Like many counselors in the field, Michael Connelly heard the call to serve after working through his own addictions. After over 30 years, Connelly still believes that success is driven by passion, though it never comes alone. Now, a man who has spent a large portion of his life paying forward the help he has received in reaching his goals fittingly owns the most quality addiction counseling training center in Colorado.

“I had learned in my recovery, although it took quite a while, that I couldn’t overcome my addiction on my own… I knew that for Odyssey to succeed I would need the help and support of many people,” Connelly said about his drive to start the Odyssey Training Center.

During the early stages of his career in Glenwood Springs, Connelly was regularly involved in CAC training classes, where he discovered his passion for teaching. Then, in 1999, at a time when he was looking for a way to make more of an impact in the field of addiction, Arapahoe House eliminated their training program. Connelly took advantage of the opportunity and opened Odyssey Center in July that year.  His goal was to provide the highest quality training to prepare people to work with all the complex issues involved in addiction effectively and compassionately.

With 35 total years of experience, Connelly has seen the practice of addiction treatment change positively in many ways.

“Addiction

[has been] traditionally viewed as an isolated condition, primarily caused by an individual’s weakness of character. Today we recognize that addiction is a chronic brain disease and impacts every aspect of a person’s life,” Connelly said about the changes.

To Connelly, having an open mind to the future of addiction therapy and a compassionate, nonjudgmental approach to each case are keys to being a successful counselor. The faculty at Odyssey inspire and mentor their students to be successful in making a difference with the new skills they learn.

His current focus has been on developing interactive online classes at the Center in order to provide practical applications of the student’s material in their personal and professional lives.

Certainly, one could string a theme of perseverance through the litany of Connelly’s work. His youthful spirit and unwillingness to give up on anyone’s chances at recovery from the disease distinguishes Connelly and the Odyssey Training Center from the rest of the field.