Women's recovery can differ from men's, and each person's recovery is in many ways unique. That's why Stephanie Covington has designed this workbook A Women's Way Through the Twelve Steps Workbook to help a woman find her own path-and find it in terms especially suited to the way women experience not just addiction and recovery but also relationships, self, sexuality, and everyday life.Deepening and extending the lessons of a book that has helped countless women, this workbook makes A Women's Way Through the Twelve Steps that much more measured, meaningful, and clear. Unlike many ''rewritten'' Twelve Step interpretations for women, this guide works with the original Step language, preserving its spirit and focusing attention on its healing message. In sections devoted to each of the Twelve Steps, Covington blends narrative, self-assessment questions focused on a feminine definition of terms such as ''powerlessness'' and ''letting go,'' guided imagery exercises, and physical activities. Designed to be used in conjunction with A Women's Way Through the Twelve Steps, this workbook helps deepen and extend understanding of the lessons taught there and further empowers each woman to take ownership of her recovery process as well as her growth as a woman.
Dr. Stephanie S. Covington is a nationally recognized clinician, author, organizational consultant, and lecturer. She is a pioneer in the field of women's issues, addiction, and recovery. She has developed an innovative, gender-responsive, and trauma-informed approach to the treatment needs of women and girls that results in effective services in public, private, and institutional settings.
Her presentations, staff-development seminars, and technical assistance focus on systems change and the development of caring, compassionate, and empowering therapeutic environments. They provide professionals an opportunity to learn new skills for dealing with personal, institutional, and societal changes and are always in demand, both nationally and internationally.
Dr. Covington's clients include the Betty Ford Treatment Center, the Hanley Center, Pine Grove Women's Center, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in Washington, D.C., the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and numerous other treatment and correctional settings. Dr. Covington was a workshop chair for the women's treatment improvement protocol (TIP) and the trauma TIP (published by CSAT) and is the co-author of a three-year research project, Gender-Responsive Strategies: Research, Practice, and Guiding Principles for Women Offenders, for the National Institute of Corrections. This publication received the University of Cincinnati Award for its outstanding contribution to the field of corrections in the U.S. and Canada.
Educated at Columbia University and the Union Institute, Dr. Covington has served on the faculties of the University of Southern California, San Diego State University, and the California School of Professional Psychology, and she is a former chair of the Women's Committee of the International Council on Alcoholism and Addiction. She is a board-certified Diplomate of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Board of Sexology and is a member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and the American Psychological Association. She also serves on the Advisory Council for Women's Services for the federal agency SAMHSA.
Dr. Covington is based in La Jolla, California, where she is co-director of the Institute for Relational Development and the Center for Gender and Justice, which seeks to expand gender-responsive policies and practices for females who are under criminal justice supervision.
Among the many articles and books written by Dr. Covington are:
* Women and Addiction: A Gender-Responsive Approach
* Awakening Your Sexuality: A Guide for Recovering Women
* Leaving the Enchanted Forest: The Path from Relationship
Addiction to Intimacy
She also has program materials to help meet the needs of women and girls. The following curricula include training manuals for professionals and complementary materials for participants:
* Helping Women Recover: A Program for Treating Addiction
(with a special edition for the criminal justice system)
* Beyond Trauma: A Healing Journey for Women
* Voices: A Program of Self-Discovery and Empowerment for Girls
* A Woman's Way through The Twelve Steps
For a list of Dr. Covington's recent articles, and descriptions of her current seminars for professionals, visit: www.stephaniecovington.com and www.centerforgenderandjustice.org.
