Music-focused addiction recovery center to open in Seven Corners

Recovery Unplugged, an addiction recovery and behavioral health facility that uses music as part of its therapy program, is coming to Seven Corners.

Executive Director David Engwall hopes to open in mid-summer. The facility will take over the entire building at 6299 Leesburg Pike, formerly occupied by Long & Foster and other tenants.

Recovery Unplugged offers a holistic range of outpatient services, including talk therapy, group therapy, nutrition counseling, and medications.

The program started in Florida as Harrison House and has since expanded to several locations on the East Coast. It was founded by Richie Supa, an original member of Aerosmith and a recovering addict. He still drops by the Recovery Unplugged location in Fort Lauderdale, Engwall says.

The Seven Corners location will be the second Recovery Unplugged facility in Mason District. The first one is in Annandale, at 5105-Q Backlick Road.

Many mental health centers use music therapy. Recovery Unplugged takes it further.

There’s a lot of trauma and fear among people who seek help with addiction and mental health, Engwall says. “Music offers a creative way to address those issues.”

“We play music during therapy. The space has a real vibe,” he says. Recovery Unplugged centers, including the one in Annandale, have an informal band made up of a rotating collection of local musicians, former clients, employees, and community members.

“Music offers a nice emotional anchor for people in therapy,” he says. “It shows people ‘you can really live a fun, productive life.’”

Therapists at Recovery Unplugged treat people with all kinds of addictions, including prescription drugs, opioids, cannabis, hallucinogens, alcohol, Adderall, and crystal meth.

Clients often show up because a family member urges them to get treated for an addiction. But then, “addiction ends up being part of the whole,” Engwall says. Clients working with therapists often discover underlying issues, such as trauma, stress, and mental health disorders.

Recovery Unplugged also gets people involved in community activities, such as hiking and dodgeball. “That helps them feel like they can be part of society in a meaningful way.”