Last spring we were deep in the throes of a family crisis. After many years of dealing with increasing substance abuse and emotional distress, our son was (again) hospitalized due to drug induced pyschosis. Over the years we had tried various forms of counseling, medical interventions, recovery programs, and professional guidance but we couldn’t help or reach our son. Then a friend (of a friend) referred us to Jill. From our very first conversations with Jill we felt hope for the first time in years. With gentle compassionate Jill spoke with and listened to my husband and me individually, to get the best understanding of a long and complex family background. Jill immediately met with our son at the behavioral health hospital. In the ensuing weeks Jill visited repeatedly, earning his trust and respect at a time when he was far from rational or compliant. Jill was instrumental in getting him the care he needed while admitted, and her guidance was critical in getting him transitioned to appropriate in-patient dual diagnosis rehabilitation programs, and to comply with follow-up residential recovery programs.   Jill used her knowledge, experience, and network to identify appropriate facilities and guide our son to accept and participate in the process. Jill continues to counsel and guide our son towards independence and a positive lifestyle. Jill’s guidance goes way beyond supporting our son. Her support and intercession have been instrumental in repairing our family dynamics. Less than one year ago I felt helpless and hopeless. Today I feel gratitude and hope. Jill has a gift that she generously shares. I will be forever grateful for her intercession and efforts to heal our son and family.

Marty M

Philip  saved my life. As a person who has struggled with addiction for most of my life, I'm always looking for ways to strengthen and broaden my recovery. Hiring Philip was one of the best decisions I ever made for my recovery. I really appreciated his open mindedness and generous spirit. He didn't come in with a fixed set of rules on ways to change me and fix me. But, in some way he was able to remind me of my humanity and help convince me that I was worth it. Together, we figured out what worked best - and if it didn't feel right, we worked together to figure out something that did. He was patient and kind and never stopped believing in me and that the right answer was out there and that ever it was, we would find it together.

I've been to quite a few rehabs in my time. I never really understood why you would go to another town, go to meetings, meet people and build up a support network just to toss it all aside when you returned home after treatment. By hiring Philip, I was able to stay in my own home, go to meetings in my own neighborhood and create a support network in the place I was living my life. It really helped to have a trusted, caring friend by my side to take those first steps and to have someone to debrief with and talk about all the questions and concerns swimming around in my head. He allowed me to get my feet wet, put on a pair of training wheels and get a program started that worked for me. I consider my time with Philip Michael some of the most exciting and eye opening of my recovery. And he's not a bad dinner companion either. A full throated roar of approval for Philip!!!

Tommy and Dina literally saved my life. Not only did they go above and beyond to get me to treatment (more than once), they truly care about my recovery and understand addiction. They've stayed in touch with me and my family and Tommy actually drove to CT to see me get my 1 year coin in November. I can't really put into words how grateful me and my family are for Tommy, but my dad always says he is my "angel" I would highly recommend Sober Companion to anyone who needs help or has a loved one who is struggling.

I was desperately in need of help for my alcohol addicted son who was spiraling downward towards an early grave. Constant drinking leading to numerous ambulatory trips to the emergency room including one OD was a common occurrence. I felt hopeless and terrified. Finding Tommy was such a blessing. He was able to communicate with my son and convince him to go to detox and then to rehab. He even drove my son to detox. Tommy is kind and caring with a sincere devotion to help anyone conquer their addiction. He is an amazing person with an unparalleled talent for communicating with an addicted individual. Tommy genuinely cares not only for the person he is helping but also for the family members who are also suffering. Tommy will be there when my son is out of rehab and will walk along side of him down the path of sobriety as long as needed.  

Tommy came to the rescue within hours of a call for help with a tricky situation --we needed a sober companion willing to quarantine with our son for five days after he may have been exposed to Covid and couldn't go back to Williamsburg House due to the risk of exposing others. I was impressed with the fact that they had someone available so quickly, and I was impressed by the attention my son also received from Tommy himself. Very thankful.

I’m not one to write reviews—and it’s taken me a while to write this one—but if there is ever a person who deserves accolades it’s Tom McAlinden. “Desperate” doesn’t even begin to describe how bad-off things were when we found Tom. He stepped-in as a voice of competence and calm when we were anything but that. Although it took us some time to get our “young professional” child into rehab (which included nearly a week of detox), I don’t know how we would have made that journey without Tom and the wonderfully kind and caring professionals who work with him. While we have learned how to take things one day at a time, we remain grateful for each sober day and the people who helped us to get there. Thank you, Tom!