A Qualitative Study of the Phoenix Exercise and Activity-Based Mutual-Help Program

Abstract

Background:

The Phoenix is a novel alternative to traditional substance use disorder (SUD) mutual-help programs, offering individuals with SUD and co-occurring mental disorders free access to physical activities and social events (e.g. CrossFit, yoga, rock climbing, and meditation). Despite rapid growth, little research has examined its potential role in recovery.

Methods:

We conducted five focus meetings: three with Phoenix members (n = 5, 3, 2) and two with instructors (n = 3, 1), totaling N = 14.

Results:

Participants were drawn to The Phoenix’s inclusive, supportive community and its emphasis on positivity, safety, and non-judgmental engagement. They highlighted the program’s strengths-based, destigmatizing approach, contrasting it with more confrontational models. Reported benefits included building resilience, learning healthier ways of coping with stress and negative affect, enhancing positive emotions, fostering meaning and purpose, and connecting with pro-recovery peers. While instructors and members endorsed similar themes, members emphasized community, connection, and shared purpose as especially impactful.

Conclusions:

The Phoenix’s unique blend of peer-based community and physical activity creates an engaging, strengths-oriented environment. By promoting connection, resilience, and emotional catharsis, it may help sustain recovery and support long-term remission.

Introduction

Mutual-help programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery are widely utilized and many achieve substance use disorder (SUD) remission through these programs (Beck et al., 2017; Kelly et al., 2020). For a range of reasons, however, these programs are not an optimal fit for all. Some individuals may struggle with the spiritual or religious overtones of many of these programs, while for others, typical, discussion-based meeting structures might not be ideal.

The Phoenix, which first emerged in the United States (US) in 2006, is a novel alternative to traditional mutual-help programs. While it likely offers many of the same common-factor benefits as programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, such as socio-emotional support, it stands apart in both philosophy and structure. Rather than centering on personal deficits, The Phoenix embraces a strengths-based, affirming approach to recovery. Its model emphasizes active, experiential engagement through a wide variety of physical and social activities, including CrossFit, rock climbing, hiking, yoga, meditation, and music. This ethos is reflected in its guiding belief: “We’re all born with intrinsic strength. Although we may face challenges in life, we believe that by coming together and supporting each other we can, like the phoenix, rise from the ashes, unbroken.”

Phoenix events are open to anyone with 48+ hours of continuous alcohol and other drug abstinence, with participants mostly self-referred from the community. All Phoenix classes and events are led by volunteer instructors with a connection to The Phoenix mission—including those with lived experience of substance use and SUD recovery—who also hold the appropriate qualification to lead a class/event (e.g., rock climbing instructor, yoga instructor). There is no screening process to join The Phoenix, and the requirement of 48 h of alcohol and other drug abstinence to attend activities is based on the honor system. Members are not expected to disclose any problems with addiction or mental health nor are there any conventions around introducing oneself or identifying in a particular way. There are no membership fees for Phoenix participation nor is there a cost to attend its programming. The Phoenix’s programming is offered through facilities owned and run by The Phoenix itself, and through events held at partner locations across the US (e.g., gyms, rock climbing facilities, yoga studios) or in public spaces (e.g., state and national parks). The Phoenix also offers online/virtual programming through its NewForm app. With a presence in all 50 US states, The Phoenix estimates it has served over 750,000 individuals to date (The Phoenix, 2025).

To date, there has been limited research on The Phoenix program and the ways it may support SUD recovery, though in theory, it may help reduce SUD relapse risk by mobilizing and facilitating a range of bio-psycho-social changes (Heinrich et al., 2025; Patterson et al., 2025; Wyker & Hillios, 2020). For instance, there are probable physiological and psychological benefits associated with the physical activity attendant with Phoenix participation. Moreover, the highly social nature of The Phoenix likely mobilizes salutary mechanisms common to all mutual-help organizations such as shared experience and affiliation that can decrease shame and other forms of negative affect while also increasing positive affect (Kelly et al., 2009, 2011; Stout et al., 2012). Exposure to people who are fully engaged and coping with the demands of recovery also likely instills hope among new Phoenix participants by providing observable evidence that barriers can be overcome. The social bonds that occur within the Phoenix context may also lead to social network changes from pro-substance-use to pro-SUD-recovery peer groups, which in turn can increase recovery motivation, coping skills, and self-efficacy (Kelly, 2017; Kelly et al., 2009).

A detailed, quantitative assessment of The Phoenix and its mechanisms of behavior change is being conducted as part of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) project 3R24DA051988–02S1. As an initial effort to begin to understand the appeal of The Phoenix and ways it may confer benefit, we conducted a qualitative study with the specific aims of, 1) exploring individuals’ motivations for participating in The Phoenix and 2) examining participants’ perceptions of The Phoenix and the benefits they experience.

Method

Researcher description

The study was led by the first and senior authors (DE, JFK), whose expertise in addiction science, recovery processes, and mutual-help interventions informed the design and interpretation. JFK has extensively characterized mechanisms of behavior change in Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs; DE has published at length on recovery support services, emotion regulation in SUD, and alternative recovery models. They oversaw conceptualization and methodology, supervised data collection and coding, and situated the work within both the limitations of traditional models and the promise of initiatives such as The Phoenix for broadening engagement in SUD recovery.

Participants and procedures

All study procedures were reviewed and approved by the Mass General Brigham Institutional Review Board (protocol 2021P001889), with focus meeting participants providing written informed consent by attesting to reading a study fact sheet in the REDCap data capture system (Harris et al., 2009). Given that this was an exploratory, qualitative investigation, the methods were not pre-registered.

All Phoenix members and instructors from the organization’s Boston, Massachusetts gym were invited via e-mail to participate in a series of one-hour focus meetings. Volunteers were compensated $20 for their participation. To encourage a frank discussion, focus meeting participants were told that the conversations were to remain confidential and that individuals’ responses would not be directly shared with the Phoenix organization.

To enhance the breadth and diversity of perspectives captured, we conducted multiple focus meetings, each with a distinct cohort of participants. Three separate focus meetings were conducted via Zoom with Phoenix members with n = 5, n = 3, and n = 2, and two separate focus meetings were conducted with Phoenix instructors with n = 3, and n = 1 (total N = 14). Focus meetings were conducted in January and February of 2022 and each ran for 1 hour. Audio and video recordings of the meetings were saved to a secure network drive only accessible by approved study staff, and recording transcription was done by TranscribeMe.com.

