Shaping Addiction Recovery: Rethinking Relapse, Outcomes, and Support

Johan Sorensen questions what recovery statistics actually measure and how services define a good outcome. He discusses continuing support, referral fees and the ethical questions that arise when care is also a business. His personal history provides context for a conversation about kindness, boundaries and support that can adapt over time.

The episode also expands the conversation beyond narrow ideas of recovery. It examines how outcomes are measured, why abstinence alone is not enough, and how connection, kindness, and accessible support play a central role in lasting change.

Johan Sorensen has spent more than 25 years working in mental health care. Over that time, he has set up and led treatment facilities and programs across the UK, the Middle East, and the United States. Trained initially as a therapist, Johan has worked across every stage of service delivery, from direct clinical work to program development and leadership. He has also served on charitable boards and consulted with the media on issues related to mental health and addiction. He later founded Portobello Behavioural Health to focus on personalized, practical solutions that support individuals, families, and organizations throughout the full continuum of care.