Addictions and Attachment: Connection as a Path to Healing

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders struggling with undiagnosed trauma - and practitioners working with clients whose behaviors don't respond to traditional approaches - can miss the critical connection between developmental differences and traumatic stress. Robert Cox has spent over 20 years pioneering this intersection, becoming one of the few experts who understands how autism and trauma interweave to create complex presentations that require specialised treatment approaches informed by lived experience with recovery.

As Owner/Therapist at Life Recovery Consulting and Executive Director of The Tristn Jevon Center for Recovery, Cox brings unique expertise grounded in both professional training and 33+ years of personal recovery from addiction (clean since 1988). His book The Life Recovery Method: Treating Autism From a Trauma Perspective represents groundbreaking work in understanding how developmental differences affect trauma processing and recovery. His role as President-Elect of the American Counseling Association of Missouri and presentations at Autism Society national conferences demonstrate his leadership in advancing trauma-informed autism treatment approaches.

Cox's expertise spans trauma treatment from an autism perspective, addiction counseling, complex trauma and PTSD, mindfulness-based interventions, dissociative disorders, and what he calls helping clients "live vulnerably in an uncertain world with real joy, connection and courage." His approach recognises that many individuals with autism spectrum disorders have experienced significant trauma related to their developmental differences - from bullying and social rejection to medical trauma and sensory overwhelm - but traditional trauma treatments may fail if they don't account for autistic processing differences. He specialises in cases where standard approaches haven't worked, particularly with clients who have dual diagnoses of autism and addiction, or trauma presentations complicated by sensory processing differences.

What sets his training apart is lived experience combined with clinical expertise. Cox doesn't just teach theoretical approaches - he shows practitioners how his own journey through addiction, trauma, and recovery informs his understanding of resilience and healing. His 30 years of mindfulness practice and specialisation in DBT mindfulness techniques give him deep insight into helping clients develop distress tolerance skills that work for neurodiverse populations.

For your practice, expect to gain specific techniques for treating trauma in autistic individuals, tools for adapting traditional trauma therapies for neurodiverse clients, and frameworks for understanding how developmental differences affect addiction and recovery processes. His approach particularly benefits clinicians working with autistic clients, those treating dual diagnosis presentations, or practitioners wanting to develop trauma-informed approaches for neurodiverse populations.

Quick Win: Cox's "sensory-informed grounding" technique helps autistic clients access present-moment awareness during trauma responses - sometimes providing the first effective self-regulation tool they've ever had while honoring their unique sensory processing needs.

Qualifications

• MA, Counseling, MidAmerica Nazarene University, 2015
• BA, Social Psychology, Park University, 2011
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Missouri
• National Certified Counselor (NCC)
• Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC)
• 20+ years experience in mental health field
• 33+ years personal recovery experience (clean since 1988)
• 30 years mindfulness practice, specialised in DBT mindfulness techniques

Authored Publications

• The Life Recovery Method: Treating Autism From a Trauma Perspective (2016)

Leadership & Professional Service

• Owner/Therapist, Life Recovery Consulting, Richmond, MO & Liberty, MO
• Executive Director, The Tristn Jevon Center for Recovery, Richmond, MO
• Adjunct Professor, MidAmerica Nazarene University, Graduate Counseling Program
• President-Elect, American Counseling Association of Missouri, current

Professional Experience

• Opened trauma treatment center in Richmond, MO, December 2017
• Various capacities in mental health field for 20+ years
• Volunteer, Kairos Prison Ministry, Crossroads Correctional Center, Cameron, MO
• 20+ years working specifically with autism spectrum individuals
• Podcast Host, "Mindful Recovery," 2016–2018 (37 episodes)
• International speaker on trauma and addiction

Clinical Specialties

• Trauma treatment for autism spectrum disorders
• Addiction counseling for neurodiverse populations
• Complex trauma and PTSD in autistic individuals
• Mindfulness-based interventions adapted for autism
• Dissociative disorders and attachment issues
• Dual diagnosis treatment (autism and addiction)
• Sensory processing trauma and medical trauma
• Rural community mental health services

Ready to develop expertise in the overlooked intersection of autism and trauma? Discover how Robert Cox's Life Recovery Method can transform your understanding of how developmental differences affect trauma processing and give you the specialised tools needed to help neurodiverse clients achieve genuine healing and recovery.