A Woman's Journal (eBook)

Stephanie S. Covington, PhD, LCSW, is an internationally recognized clinician, author, lecturer, and organizational consultant and is a pioneer in the field of women's issues, addiction, trauma, and recovery. With over thirty-five years of experience, she is noted for her work in the design and implementation of gender-responsive and trauma-informed treatment services in public, private, and institutional settings. She is the author of numerous books, as well as ten research-based, manualized treatment curricula, including Beyond Trauma: A Healing Journey for Women, Helping Women Recover: A Program for Treating Addiction, and Voices: A Program for Girls. She is the co-author of Helping Men Recover. For the past twenty-five years, Dr. Covington has worked to help institutions and programs in the criminal justice system develop effective gender-responsive services. She has provided training and consulting services to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; the Ministries of Justice in England, Scotland, and Switzerland; the Correctional Service of Canada; and, in the U.S., the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the National Institute of Corrections, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and many other state and local jurisdictions. In addition, she helped to design women's services at the Betty Ford Treatment Center and was the featured therapist on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) TV show entitled Breaking Down the Bars. 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 is co-director of the Institute for Relational Development and the Center for Gender & Justice in La Jolla, California.

About the Author ix

Books and Programs x

About the Cover xi

Introduction xiii

Opening Session: Introduction to the Program 1

Optional Yoga Exercise: Seated Centering and Breathing 12

Module A: Self 13

Session 2. Defining Self 15

Session 3. Sense of Self 25

Session 4. Self-Esteem 31

Session 5. Sexism, Stereotyping, and Power 35

Yoga Module A: Breath of Joy to Rag Doll to Lip Flutter 43

Module B: Relationships 47

Session 6. Family of Origin 49

Session 7. Mothers 55

Session 8. Mother Myths 59

Session 9. Fathers 63

Session 10. Understanding Abuse and Trauma 67

Session 11. Interpersonal Violence 79

Session 12. Creating Supportive and Loving Relationships 91

Yoga Module B: Feminine Warrior Sequence 107

Module C: Sexuality 113

Session 13. Sexuality and Addiction 115

Session 14. Body Image 127

Session 15. Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation 135

Session 16. Challenges to Healthy Sexuality 145

Session 17. Healthy Sexuality 155

Yoga Module C: Essential Oil Embrace into Awesome Arms/Goddess Pose 167

Module D: Spirituality 171

Session 18. What Is Spirituality? 173

Session 19. Mindfulness, Prayer, and Meditation 179

Session 20. Creating a Vision 185

Yoga Module D: Blessing Body, Mind and Spirit 193

Appendix 1. Additional Recovery Resources 197

Appendix 2. Redefining Gender 203

Feedback Form 207

Praise for Helping Women Recover, Third Edition

"Helping Women Recover is a groundbreaking resource. It is an invaluable compendium of the research on women and addiction, synthesizing a great deal of information into a theoretical framework to guide effective work with women involved in the criminal justice system. My colleagues and I have relied on Dr. Covington's work to lead the way from my days as executive director of the Women's Prison Association to my current role as director of the John Jay College Prisoner Reentry Institute."

--Ann Jacobs, Director, Prisoner Reentry Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

"Helping Women Recover, 3rd Edition is an ideal curriculum for facilitators, who will appreciate the comprehensive approach, the clear explanation of goals and elements of each module and session, and the specific direction and guidance for supporting individual women in each group. Dr. Covington has further developed an ideal tool for educating and supporting women."

--Georgia Lerner, Executive Director, Women's Prison Association, New York

"With this latest edition, Stephanie Covington offers facilitators an updated account of the substance abuse research and literature which form a solid foundation for this holistic approach. Additionally, a growing body of research shows favorable outcomes for participants. Helping Women Recover has enjoyed an excellent reputation in the field of corrections. It is difficult to see how the curriculum could be improved, but the latest edition does just that."

--Patricia Van Voorhis, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, University of Cincinnati

"This new, twenty-session edition of Helping Women Recover is incredibly thorough. It has up-to-date statistics, trauma-sensitive yoga exercises, a discussion of the complex topic of gender fluidity, and new brain research that relates to addiction and trauma. This is a wonderfully comprehensive, easy to follow, informative work."

--Lady Edwina Grosvenor, Prison Philanthropist, Founder of One Small Thing, United Kingdom