A Woman's Way Through the Twelve Steps

Created to make the Twelve Step program more accessible to women and the way they experience addiction, this book illuminates each step to reveal the underlying meaning from a woman's viewpoint. In the second part, the author discusses major themes in the lives of recovering women, including spirituality, powerlessness, and the emergence of the feminine soul.

This illuminating view of how women understand and process the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous explores such essential topics as spirituality, powerlessness, and the emergence of a woman's sense of feminine soul. A Woman's Way Through the Twelve Steps remains true to the underlying spiritual truths of the Twelve Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous while triumphantly overcoming the traditional male orientation of Alcoholics Anonymous. For every woman who has felt there are issues crucial to her recovery that just can't be brought up in a mixed-gender meeting, this book sheds encouraging feminine light on the wisdom of A.A.

Dr. Stephanie Covington is a clinician, organizational consultant, author and lecturer. She is recognized for her pioneering work on women's issues and specializes in programs on addiction, sexuality, families, and relationships. Her practical and sensitive approach to these challenging issues provides an opportunity to learn new skills in dealing with personal, institutional, and societal changes in the 21st century. 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. She has conducted seminars for health professionals, business and community organizations, and recovery groups in the United States, Mexico, Europe, Africa, and New Zealand Dr. Covington's organizational work in both the public and private sector focuses on systems change and the development of caring, compassionate, and empowering environments. As a consultant to the Betty Ford Treatment Center, her work included the creation of a progressive and innovative program for women. She also consulted with Hanley-Hazelden in West Palm Beach on the development of the Center for Women's Recovery. Dr. Covington recently completed a multiyear contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to provide comprehensive, system-wide consulting services to address the issues of female offenders. She also helped the PA DoC create an addiction treatment philosophy and design a treatment framework to serve both women and men.Dr. Covington has served as a consultant to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) in Washington, D.C. She was a workshop chair for both the Women's Treatment Improvement Protocal (TIP) and the Trauma TIP (published by CSAT). She also co-authored the National Institute of Corrections three year research project "Gender-Responsive Strategies: Research, Practice, and Guiding Principles for Women Offenders."Dr. Covington has been the Chair of the Women¿s Committee of the International Council on Alcoholism Addiction and is listed in Who's Who in California, Who's Who of American Women, and World's Who's Who of Women. She is board-certified Diplomate of the National Association of Social Workers, the American Board of Sexology, the American Board of Medical Psychotherapists, the American Academy of Clinical Sexologists, and a member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. In 1983, she was cited for her significant contribution to alcoholic women by the California Women's Commission on Alcoholism.Among the many articles and books written by Dr. Covington are A Woman's Way through the Twelve Steps and its companion workbook; Awakening Your Sexuality: A Guide for Recovering Women; and Leaving the Enchanted Forest: The Path from Relationship Addiction to Intimacy. She is the author of a comprehensive treatment curriculum entitled Helping Women Recover: A Program for Treating Addiction, with a special edition for the criminal justice system. Her newest publication is the curriculum Beyond Trauma: A Healing Journey for Women.Dr. Covington is based in La Jolla, California, where she is co-director of both the Institute for Relational Development and the Center for Gender and Justice.