Awakening Your Sexuality: A Guide for Recovering Women - Softcover

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 multi-year 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.

Covington, coauthor of Leaving the Enchanted Forest: The Path from Relationship to Intimacy (HarperCollins, 1988), offers this guide for women recovering from abuse, addiction, or dysfunctional relationships. She uses case histories mixed with practical suggestions on how to change past behavior and work toward healing. Particularly helpful are her appendixes, which discuss the sexual response cycle and women and AIDS. Bibliographies and resources are also included. Although titles on recovery proliferate, this book fills an important niche.
- Marguerite Mroz, Baltimore Cty. P.L.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.