Helping Women Recover

Stephanie S. Covington, PhD, LCSW, is an internationally recognized clinician, organizational consultant, and lecturer. For more than thirty-five years her work has focused on the creation of gender-responsive and trauma-informed services. Her extensive experience includes designing women's services at the Betty Ford Center, developing programs for women in criminal justice settings, and being the featured therapist on the Oprah Winfrey Network TV show entitled Breaking Down the Bars. She has also served as a consultant to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna and was selected for SAMHSA's Advisory Committee for Women's Services (ACWS). Educated at Columbia University and the Union Institute, Dr. Covington has conducted seminars for behavioral health professionals, community organizations, criminal justice professionals, and recovery groups in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, Europe, Africa, Iceland, Brazil, and New Zealand. She has served on the faculties of the University of Southern California, San Diego State University, and the California School of Professional Psychology. She has published extensively, including ten gender-responsive, trauma-informed treatment curricula. 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 & Justice.

Preface vii Acknowledgments xiii

1 Introduction to Addiction Treatment for Women 1

Historical Background: Why a Woman’s Treatment Program? 1

What We Have Learned 5

Fundamentals of Gender-Responsive Services 12

Integration 30 The Value of Twelve Step Programs and Other Mutual-Help Groups 31

Research on Helping Women Recover 33

2 Facilitating the Program 37

Organization and Content of the Program 38

Principles of an Effective Treatment Program 44

The Role of the Facilitator 50

Module A: Self 57

1. Defining Self 63

2. Sense of Self 81

3. Self-Esteem 91

4. Sexism, Racism, and Stigma 101

Module B: Relationships 117

5. Family of Origin 121

6. Mothers 145

7. Mother Myths 153

8. Interpersonal Violence 167

9. Creating Healthy Relationships and Support Systems 183

10. Sexuality and Addiction 205

Module C: Sexuality 199

11. Body Image 227

12. Sexual Identity 241

13. Sexual Abuse 255

14. Fear of Sex While Clean and Sober 273

Module D: Spirituality 283

15. What Is Spirituality? 287

16. Prayer and Meditation 299

17. Creating a Vision 309

Appendix: Additional Recovery Resources 319

I. Five Primary Practices of the Oxford Group 320

II. The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous 321

III. A.A. Slogans 322

IV. A Letter from Carl Jung to Bill Wilson 323

V. The Serenity Prayer 325

VI. The Synanon Prayer 326

VII. The Sixteen Steps for Discovery and Empowerment (Charlotte Kasl) 327

VIII. A New Version of the Twelve Steps (David Berenson) 329

IX. Thirteen Statements of Affirmation or Acceptance (Women For Sobriety) 330

X. SMART Recovery® 331

XI. Save Our Selves/(SOS) 332

References 333

Gender-Responsive Resource Materials 341

The Author 345

Index 347

Feedback Form 357