Measures

Phoenix participants’ perspectives were elicited through coded, focus meeting interviews. We asked 10 Phoenix members and four Phoenix instructors: 1) What initially attracted you about the Phoenix model? 2) How would you describe The Phoenix and the people who attend it? 3) How do you think The Phoenix supports your recovery from addiction and/or other psychological problems? 4) Are there any aspects of The Phoenix model that you would change?

Coding and analytic strategy

Focus meeting transcripts were coded in Dedoose Version 9.0.107 (Dedoose, 2023). Themes were identified using well-established grounded theoretical principles including inductive reasoning, coding, theoretical sampling, theoretical saturation, and qualitative thematic analysis and best practices (Clarke, 2022; De Wet & Erasmus, 2005).

Participants’ verbal responses were systematically reviewed by authors DE and JFK, with identification of thematic categories until saturation occurred. Subsequently, transcripts were coded using these themes by author DE. In parallel, as a coding check, authors MM and an additional research coordinator also independently coded study transcripts. Thematic responses to each question were tabularized, and rank ordered from the most to least frequent.

Results

Sample characteristics

Sample characteristics are reported in detail in Table 1. Briefly, the study sample was 50% female, with 78.6% of participants identifying as White/European American, 14.3% as Other Race/Mixed Race, and 7.1% as Asian/Asian American. The sample’s average age was 44.9 (SD = 12.4) years.

Table 1.

Sample characteristics.

	Focus Meeting Participants N = 14 (mean [SD]/%)
Age	44.9 [12.4]
Sex (% by sex)
Female	50.0
Male	50.0
Race (% by race)
Asian/Asian American	7.1
Black/African American	0.0
Native Alaskan	0.0
Native American	0.0
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	0.0
White/European American	78.6
Other Race/Mixed Race	14.3
Hispanic (% Hispanic)	0.0
Sexual Orientation (% by orientation)
Non-sexual or asexual	0.0
Heterosexual or straight	78.6
Homosexual, gay or lesbian	7.1
Bisexual	14.3
Questioning or curious	0.0
Not sure	0.0
Other	0.0
Education level (% by education level)
Less than high school	0.0
High school diploma/GED	7.1
Some college (no degree)	35.7
Junior college or associate’s degree	7.1
Bachelor’s degree	28.6
Master’s degree	21.4
Doctorate degree	0.0
Other degree	0.0
Household income	$99,500.0 [$72,165.1]
Primary substance used (% by substance)
Alcohol	66.7
Amphetamines	0.0
Cannabis	0.0
Cocaine	8.3
Opioids	8.3
Other	16.7
Current substance use goal (% by goal)
Abstinence from all alcohol/drugs	64.3
Abstinence from only the substances with which I had a problem	21.4
Non-problematic/moderate use of substances, including those with which I had a problem	7.1
I don’t currently have an alcohol/drug use goal	7.1
Months since last alcohol use	88.5 [145.7]
Months since last drug use	109.7 [140.0]
Months affiliated with The Phoenix	22.3 [21.4]

Notes. Standard deviations in brackets.

Extracted category themes and example quotes

The extracted category theses and example quotes can be found in Table 2. Responses were broadly categorized as thematically related to: 1) The Phoenix’s attractive characteristics. 2) Personal benefits of Phoenix participation. 3) Things that would improve The Phoenix.

Table 2.

Extracted category themes and example quotes.

