clean. It’s about rebuilding, connecting, and finding strength to create a future.

Through meetings, online support, and local donations, we stand with one another as we grow beyond our pasts.

Sometimes the past is too painful, sometimes it’s just time to move on. No matter the reason, having a community built on mutual support and understanding is a beautiful thing, and you don’t always have to talk about your addiction to find it.

We may be behind on this adulting thing, but we have each other to help out through the rough parts- and to celebrate the good stuff! Avant means “forward” in French, and that’s we want for each other and ourselves: to leave the past behind, to enjoy the present, and move forward into the future.

Some stuff to remember...

Avant's meant for anyone who needs it. To make it a good experience for everyone, just keep some easy stuff in mind. Some apply just to calls, some apply for writing your story, too. No matter what method you choose to share, use common sense and remember the following:

- When you sign into a meeting, use your first name only. 

- Privacy matters. You don't want your business out there, so don't put anyone else's either. 

- Join only if you're in a private space or have earbuds in to keep privacy for others. 

- Emotional outbursts are totally fine. Cruelty is not. Name-calling, yelling, swearing at anyone, or inappropriate behavior/ language is not tolerated. You'll be kicked off the call and risk not being allowed into any future calls. 

- Sexual advances/inappropriate comments are not welcome. Or okay. 

- War stories are not good for anyone, including you. Sometimes talking about the past is helpful to building a future, but please don't get into gory details or glorify the past. 

- Just be respectful. You know how you want to be treated, so treat others the same way. 

- A community works best if we can see each other. On calls, it really is helpful to have your camera on, but it's okay if you're camera shy. If you've got background noise, please mute yourself to be respectful. 

- No being on a call while driving. It's dangerous, and not just for you.  

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......And our Vision for the Future

Our vision is to build a community that turns recovery into renewal — empowering individuals to grow, give back, and find their place in this world. Together, we create lives filled with meaning and possibility, always moving forward.

About Me...

It took a lot of relapses and too many years to get here. I’ve learned things the hard way since getting clean on 1/6/21.I hit the ground running after rehab, earning my B.S in Addiction Psychology and an M.A. in Child & Development Psych. I’ve worked my way up to running my own team, and I own my home. I’ve even regained the trust I’d deservedly lost. My path to success was paved through immediate, short-term goals that made way for the next and the next and the one after that. I am actually proud of myself today, which I certainly couldn’t say before.  

I had to learn how to be an adult, a decade or so later than most. I learned the hard way how to cook a simple meal, mow a lawn, and what dish detergent to use. I tried and failed and tried again until I got it right. I know I’m not alone in that. And it occurred to me that other people have learned things I haven’t had a chance to yet, and vice versa. And how nice would it be to share those things with each other?

That brings me to Avant. If you’re anything like me, you have people in your life now who know parts of you, and maybe if you added up all those parts you’d get the whole. Or maybe you keep your past totally hidden. Either way, how nice would it be to have a community of people who get it, who want to share what they know and hear what you have to say, and who accept you as you were and as you are today? We’ve fought our way into our great second acts. I’d love to hear your story, so please feel free to email nikki.beaulieu@avantrecovery.org, go to the Stories page, or join the next call.  

... and a Disclaimer

This is not therapy. This is a group of individuals coming together to share their stories, laugh, cry, decompress. There's no professional advice, so take everything with a grain of salt and follow the directions given to you by the professionals in your life. This is for recovering addicts who want to be part of a community of people who couldn't judge you even if we wanted to, because we've got the same mistakes in our pasts and problems in the present that you do. These Meetings of the Mind are strictly meant to provide a space for people who want to be around others who understand but don't want to have to talk about the past or drugs and alcohol. And the Stories are for you get out the stuff building up inside or to share your successes - you know, humblebrag. We're here to support one another and build our lives from the ground up, together.