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The Daring Way® in Houston

Shame Resilience + Whole-Person Recovery

The Daring Way® is a research-based approach grounded in Brené Brown’s work on shame, vulnerability, courage, and connection. At The Heights Treatment, our master’s-level clinicians have completed Daring Way training. Because of that, we can offer structured groups that strengthen self-worth, reduce common relapse drivers, and support lasting emotional health.

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What Is The Daring Way®?

The Daring Way® is a shame-resilience and courage-building methodology that helps people identify the beliefs and protective behaviors that keep them stuck, then replace them with healthier patterns rooted in authenticity, boundaries, and connection.

This approach is especially powerful in recovery because shame often fuels isolation, secrecy, perfectionism, people-pleasing, numbing behaviors, and relapse cycles. In Daring Way® groups, clients learn practical tools to move from self-criticism to self-respect, and from disconnection to support.

Daring Way® works by helping you recognize how shame shows up in daily life, including thoughts, relationships, coping strategies, and your inner narrative. You’ll learn to name shame triggers, challenge unhelpful stories, and practice new responses that build emotional safety and self-trust.

In treatment, Daring Way® integrates well alongside evidence-based modalities like CBT, DBT, trauma-informed therapy, mindfulness, and family work. As a result, you gain more than insight. You build practical skills that support stability across mental health and substance use recovery.

How it Works

Who The Daring Way® Helps

The Daring Way® can support adults struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma symptoms, chronic stress, perfectionism, shame, self-criticism, relationship conflict, and numbing behaviors (including substances, compulsive behaviors, and emotional avoidance). It’s especially helpful for high-functioning individuals who look fine externally, but feel disconnected internally.

See Below Who Can Benefit & Why

Co-Occurring Mental Health Concerns
Anxiety & Overthinking
Depression & Emotional Numbness
Trauma, PTSD & Hypervigilance
Shame, Self-Criticism & People-Pleasing

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How The Daring Way® Supports Recovery

Healing Through Shame Resilience + Connection

Daring Way® strengthens whole-person recovery by improving emotion regulation, self-worth, boundaries, and honest connection. These are core protective factors against relapse and chronic mental health symptoms. At The Heights, we deliver this work in structured groups led by trained facilitators as part of an integrated clinical plan.

Emotion Regulation

Learn to notice shame spirals early and use practical tools to return to calm, clarity, and values-based choices.

Shame Resilience Skills

Identify triggers, understand your shame soundtrack, and build skills to reduce avoidance and self-sabotage.

Boundaries & Self-Respect

Practice clear, healthy boundaries that protect recovery, without guilt, over-explaining, or people-pleasing.

Courageous Communication

Build the language for honest conversations, repair, and accountability. This supports long-term relationships and stability.

Self-Compassion & Identity

Shift from self-criticism to self-trust by strengthening a stable identity outside of performance or approval.

Connection & Support Systems

Reduce isolation by learning how to ask for help, receive support, and stay engaged in recovery community.

How Can The Daring Way® Help in Recovery?

Recovery is emotional, not just behavioral.
For many individuals, recovery requires more than behavioral change. It also involves understanding the emotional patterns that influenced past choices. In addition, it means learning to relate to yourself with compassion, honesty, and courage.

How Daring Way® supports long-term change.
The Daring Way helps clients explore these deeper layers with guided support and structured reflection. Over time, this work strengthens self-worth, emotional stability, and the capacity to create lasting change.

At The Heights Treatment, our clinical team integrates The Daring Way as part of a holistic approach to long-term healing and personal growth.

Who is Dr. Brené Brown?

Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor, author, and public speaker whose work focuses on shame, vulnerability, courage, empathy, and belonging. Her research helped bring clinical concepts like shame resilience into mainstream conversation. It also highlights how fear of judgment and disconnection can shape behavior, relationships, and self-worth.

Her research serves as the foundation for The Daring Way®, a psychoeducational, group-based approach designed to help people develop shame resilience skills, strengthen authentic connection, and practice values-based courage. In treatment settings, these concepts can be especially relevant for people navigating addiction recovery, anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, perfectionism, and relationship distress, where shame and avoidance often maintain cycles of coping and relapse.