Theme	Example Quote
Adding more group activities	“Get people to hang out at the gym for a few – that’d be interesting too if they had more of a lobby. Maybe with COVID, they kind of delayed that, but as things get better, it could be nice to have a little lobby area where people can kind of connect. Because what brings you back to these things rather than another gym? It’s the people.”
Adding team sports	“And I know that on our desk here at Boston, we are just starting to collect interest in team sports and what kind of team sports are interesting. So there’s a possibility that we’re moving forward with that, which is exciting to see because that was always something that I agree we would like – we would love to see that kind of thing.”
Altruism	“The crux of The Phoenix is the service aspect because everyone feels like they’re helping other people. And I think getting that message when people are ready in their recovery, something that helps your recovery the most is helping other people, I think that is the most important thing. I mean, it takes people their journey to get to that point, but I think that’s why the gym is so powerful.”
	“I think my ability to give back gives me such purpose and gives me such fulfillment. And knowing that the energy that I bring impacts 10 people every morning, that I’m there, and that – and I also know like how much like the energy that I bring to the space affects and impacts other people.”
Building psychological resilience	“And I think, for me, the biggest thing – I sort of mentioned earlier around this topic of shame and regret, and the empowerment that Phoenix has given me to be proudly sober and openly sober has led to such a just monumental difference of my experience of sobriety and my ownership of that.”
	“I mean, absolutely. I think, for me, treating my body right – I think when I got sober, the thing that I sort of associated most clearly with was that I saw clearly, that I just both physically, literally, was waking up with clearer eyes and mind as well as just making sound decisions. And that feeding into the fact that I was feeling good about my body and being able to then translate into fitness, just they both compounded on each other, and it was easier to feel good about myself because it was then easier to take care of myself. And so where a lot of my own personal experience was coming from requiring external validation and giving me this outlet to provide myself with some really healthy outlets for self-validation was really key for me.”
Builds trust	“It’s like they trust you to be sober. They trust you to show up, behave, and all this stuff. And I think when people – not always, but if you’re a humanist, you think when people are trusted, they tend to act better because they take that responsibility on themselves…”
Builds meaning and purpose	“Absolutely. Yeah. Again, like I said, the first time I tried to get sober, I white-knuckled it, didn’t tell anybody, and I was just miserable for a year. And I literally told myself – I was like, ‘I’m going to not drink for a year to prove to myself that I’m not an alcoholic.’ And I set a date on the calendar, and I did it for one exact year. And it was probably the worst year of my life, was just constantly being miserable. And so when The Phoenix [inaudible] and being able to say, ‘Yes, I’m sober,’ wear that shirt that says sober across my chest and be proud of that, I don’t – if you had asked me seven years ago if I would ever do that or if that’s the person who I’d be, or if you showed me a picture of who I am, that person wouldn’t be recognizable. And I’m so happy that I’ve been given the opportunity to take ownership of that and be a public face for that for others.”
	“Well, and it’s so important to be – integrity is what, for me, is a huge part of recovery for me. And so I wanted this thing, and I wasn’t taking any action to get it. And so there was an incongruity there and a lack of integrity and I just couldn’t get myself to move and do that next right thing. And then along came The Phoenix, and now, it helped me.”
Building positive sober identity	“Like I said, for me personally, it literally changed my whole approach. Turned everything from recovery to positive recovery. It just changed my outlook on everything just by going and starting walking on a regular basis.”
	“Yeah, I noticed, like I said, my recovery made a huge turn for the positive … when I started being active and getting the endorphins pumping, and just getting my mind on other things than – kind of living a, quote-unquote, ‘normal life’ than just focusing on next steps and whatnot …”
Destigmatizing	“Perhaps because The Phoenix programming has a more public face, that serves to destigmatize addiction because people are seeing active examples of recovery and the good things people do in addiction recovery, rather than just seeing the negative aspects of addiction.”
	“I think it provides a completely different view or perspective of what people who are unaware of what sobriety or recovery looks like. It just paints a completely different picture of what that can be or will be for anyone that’s considering it.”
Emphasis on positivity/increasing positive affect	“My opinion on what makes Phoenix different is this overwhelming sense of hope and forward-looking into.”
	“I would say everyone is really optimistic for being – there’s always a bias of the type of people who are going to show up. They might not be representative of all the people who are addicts, but that could be a good thing to draw people in. The people showing up, they really do want to get better. They do want to put their recovery first. Sometimes people chat. They talk about the 12 steps. They talk about meetings. They talk about their support, what they’re going through, and they acknowledge the challenges, but – sorry, just going to wait for that to pass. They acknowledge the challenges, but I found people are always focused on the solution, and that’s usually an indicator of a positive environment.”
	“Again, that fun and joy. I can be having a really bad week and not getting enough sleep and show up to class, and just not being in my routine and running a little bit late and kind of just being in a really bad mood. And as soon as the class shows up and people are all there together, it’s all gone. I am in just such a positive atmosphere to – and my focus has shifted to just providing these folks with the workout that they came here to enjoy together.”
Exposure to a variety of recovery experiences	“So being involved in The Phoenix, having a group where it’s a very diverse bunch of people who shows up, incredible variety of people that come to this organization. But by and large, everybody there shares one thing. Well, actually more than one thing. The obvious thing is that they’re brought there by some connection, either personally or because of someone they know or they’re involved with who has an experience with substance abuse …”
	“Because of the activities and the wide menu of activities, we get people with lots of time in recovery that want to come, where a lot of the other sort of recovery community organizations seem to appeal to people earlier in the recovery continuum. But at 20 years, you still want to go climbing or you want to try yoga or whatever. So we get this really rich blend of everyone on different points of the journey.”
Family can be included	“My daughter is 10, and she’s been coming to some of the CrossFit events with me, probably the last three times, and it’s fantastic. For a kid who – sometimes she just doesn’t want to get off the screen, and so for her to be engaged with me, eye contact, encouraging, cheering me on, being physically active, it’s been really, really, really fantastic to have her be able to join me at those events. And there’s no reason for her to not be there. She’s very much welcomed into the group. So that’s been really, really cool.”
Focus on physical activity	“And to me, there’s so many things about, for me, in particular, climbing – but I think it pertains to a lot of different physical activities, especially structured athletics – that are so beneficial, that they are the perfect antidote and the perfect thing for somebody who’s coming out of this behavior and trying to find some other thing to do with their lives that doesn’t revolve around constantly thinking about being sober or constantly thinking about not putting a needle in your arm or constantly thinking about not huffing something or whatever it is your favorite thing to do that was horrible was.”
	“I did attend treatment program. And there was absolutely no exercise. There was no gym. There was no nothing. And it was a terrible thing. I was squirrely inside because I couldn’t even move my body. And even when I was at the bottom of my addiction, I still exercised a lot hungover, but I did it. So this was really important.”
Forgiving atmosphere	“If someone’s late, there’s no penalty to that. There’s no, “You can’t participate.” It’s reframing. Even for me as someone who really struggled early on with, “Oh, I have a lesson plan. I have one hour. Class runs this exact way.” And then this person will show up 15 minutes late and that’s going to throw everything off. And for me, having to take that breath and welcome them into the space, get them involved, because it was probably a really stressful experience being 15 minutes late for them as well. And I think that’s probably one of the more surprising things for both people in recovery and support who come through for our events, is that sense of, ‘Oh, I didn’t think I could do this,” and creating an environment where they could.’“
Good distraction	“I see it reset people. They show up. They talk about their probation officer, and they got in trouble, and they might get some sanctions or whatever for something they did, and they’re upset because they don’t think they deserved it, and they start putting it all on that person, and you’re kind of like, ‘Hey, by the way, just get your barbell. We got to get – look at this. Your workout is on the board. We have to get after it. We’ll talk about that later.’ And usually, by the end of the workout, they’re laughing, high-fiving, and they’re walking out the door not even”—
	“I’m a real fan of athletics. I mean, mostly, my thing is climbing. I love rock climbing. And addiction recovery or addiction removal or whatever you want to call it can be kind of a navel-gazing thing, where you end up thinking about it a lot, just in your head, a lot. If you’re not high, if you’re not drunk, there’s a presence that’s on your mind a lot. But when you’re climbing, it’s not. [You come off it?]. You really don’t have that opportunity. When you’re climbing or when you’re doing cross-fit or when you’re doing yoga or if you’re running or you’re on the exercise cycle or you’re weightlifting or something, that’s where your head is…”
