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What’s a Functional Analysis?

Dominique Simon September 20, 2024
Graphic Design by Lizabeth Laroche

“Functional analysis” means figuring out what’s happening — to your loved one or to you — in the moments before, during, and after a particular behavior. It might be a challenging or a positive behavior. It’s a tool to help you understand the thoughts, emotions, and external factors that go into these moments, and to go from being unconscious and reactive, to conscious, to having choices. It’s about trying new things, assessing whether they work and seeing what you weren’t aware of before. Once you’re aware, other CRAFT tools can help you understand what might happen next, so that you can gain and use the power to influence those moments.

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Dominique Simon
Dominique launched Allies in Recovery in 2003. Her work has been featured on HBO and NPR. She is a facilitator and a trained speaker on issues of addiction and the family. She has worked extensively developing and evaluating federally-funded substance abuse programs for organizations and clinics throughout Massachusetts and New York. With an interest in recovery and substance abuse that spans 20 years, she sees a huge need to help families develop the skills to help a loved one recover fully in a supportive, whole, and lasting way in their families and in their communities. Her mission is to have Allies in Recovery fill that gap.

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