Addiction passes through families generationally, and is said to be the gift that goes on giving. The use of Family Strategies is an opportunity for the gift to become that of recovery, the possibility of changing the individual, the immediate family, and the intergenerational transmission of addictive disorders.

In a therapeutic setting it is easy for the practitioner, the addicted person, and the family to view the addicted person as the identified client, the addicted person is the predominant focus. Family Strategies facilitates shifting perspective to the family system and the family members.

The strategies presented are proven most effective in primary family systems therapy when addiction is either still active or the addicted person is in early recovery. It is invaluable irrespective of the type of addiction, whether it is substance addiction, behavior, or process addiction.

Take a look inside the book by clicking on - Inside Family Strategies

This workbook is composed of five sections:

Viewing the Family Addiction

Stepping Out of the Shadows

Recognizing the Family Dance

Developing Emotional Clarity

Walking the Path of Recovery

A sampling of sessions included are: Codependency As An Addiction - Sharing the Disease - Giving Up Control - Role Patterns - Impaired Family - Shame Attacks - Drama Triangle - Portrait of Recovery

This book is intended for use by clinicians, addiction counselors, and mental health care practitioners who are already skilled in understanding addictive disorders and their impact on families. It is used quite effectively with spouses, partners, parents, and adolescent or adult age children. In many sessions it is appropriate to include the addicted person, but that is at the facilitator's discretion.

In many of the strategies sections, ideas and formats are presented for structured interventions. The use of handouts in the form of written exercises, checklists, sentence stems, structured dialogues and/or art activities is an integral part of this therapeutic technique.

All handouts are designed for clinicians to reproduce and use without restriction as to copyright permission.

The audio CD, Letting Go Imageries, offers meditations on healing and recovery. The specific imageries are Letting Go of Control, Letting Go of the Pain of Grief, Letting Go of Resentments, Connecting to a Higher Power, Letting Go of Secrets and Affirmation Imagery.

Readers Comments

Thank you so much for the Family Strategies book. I know that our therapists will benefit.

Joseph T. M.D. (Caron Treatment Centers)

I used to be at a loss as to what to do with family members after just a few sessions but not anymore! Thank you.

Lauren T. M.F.T.

This is a long time needed book. Now there are no excuses for programs to not offer services to families ñ you've given them the format.

Jamie W. M. Ed.