Healthy coping mechanism	“One of the hardest things when you first get sober is regulating your digestive system, but depending on what you’re using, right? And figuring out how to sleep without drinking yourself or drugging yourself to sleep. So learning an alternative method to relax your body and sleep. I think that that’s probably – I mean, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that’s probably why people loved it so much, because they finally down-regulated a little bit, for the first time.”
	“I mean, rock climbing is one that I personally enjoy and I didn’t find it until I got sober. And I didn’t know I would like it as much as I do. I fell in love with it. And it’s just great that they have so many different programs because who knows what’s going to strike a chord with somebody. And when it does, somebody in sobriety – I mean I’ve got an addictive personality. Once I attach to something I’m like, ‘Let’s go.’ I’m just full-on, ‘All right. How do I do this? How do I do this? All right. How do I learn more?’ And I just want to feed that, and it becomes an obsession almost. But it’s a healthy obsession.”
High quality facilities	“The building itself is astounding. It’s a wonderful gym, right off the bat. That’s the first thing you notice when you get there. It’s clean and it’s well-staffed and it’s well-equipped: a full-on cross-fit gym and climbing gym. So as far as the physical description of it, it’s a remarkable place and with what it offers.”
Holistic approach of Phoenix	“I understand how important a holistic approach is toward your mental health and physical health. So maybe some people, yoga is very spiritual for them, maybe not, but at the core, you’re helping them facilitate that mind-body connection, mindfulness, using the breath to deescalate or reduce stress. I feel like that’s such a powerful tool to give to people.”
Inclusivity regarding physical abilities	“But the vibe is great because it’s not like you go to a regular gym and it’s judgy, judgy. It’s like you do your own thing. Nobody cares about if you’re good or not.”
	“One of the ways is empowering them to know that there are folks who are walking in every day, and it’s part of this community’s responsibility that, when we see someone that we’ve never seen before, to make sure that we know what they are walking through with and create that warm atmosphere. There’s a reputation for CrossFit of being really competitive. And we do a lot to take away any of those kinds of standards. We don’t write down any sort of, ‘This is the weight you should be using,’ or, ‘This is exactly how to do it.’ Every single thing that we do can be modified or scaled for any person walking through the door. There’s literally no limits to anyone who can participate.”
Mitigating negative affect	“I would say for me, the physical activities have become more mental than actual physical in terms of what they do for me. It just frees me totally to think and be healthy, thinking-wise and emotionally. Whereas I can have a bad day – or I try not to have bad days anymore because nothing’s really bad compared to what I was doing before. But if I have a frustrating day, put it that way, and I just get to the gym or get to a yoga class or whatever, my whole attitude toward life gets right back in order and back to happy and positive and having gratitude as opposed to just going home and eating and being pissed off at the world.”
Need to better communicate inclusive nature of Phoenix to wider community	“I think a point – I was talking about it early in the conversation – is outreach. I don’t know how they do outreach, but there are never enough people in it. From my point of view, this place is so valuable and so wonderful that it should be packed. And whatever it is they’re doing for outreach isn’t working well enough, to see it from my point of view. I’m not the person to judge that, really, except for what I see as the results. I think there are not very many people – how do I put this? There are not very many people who aren’t white, which is a little surprising.”
	“The one thing that always kind of confounds me when I’m there at The Phoenix is that it’s not crowded. It’s like, “Why isn’t this place just jammed with people?” because it really is a wonderful program. And for everybody who shows up at The Phoenix, there are a thousand more out there who should be in there. But they’re not. And so however I can contribute to The Phoenix’s understanding of itself or its mission or whatever, I would want to do that because it should be packed, [laughter] Really, it should. And there are times I’m there and I’ll be one of three or four people. It’s like, ‘Come on.’ It’s like, ‘Where is everybody?”‘
No cost to participate/free gym	“And I was already fully involved in working out. And so the idea of a free gym was attractive, first of all, and it grew from there.”
Personal growth	“If you get healthier and you feel better and you’re stronger and you have a good experience at the facility, everything about that is good.”
Physical catharsis	“I think it’s a good place to have balance, honestly, and to put both recovery and your health together. I find I get a lot of aggression or anxiety or just frustration out at the gym. So it’s a good place to go to as an outlet and to remind me to stay healthy while I’m getting sober.”
	“I think it’s just a great way for recovering people to have a outlet.”
Positive role models	“And when the newcomers come, and they show up, and they’re not staying sober. And then, five weeks later, somebody has seven days. That’s inspiring to see.” “I didn’t have any sort of positive examples of sobriety in my life.”
Range of activities	“And it’s because there’s a menu of activities, essentially, you’re offering people. It’s not prescribed. There’s no dictator to what you do. You get here, and here are the many, many things that you can do, and you get to choose.”
	“Different context. And I just saw that they put music out there, as well. They’re doing some songwriting stuff, which is – you’re really bringing in all these different avenues for outlets for people that just want to just do it. Just get up and start moving. Do something.”
Safe/healthy environment	“The volunteers really care. They foster a really safe environment, and immediately, you just feel like you fit in. And I think the biggest part from what I understand from addicts and alcoholics is the isolation or the shame and the guilt. And I just feel like that’s why it’s so important here that it feels so inclusive, and so obviously, I tried out. I taught a few classes there, and maybe sometimes, I would be nervous if I was new, but I never felt like anyone was judging me.”
	“It’s always a peaceful, safe place for me to be around other folks in recovery and to be able to meditate and just kind of hang out and not just feel the angst of real world, is a very good place to be.”
	“People who are getting out of substance abuse are vulnerable, emotionally, to all sorts of things. Most of them are invisible to those people who have not experienced it. So being in an environment where the people who are with you share this experience to whatever degree, they know that these things are floating around there, in conversation, in things that you will encounter, in social circumstances. These, people sometimes call them triggers or associations, these things that can create, I’m not even going to say uncomfortable, but at least an awareness of a desire or a pull, back to using. People at The Phoenix all know this. And people in general don’t. And so being at The Phoenix has the benefit of being among people where you don’t have to worry about that. There’s a guard you can let down with these people.”
Sense of community/connection/shared experiences with common purpose	“The Phoenix is special. The Phoenix is really a gym because of the people. I mean, you can get climbing, you can get cross-fit, you can get running, you can get the yoga. But really, what sets it apart is the community.”
	“I can say, ‘Hi,’ to probably seven people that know my name and I know theirs. It has actually kind of taken the place of a lot of AA meetings because I can just talk to them about – in between climbs and it’s very much the community I’ve been looking for the whole time.”
	“But I would say the people at The Phoenix, it seems like the starting point of any conversation or any first meeting is, ‘Hey, how you doing?’ Instead of like, ‘Where are you? Which step are you on? How long have you been sober?’ It seems like a much more people-to-people connection rather than this starting point of discussing where you are in your process. I think the thing I find most attractive about The Phoenix is we all know why we’re together. We don’t have to start with that discussion. We’ll get to it if we want to. But it makes it much more inviting. Sorry, one more thing you may know, in AA there’s a lot of focus on spirituality. For me, I have a hard time with that. For me spirituality is connecting with humankind. And so The Phoenix does that for me by connecting with people. By starting with just connecting with people. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Simplicity of membership requirements	“So I like that they’re just saying you don’t have to necessarily self-identify as anything. You just need to meet this simple requirement.”
	“You keep it really simple and it’s an easy model. It’s not something that you have to have a whole bunch of regulations or proof of anything. It’s like, ‘Hey. 48 hours of sobriety. Be nice. Have fun.’ That’s really about it when you look at the guidelines.”
Structure and routine	“And then just trying to find something to fill the time. At first, I didn’t know what to do with my spare time. So that helped a lot.”
	“Yeah. Another piece of the puzzle in the structure of everyday life, and I noticed with me a lot of my anxiety always I make lists, and I like having things planned out for my day, that eliminates almost all of my anxiety. And that’s another thing to fill in one of those time slots.”
Warm/welcoming environment	“So I kind of didn’t expect that when I first came in. But I was also just terribly shy and just didn’t know what to do with myself. And especially now that I’m there more often and just kind of interacting with other volunteers. With climbing, I was always worried that I was wasting people’s time. But it’s just like I’ll try something that’s difficult and I’ll make it on the wall. And there will be people that I haven’t met just be like, ‘Yeah, S.’ It’s very supportive to the point where at first, I was just like, ‘Wait, how are these volunteers so into this, and not annoyed with having to be here.’ It kind of made me question the fun. How can they sustain this? Yeah. But very overall welcoming and empathetic. And you can be open and they match your vulnerability.”
	“And I think sometimes when you go somewhere new, it’s hard to connect with people, and it’s hard to integrate, but when you see [inaudible] right in front of you, I think – that appealed to me a lot too because I was new at some point, right, and I was nervous, but then I felt like they’re so welcoming to me, and suddenly I wasn’t nervous. I look forward to going there, and yeah.”

