Nadine Lucas

Nadine Lucas is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Registered Play Therapist. She has been providing therapeutic services to children, teens, parents, and adults for over 30 years. Treatment settings include adolescent psychiatric hospitals, adult residential programs, public/private schools, community outpatient treatment centers, and private practice. Nadine received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Bridgewater State University in 1988, Master of Science degree in Counseling from Fitchburg State University in 2008, and earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Expressive Therapies from Lesley University in 2016.

Nadine is the president and founder of the PATH Program for Healing Addiction and Underlying Trauma (www.path2recovery.org). She founded this international non-profit organization in hopes of improving the lives of people all over the world struggling with addiction and its underlying trauma. Her goal is to connect with others in recovery who follow the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model of healing; a psycho-spiritual therapeutic model developed by Richard Schwartz over four decades ago. As a voice for recovery, PATH strives to bring individuals together, creating compassionate communities where people can grow, thrive, and develop Self-leadership skills. PATH offers free online support groups, events, and a variety of resources for recovery. In addition to Internal Family Systems (IFS), PATH is guided by Mindful Self-Compassion, body-oriented healing, and trauma-informed practices. As a person in recovery, Nadine understands the challenges that people struggling with “addiction” may face. She also believes that understanding, educating, and raising awareness of how trauma plays a role in addiction is a fundamental step in ending the cycle of addiction around the world.

“PATH focuses on a harm-reduction principle, in which each member is invited to explore whether or not their current behaviors benefit them or harm them. They acknowledge that many people hold shame-based emotions or multi-generational shame, and so know the strength of a non-dogmatic and inclusive approach. All participants and all of their parts are welcome.” https://traumaresearchfoundation.org/lets-get-to-know-path/

Nadine has a history of disordered eating and food/sugar addiction due to underlying childhood trauma and a history of family alcoholism. Treatment has included ongoing individual therapy and attending 12-step programs such as Overeater’s Anonymous and Al-anon. While Nadine recognizes that 12-step programs help millions of people around the world and maintains great respect for them, she personally struggled with the patriarchal language, pathologizing principles, and what felt like a lack of personal agency. On the other hand, she felt empowered by the concepts of “Self” and “parts” in the IFS model. According to Richard Schwartz (2021), who developed the model, “Internal Family Systems is a revolutionary paradigm of understanding and relating with ourselves – a method that brings us into inner harmony, enhances self-compassion, and opens the door to spiritual awakening.”

Through her healing journey with IFS, Mindful Self Compassion, and PATH, Nadine has experienced a spiritual awakening. Her roles in life have completely transformed from those of “survivor” and “victim” to where she feels empowerment, strength, and joy. She believes that self-compassion is the key! Nadine is eternally grateful for the Internal Family Systems paradigm of Self-leadership/healing and has dedicated her life to bringing these teachings to others around the globe. Finally, Nadine whole heartedly believes in the words of Carl Jung, “Am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.”