Awakening Your Sexuality: A Guide for Recovering Women »

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.

With candor and compassion, Stephanie Covington reminds us that recovery is about living life fully and completely and sexual recovery is integral to the fullness of your life. With comprehensive scope and individual focus, she addresses the following questions:

• How is women's sexuality shaped by a male-based society?
  
• How do dysfunctional families influence a woman's sexuality?
  
• What did the sexual revolution do for women?
  
• How are women affected by alcohol, drugs, and AIDS?
  
• What is the connection between sexuality and spirituality?
  
• How can recovery groups address sexual issues?

Most important, Awakening Your Sexuality gives women the tools to process their sexual histories, understand their sexual selves, and create the sexual lives they want. Covington provides the personalized exercises and positive, step-by-step guidance women need to confront guilt, shame, or addiction; become aware of body image and behavior patterns; honor and accept the past; and begin the liberating journey of sexual recovery and growth.

Stephanie S. Covington, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., nationally recognized for her pioneering work on women's issues, consults in the public and private sectors, and maintains a clinical practice in La Jolla, California. She is the author of A Woman's Way through the Twelve Steps.

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Stephanie Covington writes with candor and sensitivity as she addresses how women's sexuality is shaped by a malebased society; how dysfunctional families influence a woman's sexuality; what the sexual revolution did for and to women; how women are affected by alcohol, drugs, and AIDS; what the connection is between sexuality and spirituality; and how sexual addiction and sexual abuse recovery groups address sexual issues. Awakening Your Sexuality is thoughtful, considerate, responsible, highly recommended reading which also provides personalized exercises and positive, stepbystep guidance for women needing to deal with issues of guilt, shame, addiction, destructive body image and behavior patterns, and begin the liberating journey of sexual recovery and growth.