What initially attracted you about the Phoenix model?

The type and frequency of extracted category themes by Phoenix membership status for the question, “What initially attracted you about the Phoenix model?” are summarized in Table 3 and reported below with sample quotes related to each theme.

Table 3.

Type and frequency of extracted category themes by Phoenix membership status for question 1, “what initially attracted you about the Phoenix model?”.

Question 1: What initially attracted you about the Phoenix model?
Members	Number mentions	Instructors	Number mentions
Sense of community/connection/shared experiences with common purpose	12 (25%)	Emphasis on positivity/increasing positive affect	5 (17%)
Emphasis on positivity/increasing positive affect	5 (10%)	No cost to participate/free gym	4 (13%)
Safe/healthy environment	4 (8%)	Sense of community/connection/shared experiences with common purpose	3 (10%)
Warm/welcoming environment	3 (6%)	Warm/welcoming environment	2 (7%)
Structure and routine	3 (6%)	High quality facilities	2 (7%)
Focus on physical activity	3 (6%)	Physical catharsis	2 (7%)
Inclusivity regarding physical abilities	2 (4%)	Builds meaning and purpose	2 (7%)
Destigmatizing	2 (4%)	Simplicity of membership requirements	2 (7%)
No cost to participate/free gym	2 (4%)	Positive role models	1 (3%)
Good distraction	2 (4%)	Building psychological resilience	1 (3%)
Range of activities	2 (4%)	Building positive sober identity	1 (3%)
Positive role models	1 (2%)	Healthy coping mechanism	1 (3%)
Need to better communicate inclusive nature of Phoenix to wider community	1 (2%)	Personal growth	1 (3%)
Family can be included	1 (2%)	Forgiving atmosphere	1 (3%)
Simplicity of membership requirements	1 (2%)	Safe/healthy environment	1 (3%)
Building positive sober identity	1 (2%)	Altruism	1 (3%)
Builds meaning and purpose	1 (2%)
Personal growth	1 (2%)
Other	1 (2%)

Members.

In answer to this question, the 10 Phoenix member focus meeting participants verbalized responses describing characteristics and perceived benefits that attracted them to The Phoenix that mapped onto 19 themes. The most commonly endorsed themes fell in the domain of community, connection, and sharing experiences with a common purpose (12 mentions): “ … you can get climbing, you can get cross-fit, you can get running, you can get yoga … but really, what sets it apart is the community”, and social connection: “I knew my people were in there and we were together and had a bond with each other. That is a really nice feeling.” Together, these factors accounted for 25% of the total thematic responses to this question.

Other identified themes included The Phoenix’s emphasis on positivity and capacity to increase positive affect (five mentions): “My opinion on what makes Phoenix different is this overwhelming sense of hope and [that it is] forward-looking”, and its focus on physical activity (three mentions): “I attended a treatment program. And there was absolutely no exercise. There was no gym … and it was a terrible thing. I was squirrely inside because I couldn’t move my body. And even when I was at the bottom of my addiction, I still exercised a lot hungover. So this was really important”, and “ … the guy who coordinates all of this stuff … he does a great job going around and taking pictures of people … I look back at them, and I’m just smiling this big, big smile. And I don’t find myself to be a very happy person sometimes. I barely smile. And so to see myself reflected when I’m at CrossFit, when I’m at these Phoenix events, I’m so happy – I’m just filled with joy, and that’s amazing.”

Other themes emerged, including the attractiveness of The Phoenix’s safe and healthy environment (four mentions): “It’s always a peaceful, safe place for me to be around other folks in recovery … “, the sense of safety felt there: “I ran into a phrase, not long ago, ‘The healing power of a safe space,’ and that just kind of rang a bell with me about The Phoenix. It’s a safe place to be somebody who has … been living through this stuff.”

There was also a theme of The Phoenix’s warm and welcoming environment (three mentions): “It’s very supportive to the point where at first, I was just like, ‘Wait, how are these volunteers so into this, and not annoyed with having to be here’ … [it’s] overall very welcoming and empathetic”, as well as the structure and routine it provides (three mentions): “And then just trying to find something to fill the time. At first, I didn’t know what to do with my spare time. So that helped a lot”.