At The Heights Treatment, we integrate The Daring Way® concepts into clinically supported programming to help clients:

  • Recognize how shame, fear, and self-criticism influence thoughts, choices, and relationships
  • Identify the beliefs and stories that keep people stuck in avoidance, isolation, or perfectionism
  • Build emotional resilience through accountability, boundaries, self-compassion, and support
  • Practice authenticity and meaningful connection, which can strengthen long-term recovery
The Daring Way Therapy in Houston, TX

Start Recovery. Live with Courage.

No matter the mistakes you’ve made in your past, you do not have to live there. A brighter, more fulfilling, authentic life awaits. If you or a loved one are suffering from substance abuse disorders or co-occurring mental health disorders, help is available. Call and speak to a member of our team today.

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Learn More | Shame, Vulnerability, and Recovery

Explore educational resources on shame resilience, boundaries, emotional regulation, and relationship repair, plus how these skills support addiction recovery and mental health treatment.

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DBT for Addiction (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)
DBT for Addiction (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)

DBT for Addiction (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)

Art Therapy Projects for Addiction Recovery
Art Therapy Projects for Addiction Recovery 

Art Therapy Projects for Addiction Recovery 

The Many Benefits of Equine Therapy
The Many Benefits of Equine Therapy

The Many Benefits of Equine Therapy

FAQs About the Daring Way & Dr. Brené Brown

Further information about Dr. Brené Brown and The Daring Way.

Who is Brené Brown?

Brené Brown, PhD, LMSW, is a researcher, author, and professor best known for her work on vulnerability, courage, shame, and empathy. Her research has shaped how many clinicians and organizations understand resilience, connection, and the emotional barriers that keep people stuck. The Daring Way® methodology was developed from this research and translated into a structured curriculum for groups.

Did Brené Brown Suffer From Addiction?

Brené Brown has spoken publicly about sobriety and the role it has played in her life. If you want to explore her personal story in more detail, we recommend reviewing her own writing and interviews for the most accurate context.

What is The Daring Way® (and who leads it)?

The Daring Way® is a structured approach based on research on shame resilience, vulnerability, courage, and connection. At The Heights, groups are facilitated by trained staff and integrated into a broader clinical plan when appropriate.

What Does a Daring Way Facilitator Do?

During a session, a Daring Way® facilitator guides participants through structured education, reflection, and skills practice. The goal is to identify shame patterns, strengthen boundaries and self-trust, and support healthier coping. At The Heights, this work is coordinated with the broader clinical plan when appropriate.

What happens in a Daring Way® group session?

Sessions typically include guided education, structured discussion, reflection exercises, and practical skill-building around shame triggers, boundary setting, communication, and values-based choices. Participation is encouraged, but it is never forced.

Is it a replacement for individual therapy or trauma work?

No. Daring Way® is best used as a complement to individual therapy and other evidence-based modalities (like CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed therapy). Your clinical team will guide what’s appropriate.

Can it help with addiction, relapse triggers, or compulsive behaviors?

Yes. Many relapse cycles are driven by shame, isolation, and emotional avoidance. Daring Way® can reduce those drivers by building self-respect, connection, and healthier coping strategies as part of treatment.

Can Daring Way Therapy Help in the Treatment of Co-Occurring Disorders?

Yes. The Daring Way can help people with co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns reduce shame, strengthen coping skills, and build the courage and emotional resilience needed for long-term stability.

Where Can I Find Daring Way Therapy?

Daring Way® is not as widely available as therapies like CBT or DBT. It is typically offered in settings where clinicians or facilitators have completed Daring Way training and can deliver the curriculum as intended. At The Heights, Daring Way® groups may be available as part of a holistic approach to addiction recovery and mental health treatment.

Is The Daring Way® religious or “self-help”?

No. It’s a clinical, skills-based approach focused on behavior patterns, internal narratives, boundaries, and connection. It can complement therapy for substance use, trauma, anxiety, and depression.

What should I do if someone is in immediate danger?

If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 911. If you’re in the U.S. and need urgent mental health support, call or text 988. If the situation is not emergent, contact our team to discuss next steps.