I'm a teacher as well - also see a lot of damaged children and families as I'm in a Special School. Like Sugarbear1 I follow a 12-step program, and I'm finding the tools that I have learned through this in the last year to be far more effective than alcohol EVER was, or anything else I ever learned. I also had the benefit of some 1:1 counselling which the Head of my school signed me up for through our Well Being Scheme when I really started struggling after being about 6 months sober, and attending AA, but without a sponsor or working through the steps. I was under the illusion that the MEETINGS were the AA programme, and that I could sit and soak up the sobriety in the rooms. Since I started working the 12-steps programme my counsellor has been "Amazed" by the change in me and how I have learned to deal with life differently in a short space of time. (She's not the only one - I'm pretty amazed at times as well - and I know I couldn't have done it without those steps).
It sounds like you are doing really well in identifying and avoiding triggers. It might be worth getting some more strategies for this particular trigger in place (unless you're going to change jobs), as it doesn't sound like you can keep avoiding visits.Good luck