Participants also expressed themes of inclusivity regarding differing physical abilities (two mentions) “ … the vibe is great because it’s not like you go to a regular gym and it’s judgy, judgy. Nobody cares about if you’re good or not”, and that it provides a good distraction (two mentions): “ … addiction recovery … can be kind of a navel-gazing thing, where you end up thinking about it a lot, just in your head, a lot. If you’re not high, if you’re not drunk, there’s a presence that’s on your mind a lot. But when you’re climbing, it’s not. When you’re climbing or when you’re doing cross-fit or when you’re doing yoga or if you’re running or you’re on the exercise cycle or you’re weightlifting, that’s where your head is … ..”

To some, the fact Phoenix offers a free gym with no cost to participate (two mentions), and its range of activities (two mentions) were also very attractive: “ … I was already fully involved in working out. And so the idea of a free gym was attractive, first of all, and it grew from there” and “ … there’s a menu of activities you’re offering people”.

Others felt The Phoenix destigmatizes addiction (two mentions): “Perhaps because The Phoenix programming has a more public face, that serves to destigmatize addiction because people are seeing active examples of recovery and the good things people do in addiction recovery, rather than just seeing the negative aspects of addiction”.

Instructors.

The four instructors interviewed identified a range of characteristics and perceived benefits that attracted them to The Phoenix that mapped onto 16 themes. The top thematic response to this question is related to The Phoenix’s emphasis on positivity and its capacity to increase positive affect (five mentions): “I find people are always focused on the solution, and that’s usually an indicator of a positive environment”, with this factor accounting for 17% of the thematic responses to this question.

The following themes were also noted in response to this question: The sense of community, connection, and sharing experiences with common purpose at The Phoenix (three mentions) and its warm and welcoming environment (two mentions), the fact that it is a free gym with no cost to participate (two mentions), its high-quality facilities (two mentions), and its simple membership requirements (two mentions): “The building itself is astounding”, “You keep it really simple and it’s an easy model … it’s like, ‘Hey. 48 hours of sobriety. Be nice. Have fun’”, and “ … the idea of a free gym was attractive”. Some felt The Phoenix also builds meaning and purpose (two mentions): “ … integrity is a huge part of recovery for me. And so I wanted this thing, and I wasn’t taking any action to get it. And so there was an incongruity there and a lack of integrity and I just couldn’t get myself to move and do that next right thing. And then along came The Phoenix, and it helped me”, while others noted that it offers physical catharsis (two mentions): “I find I get a lot of aggression or anxiety or just frustration out at the gym. So, it’s a good place to go to as an outlet and to remind me to stay healthy while I’m getting sober.”

How would you describe the Phoenix and the people who attend it?

The type and frequency of extracted category themes by Phoenix membership status for the question, “How would you describe The Phoenix and the people who attend it?” are summarized in Table 4.

Table 4.

Type and frequency of extracted category themes by Phoenix membership status for question 2, “how would you describe The Phoenix and the people who attend it?”.

Question 2: How would you describe The Phoenix and the people who attend it?
Members	Number mentions	Instructors	Number mentions
Sense of community/connection/shared experiences with common purpose	10 (24%)	Safe/healthy environment	10 (20%)
Emphasis on positivity/increasing positive affect	8 (19%)	Warm/welcoming environment	9 (18%)
Warm/welcoming environment	5 (12%)	Sense of community/connection/shared experiences with common purpose	9 (18%)
Positive role models	3 (7%)	Emphasis on positivity/increasing positive affect	6 (12%)
Exposure to a variety of recovery experiences	2 (5%)	Healthy coping mechanism	2 (4%)
Simplicity of membership requirements	2 (5%)	Altruism	2 (4%)
High quality facilities	2 (5%)	Builds meaning and purpose	2 (4%)
Safe/healthy environment	2 (5%)	Inclusive regarding physical abilities	2 (4%)
Range of activities	1 (2%)	Forgiving atmosphere	2 (4%)
Other	1 (2%)	Structure and routine	1 (2%)
Personal growth	1 (2%)	Building positive sober identity	1 (2%)
Forgiving atmosphere	1 (2%)	Good distraction	1 (2%)
Builds trust	1 (2%)	Positive role models	1 (2%)
Focus on physical activity	1 (2%)	Simplicity of membership requirements	1 (2%)
Destigmatizing	1 (2%)	Focus on physical activity	1 (2%)
No cost to participate/free gym	1 (2%)

Members.

In response to this question, members verbalized a total of 16 descriptive themes characterizing The Phoenix and the people who attended it. Its sense of community, connection, and that it offers shared experiences with common purpose was the most frequently endorsed theme (10 mentions): “Everyone’s there for some of the same reasons, so it’s like we’re not all alone in our battles, our training, or recovery, or whatever we’re there to accomplish”, but its emphasis on positivity and its potential to increase positive affect was also frequently endorsed (eight mentions), as was its warm and welcoming environment (five mentions), together accounting for 55% of the thematic responses to this question:

Some also expressed a theme of the positive role models they find there (three mentions): “[until The Phoenix] I didn’t have any sort of positive examples of sobriety in my life”, while other themes included exposure to a variety of recovery experiences (two mentions) in a safe and healthy environment (two mentions): “ … we get this really rich blend of everyone on different points of the journey”, as well as the characteristics of the gym itself including its high-quality facilities (two mentions), and its simple membership requirements (two mentions).

Instructors.

In response to this question, instructors verbalized a total of 15 descriptive themes characterizing The Phoenix and its members. They frequently referenced interpersonal factors in response to this question, noting The Phoenix’s warm and welcoming (nine mentions) and safe and healthy environment (10 mentions). Together these themes accounted for 38% of the responses to this question. Relatedly, they also noted its sense of community, the value of having shared experiences with a common purpose (nine mentions), as well as The Phoenix’s emphasis on positivity and capacity to increase positive affect (six mentions).

Less referenced, but noted twice, were themes of individual-level benefits conferred by Phoenix participation including that it builds meaning and purpose, and its value as a healthy coping mechanism: “I mean rock climbing is one that I personally enjoy, and I didn’t find it until I got sober … I’ve got an addictive personality. Once I attach to something I’m like, ‘let’s go.’ I’m just full-on … and it becomes an obsession almost – but it’s a healthy obsession”. They also noted characteristics of the organization including its altruistic nature (two mentions): “The crux of The Phoenix is the service aspect because everyone feels like they’re helping other people”, its inclusiveness regarding differing physical abilities (two mentions), and forgiving atmosphere (two mentions): “If someone’s late, there’s no penalty to that. There’s no, ‘you can’t participate’”.

