From the Author
Repeat After Me was written in the spirit of offering all who were raised in troubled families a process of self-exploration, insight and healing that would lead to a positive change in their lives.
As adults began that process of asking how their childhood was influencing their present day life, the intent was never one of blame but of insight and understanding. It has been my contention that we repeat the life scripts of our family as a result of internalized beliefs and behaviors that were either modeled for us or were a part of our survivorship. We cannot put a painful past history behind us without first owning it. It is not enough to say I came from an alcoholic family or an abusive family. We must go beyond that acknowledgment to see how internalized beliefs and behaviors have shaped us to be who we are today. With that in mind Repeat After Me was written.
The knowledge that comes in owning our past and connecting it to the present is vital to developing empathy for the strength of both our defenses and skills. It also helps us to lessen our shame and not hold ourselves accountable for the pain we have carried. When we understand there are reasons for why we have lived our life as we have, and that it is not because there is something inherently wrong with who we are or that we are not bad, that understanding fuels our ongoing healing. The change we want to create in our life is made most directly as a result of letting go of old, hurtful belief systems and learning new skills. It is my hope Repeat After Me guides you in this process.
About the Author
Claudia Black, M.S.W., Ph.D. is a renowned lecturer, author and trainer internationally recognized for both her pioneering and contemporary work with family systems and addictive disorders. Since the mid 1970’s Dr. Black’s work has encompassed the impact of addiction on young and adult children. She has offered models of intervention and treatment related to family violence, multi-addictions, relapse, anger, depression and women’s issues. Dr. Black designs and presents training workshops and seminars to professional audiences in the field of family service, mental health, addiction and correctional services. She authors books, interactive journals, and creates and produces educational videos for use with both the addicted client and families affected by addiction. Since 1998 she has been the primary Clinical Consultant of Addictive Disorders for The Meadows Institute and Treatment Center in Wickenburg, Arizona.
Dr. Black has been a keynote speaker on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and on Parlaiment Hill in Ottawa, Canada. Her workshops have been presented to an extraordinarily wide array of audiences including the U.S. Air Force Academy, the Texas prison system, the Milton Erickson Psychotherapy Conference, Maxey Training Schools for Violent Youthful Offenders and Harvard Medical School. Claudia has extensive multi-cultural experiences working with agencies and audiences in Japan, Brazil, Australia, Scotland, Iceland, Germany, England and Canada. Many of her books and videos have been translated and published abroad.
Dr. Black is the recipient of a number of National awards including the 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Washington School of Social Work, the Marty Mann Award, the 1991 SECAD Award, the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Addiction Educator of the Year and the California Clinical Social Work award.. She is the past Chairperson of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics and presently serves on their Advisory Board.
Claudia is the author of It Will Never Happen To Me (two million copies sold and now in it’s 2nd updated edition), Changing Course, My Dad Loves Me, My Dad Has A Disease, Repeat After Me II, It's Never Too Late To Have A Happy Childhood, the Anger Guide, Relapse Toolkit, A Hole in the Sidewalk, Depression Strategies: Practical Tools for Professionals Treating Depression and Straight Talk: What Recovering Parents Should Tell Their Kids about Drugs and Alcohol. Claudia has produced twenty videos including, Double Jeopardy: Addiction and Depression and the classic Children of Denial.
