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EPOC stands for Eight Principles Of Change. Deigned by Rich Price and co-developed with the valuable insights of others with similar lived experience, it is a trauma informed course, empowering individuals to not only make the transformation from addiction and other forms of adversity into recovery, it also to helps them to become aware of what has shaped their past, whilst simultaneously identifying possibilities for future growth and opportunity,
Born from observations of needless painful relapses and stagnant recovery, the EPOC Programme aims to build on existing skills, talents, and assets while also encouraging connection to those already existing within our communities.
Each session of the EPOC Programme encourages a regulatory process, reflection, and opportunity to explore potential for future development. The sessions are both educational and interactive. Importantly, the course has been designed in such a way that its benefits extend beyond addiction alone. Its principles have wider relevance to desistance from crime, emotional wellbeing, relationship support and social isolation, as well as both personal and community development.
Why principles? Having strong principles helps us to align our values and stay focused as we move forward. They help us to create stability in what at times, can seem like a chaotic world, where we learn to respond rather than react. Unlike rules, principles are relational and reflective. We will inevitably stray from our moral compass from time to time, so having a set of principles that we can lean in to with the assistance of our peers, helps us to learn from the unfortunate events of our past and work towards preventing them from recurring in the future.
The Eight Principles of Change are:
1. Awareness is the foundation for change. It involves learning to observe one’s thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and surroundings with clarity, understanding, and compassion. Awareness encourages us to become more conscious of their inner self, the outside world, and how they interact with one another.
2. Identification helps us to realise what we have experienced and how it has shaped us. Identification is about honest recognition. Not just of challenges and behaviours, but also of positive strengths, values, and strategies that have assisted our ability to begin our new journey. As a result, we begin to author a new chapter in our transformation, one where we begin to see the real potential within ourselves and the road ahead.
3. Authenticity invites individuals to step into, and express, who they truly are, not who they were expected to be, or who they became in response to false perception. This liberating principle encourages the letting go of masks and defences that may have once provided safety but now limit growth. It allows for courage, self-expression, and alignment between inner truth and outer life.
4. Hope isn’t a case of wishful thinking. It is gaining belief that change is possible and worth pursuing. It is a dynamic force that grows through action, evidence, and mutual support. This principle encourages us to look beyond the present situation and work toward a better future without fear of what is uncertain, gaining faith in our ability to continue with our path towards a bright future.
5. Integrity is the alignment between one’s actions and one’s values. It is a continuation of doing the ‘right thing’, even when no one is watching. It’s about being consistent and reliable, so you can trust yourself and others can trust you. Integrity is an invitation to define core values and abide by them, recognising that difficulties in life are inevitable, but it’s how we respond to them that matters.
6. Gratitude is a way of seeing in a world that recognises what is present rather than what is lacking, even when things don’t seem perfect. It’s about appreciating the small gains when our desires demand for more. Gratitude in recovery changes our perspective on life and helps us realise that fortune isn’t just financial or materialistic gain. It is a proactive step which encourages continued monitoring to establish equilibrium as we progress on our journey.
7. Fortitude is the inner strength to continue, especially when growth feels slow, difficult, or painful. It involves perseverance, resilience, emotional regulation, and a commitment to moving forward despite inevitable setbacks. Fortitude keeps us standing in the storm even when the wind is against us, drawing on the previous learned principles to stay rooted in your core values and continue with your vision, regardless of the setbacks we encounter along the way.
8. Humility is the quiet confidence that comes from understanding our strengths and limitations, whilst remaining open to learning. It is understanding how we utilise the power we have transformed from past pain, by moving beyond ego-driven patterns and into mutual respect, service, and shared humanity. Humility creates space for wisdom, grace, and continued evolution.