How do you think the Phoenix supports your recovery from addiction and/or other psychological problems?

The type and frequency of extracted category themes by Phoenix membership status for the question, “How do you think The Phoenix supports your recovery from addiction and/or other psychological problems?” are summarized in Table 5.

Table 5.

Type and frequency of extracted category themes by Phoenix membership status for question 3, “how do you think the Phoenix supports your recovery from addiction and/or other psychological problems?”.

Question 3: How do you think The Phoenix supports your recovery from addiction and/or other psychological problems?
Members	Number mentions	Instructors	Number mentions
Sense of community/connection/shared experiences with common purpose	6 (15%)	Building psychological resilience	4 (10%)
Structure and routine	4 (10%)	Healthy coping mechanism	4 (10%)
Range of activities	4 (10%)	Emphasis on positivity/Increasing positive affect	4 (10%)
Emphasis on positivity/increasing positive affect	3 (8%)	Builds meaning and purpose	4 (10%)
Exposure to a variety of recovery experiences	3 (8%)	Building positive sober identity	3 (8%)
Having shared experiences with common purpose	2 (5%)	Destigmatizing	3 (8%)
Good distraction	2 (5%)	Personal growth	3 (8%)
Safe/healthy environment	2 (5%)	Sense of community/connection/shared experiences with common purpose	3 (8%)
Focus on physical activity	2 (5%)	Inclusivity regarding physical abilities	2 (5%)
Holistic approach of Phoenix	1 (3%)	Altruism	2 (5%)
Builds meaning and purpose	1 (3%)	Mitigating negative affect	2 (5%)
Building positive sober identity	1 (3%)	Structure and routine	1 (3%)
Mitigating negative affect	1 (3%)	Safe/healthy environment	1 (3%)
Healthy coping mechanism	1 (3%)	Good distraction	1 (3%)
Building psychological resilience	1 (3%)	Physical catharsis	1 (3%)
Destigmatizing	1 (3%)	Builds trust	1 (3%)
Warm/welcoming environment	1 (3%)	Healthy coping mechanism	1 (3%)
No cost to participate/free gym	1 (3%)
Altruism	1 (3%)
Positive role models	1 (3%)

Members.

In response to this question, members expressed a total of 20 descriptive themes on the perceived personal benefits of Phoenix participation. Themes related to participation in a sober, active community were the most frequently cited, with participants noting the sense of community, connection, and that it offers shared experiences with common purpose (six mentions), exposure to a variety of recovery experiences (three mentions) and having a shared experience with common purpose (two mentions), accounting for 16% of the total responses. Participants also highlighted some behavioral benefits of The Phoenix participation including the structure and routine it provides, as well as the range of activities it offers (both with four mentions). Participants also liked its focus on physical activity that provides a good distraction (two mentions) that in turn builds positive affect (three mentions): “I would say for me, the physical activities have become more mental than actual physical in terms of what they do for me. It just frees me totally to think and be healthy, thinking-wise and emotionally”, and its safe and healthy environment (two mentions).

Instructors.

In response to this question, instructors expressed 17 thematic responses, heavily emphasizing themes associated with emotional coping and personal growth, noting they felt The Phoenix helps build psychological resilience (four mentions): “I mentioned earlier the topic of shame and regret, and the empowerment that Phoenix has given me to be proudly sober and openly sober has led to such a monumental difference of my experience of sobriety and my ownership of that”, and that it is a healthy coping mechanism (four mentions) that increases positive affect (four mentions) and mitigates negative affect (two mentions): “If I have a frustrating day … and I just get to the gym or get to a yoga class or whatever, my whole attitude towards life gets right back in order and back to happy and positive and having gratitude as opposed to just going home and eating and being pissed off at the world”. Together, these factors accounted for 35% of the thematic responses to this question. Instructors also noted how Phoenix participation builds meaning and purpose (four mentions) and a positive sober identity (three mentions): “ … it literally changed my whole approach. Turned everything from recovery to positive recovery”, while also fostering personal growth (three mentions): “If you get healthier and you feel better and you’re stronger and you have a good experience at the facility, everything about that is good”.

They also felt that The Phoenix confers individual benefit by decreasing the stigma associated with SUD (three mentions). Additionally, the instructors highlighted some interpersonal themes when responding to this question, noting the value of the sense of community, connection, and shared experiences with common purpose that The Phoenix provides (three mentions), as well as its altruistic nature (two mentions). They also highlighted its inclusivity regarding differing physical abilities (two mentions).

Are there any aspects of the Phoenix model that you would change?

The type and frequency of extracted category themes by Phoenix membership status for the question, “Are there any aspects of the Phoenix model that you would change?” are summarized in Table 6.

Table 6.

Type and frequency of extracted category themes by Phoenix membership status for question 4, “are there any aspects of the Phoenix model that you would change?”.

Question 4: Are there any aspects of the Phoenix model that you would change?
Members	Number mentions	Instructors	Number mentions
Need to better communicate inclusive nature of Phoenix to wider community	6 (86%)	Need to better communicate inclusive nature of Phoenix to wider community	3 (60%)
Adding more group activities	1 (14%)	Adding more group activities	1 (20%)
		Adding team sports	1 (20%)

Members.

In response to this question, members expressed two things they would change about The Phoenix. By far the most cited was a need to better communicate the inclusive nature of Phoenix to the wider community (six mentions; 86% of response themes): “ … I don’t know how they do outreach, but there are never enough people in it. From my point of view, this place is so valuable and so wonderful that it should be packed”. Adding more non-exercise-based group activities was also suggested (one mention).

Instructors.

In response to this question, instructors expressed a total of three things they would change about The Phoenix. The most cited was the need to better communicate the inclusive nature of Phoenix to the wider community (three mentions; 60% of responses); however, instructors also suggested adding team sports (one mention): “ … we are just starting to collect interest in team sports and what kind of team sports are interesting”, and adding more non-exercise-based group activities (one mention): “Get people to hang out … it could be nice to have a little lobby area where people can connect”.

Discussion

The Phoenix is a novel, rapidly growing, SUD mutual-help program providing group activities with an emphasis on exercise and social activities. Here, we qualitatively characterized the experience of a sample of Phoenix members and instructors to begin to understand the appeal of The Phoenix and some of the ways in which it might confer benefit.

In terms of what attracted focus meeting participants to The Phoenix, members and instructors repeatedly noted the sense of community, emphasis on positivity, and the warm, safe, welcoming environment they find there. Numerous focus meeting participants also highlighted how The Phoenix is non-confrontational, non-judgmental, and strengths- rather than deficits-based. The Phoenix’s strengths-based approach may represent an attractive alternative or adjunct to traditional mutual-help programs that primarily focus on addressing deficits. Consequently, The Phoenix could be adding something valuable to the SUD recovery support services landscape.

Ten focus meeting participants endorsed concurrently attending at least one other mutual-help program (i.e., Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, SMART Recovery), and noted how their participation in The Phoenix complements their other recovery-related activities in traditional mutual-help programs and formal treatment. Two of these participants highlighted that although they’d had success overcoming SUD through 12-step meetings, exercise had been something missing from their recovery, and The Phoenix had given them a no-cost place to workout, with the bonus of it being with a recovery-oriented community. Others noted how The Phoenix offers them a fun and healthy way to create fellowship with other people in recovery outside of their regular 12-step groups. This suggests that The Phoenix is not only an attractive alternative to traditional mutual-help programs, for many people, it is a valuable add-on to their existing recovery activities.

Several focus meeting participants also felt The Phoenix destigmatizes addiction, noting that in contrast to 12-step programs that encourage member anonymity, The Phoenix is very much public facing, and members are generally open about their Phoenix membership and SUD recovery. As such, they are visible examples that SUD recovery is possible, while also challenging negative stereotypes and providing an attractive example of what life in recovery may look like. It is unclear, however, if this degree of openness may be a turnoff for some potential members who do not wish to self-disclose, or are not yet ready to be open about their SUD history and recovery status.

With regard to how The Phoenix supports their recovery, participants frequently endorsed themes of building psychological resilience, having healthier ways of coping with stress and other forms of negative affect, building positive affect, creating meaning and purpose, and having a community of pro-recovery peers.

These themes overlap markedly with those identified in previous 12-step mechanisms of change research that has emphasized social-affective-behavioral benefits attendant with mutual-help program participation (e.g., Kelly et al., 2020), suggesting that The Phoenix may offer many of the same fundamental benefits. What is perhaps distinct about The Phoenix is its heavy emphasis on positivity. Though other mutual-help programs like Alcoholics Anonymous can increase positive affect as individuals recover from SUD (Kelly & Greene, 2013), they typically encourage introspection, self-assessment, and recognition of harms done, albeit in the ultimate service of increasing the “joy of living” (Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, 1953, p. 106). And while for many, doing such work may be necessary and helpful, it is likely not fun. In contrast, The Phoenix invites people to simply participate in group activities with the goal of having fun and connecting with peers in an uplifting environment. Though the focus meeting participants’ responses suggest The Phoenix helps ameliorate negative affect like stress and anxiety, its heavy emphasis on building positive affect sets it apart from other recovery programs.

It is also possible that the physical activity involved in many Phoenix activities is directly conferring psychological and emotional benefits. A large literature has shown the benefit of exercise for helping ameliorate negative affect and boost positive affect (Smith & Merwin, 2021), with some studies suggesting benefits for individuals with SUD (Abrantes & Blevins, 2019). The Phoenix’s broad exercise-based programming may be having such direct benefit, but this should be tested in future quantitative studies.

Several participants noted the attractiveness of the safe, healthy, and socially warm and welcoming environment at The Phoenix, as well as the sense of safety they feel there, with others positing that this may be a means through which The Phoenix supports SUD recovery. This aligns with The Phoenix’s goal of providing access to active and meaningful group activities and building a restorative social network of peers in an emotionally safe environment (Wyker & Hillios, 2020). Future quantitative studies should explore how psychological safety may influence outcomes of Phoenix participation.

Across the focus meetings, members and instructors endorsed many overlapping themes; however, notable differences emerged. Members most frequently emphasized The Phoenix’s sense of community, connection, and shared purpose as key attractors, the quality of the people there, and the program’s value as a recovery support mechanism. Taken together, these responses indicate that the social – community dimension is most salient for members. Sense of community, connection, and common purpose has also been identified as a prime motivator for engagement with the mutual-help programs Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery (Kelly et al., 2024) and has been proposed as a common factor motivating mutual-help program participation (Kelly et al., 2009). While instructors also frequently endorsed these themes, they were not endorsed as frequently. Instructors most frequently noted The Phoenix’s emphasis on positivity and capacity to increase positive affect as its most attractive characteristic, while they most frequently endorsed themes related to its safe and healthy environment when describing the people there, and its positivity and capacity to build psychological resilience and meaning and purpose as its recovery support mechanisms. This divergence could reflect subtle differences between how The Phoenix self-conceptualizes its characteristics and the benefits it offers, and what members see as most valuable based on their own experiences with the organization.

Findings from this study should be considered in light of some important limitations. The study sample was small and self-selected, and all participants were recruited from The Phoenix’s Boston site. These factors may limit generalizability to other regions and could have produced or amplified themes that might be less prominent in larger or more diverse samples. In addition, the sample was predominantly White/European American, heterosexual, and reported alcohol as their primary substance. These findings may therefore not generalize to other SUD populations. Also, social desirability response bias may have amplified positive themes and downplayed negative ones as participants may have felt implicit pressure to verbalize more positive opinions.

As far as we know, this study is the first of its kind and as such, creates a benchmark for future comparison. This type of qualitative work should be completed in other regions with other samples to help determine thematic consistency in relation to Phoenix participation.

Conclusions

The Phoenix is a novel, strengths-based mutual-help program that emphasizes active, experiential engagement through a wide variety of physical and social activities. This qualitative study highlights some experienced benefits of The Phoenix through processes of social identification and connection, destigmatization, catharsis, and physical activity that may directly and indirectly support initiation and maintenance of recovery from SUD and other mental disorders. Further research is needed to confirm the findings of this study, as is quantitative work to examine comparative effectiveness of The Phoenix approach in relation to other SUD and mental health recovery support services.