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A Gentle Path Through the Twelve Steps: The Classic Guide for All People in the Process of Recovery Paperback – April 19, 1994

by Patrick Carnes (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,153 ratings
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Revised Edition.

Carnes offers us exercises, inventories, and guided reflections for those of us facing the daily challenges of attaining or maintaining an addiction-free lifestyle.

This revised edition of A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps is a treasure chest, a rich and powerful resource for anyone working a twelve-step program. Carnes is a gifted teacher and leader in the addiction recovery field.
Wendy Maltz, M.S.W., Sexual Healing Journey

This unique, non-threatening workbook emphasizes common themes at the heart of all Twelve Step fellowships...an especially clear explanation of what "working the program" means.
Claudia Black, Ph.D., It Will Happen to Me

The revised A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps gets my highest recommendation. It is a wonderful guide to the journey to restoration and healing.
Marilyn Murray, M.A., Prisoner of Another War

To get through difficult times, we need good friends, wise mentors and compassionate recovery programs. Pat Carnes and his twelve-step guide have been all of these to me, personally, and more. A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps Revised Edition is a principle guide to following the path of the many stages we encounter daily.
Brenda Schaeffer, Licensed Psychologist, Loving Me Loving You and Is It Love or Is It Addiction

A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps has already helped thousands and promises to help many more.
Mark R. Laaser, Ph.D., The Secret Sin: Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    328 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Hazelden
  4. Publication date
    April 19, 1994
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1568380585
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1568380582
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hazelden; Revised edition (April 19, 1994)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1568380585
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1568380582
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.17 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,153 ratings

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  1. Patrick Carnes PhD

    Patrick Carnes PhD

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    For all addicts, a moment comes when they realize they have a problem. Patrick Carnes, PhD, an internationally acclaimed speaker and authority on sex addiction treatment, wrote that statement about 35 years ago in his book Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sex Addiction. Since writing that groundbreaking book on sex addiction, he has written over 20 more books on addiction and recovery.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Patrick Carnes

    Patrick Carnes

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,153 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

B. Illes
5.0 out of 5 stars The Very Best Tool With Which to "Work the Steps"
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2017
Verified Purchase
If you're embarking on the 12 Steps, THIS is the essential. It is not AA sanctioned literature, but it of course closely follows the Big Book. This work book is tremendous - detailed Q&A for each step. You will be "amazed before you're half way through". It's not the easiest work, but it peels away the onion in, indeed, a gentle way. I found it to be an invaluable tool 20+ years ago when I went through it (in fact I went through it about 5 times in groups of guys). You will find out things about yourself that you were knew or expected - good and bad - perhaps opening up long stored away secrets and memories. But the idea is to HEAL, and this is a tremendous aid in that quest. Working the steps are crucial, and I found this to be a fabulous tool, much of which I indeed use "in all of my affairs".
29 people found this helpful
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Jessica
5.0 out of 5 stars Change and Bring You to the Table
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2020
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Although this leans heavily on spirituality, this book gains momentum and support through current and past self reflection exercises in a non judgmental and caring way. I appreciate the format of this book. It is designed for the reader's personal thoughts rather than a proselytizing narrative. For me, this has given me a boost in confidence to not only change my thoughts, but also bring my own thoughts and opinions to my 12 step work. Thank you!!
9 people found this helpful
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Trisha E.
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this self guided book
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024
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Best 12 step workbook hands down. Recommend this to everyone! Heal yourself!❤️
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Billy Joe Jim Bob
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for a step-by-step guide to working 12steps for any addiction
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2021
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Easy and straightforward book with lots of hands-on activities to do for guiding you through the 12steps recovery program. ITs universal in language so it can be used for any addiction you may be suffering from.

I HIGHLY recommend this book.
2 people found this helpful
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poetic_justice_
4.0 out of 5 stars I recommend working the First Step with this book and a ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
Using this book with my sponsor was helpful. I recommend working the First Step with this book and a combination of Step Into Action workbooks. It takes longer to complete the First Step this way, but is very thorough. Seeing how Family of Orgin dynamics contribute to my addiction was eye-opening, and Step into Action really does not touch on this topic. The Gentle Patch exercise where I traced a family tree of addiction and abuse relieved me of a profound sense of shame. Due to the specific nature of my compulsion, I had thought, "It's just me who is an addict," but looking at my family through the lens of multiple addiction types (not just my own) enabled me to see that the majority of my family struggles with addiction in different forms. That exercise alone was worth the full price of the book.

However, the Gentle Path recommends working the Eleventh Step in a way that I do not believe is practical for most people (e.g., taking months to prepare for a spiritual quest). Taking an extended spiritual quest may be helpful, but it is not one of the Twelve Steps. There are a handful of other places where Carnes throws in exercises that are his interpretation of how to work the Steps. My sponsor and I scratched are heads at these exercises and moved on.

95% of this book is a well-structured, well-planned approach to working a program of recovery. This book is not intended as an "end-all, be-all" approach to working the Twelve Steps. TGP is not a replacement but a supplement, and as supplement to the Big Book and program-published literature, it is effective. When I began working my program of recovery after hitting bottom, I humbly admitted to myself, "OK, I don't know actually KNOW how to take these twelve actions. How do I truly work the Steps?" I was overwhelmed by the amount of work required to do my first and fourth steps. Carnes takes these large steps and breaks them down into small, doable pieces. Once my sponsor showed me that, I began to have hope I could actually go through all Twelve Steps instead of stalling out on a single step for months or years.

I recommend most of the activities in this book in the order they are presented. The Gentle Path is like any other suggested tool in recovery: it works if you are willing to work it. If you don't agree or don't understand something in TGP, run it by your sponsor. If you feel uncomfortable, skip it, and work that step using the Big Book or other program literature.

The naysayers who oppose The Gentle Path have, in my experience, done nothing to help me work my Steps, nor have they been able to give concrete evidence of specific examples where Carnes wrote something which opposes program published-literature. Some of the activities in TGP didn't make sense to me, but after doing this book from cover to cover (minus a few activities for reasons already described), I did not find anything that contradicts the Big Book or Step into Action literature. The only reason I give TGP 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the approach it contains to working the Eleventh Step.
15 people found this helpful
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Ros Henry
5.0 out of 5 stars Edition
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2023
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Love book. Several Edison’s not easily interchangeable
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Books
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2023
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Nothing better than a good book and those that teach are even better.
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Anonymous
5.0 out of 5 stars Very thorough work book
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2021
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This book asks the reader to do ALOT of writing about their addictions ( I'm still on step 1)! It's a deep dive process to get to the bottom of your addiction(s). It is geared to those of us who suffer from multiple addictions). I am doing it through the accompanying workbook which I highly recommend!
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Yhair Hernández Balleza
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Mexico on August 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great book that my sponsor and I have been using. The book arrived damaged but outside of that, great book.
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Yhair Hernández Balleza
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Mexico on August 26, 2023
Great book that my sponsor and I have been using. The book arrived damaged but outside of that, great book.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring
Reviewed in Australia on June 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
Patrick presents the 12 steps in an easy to read and enjoyable way. He promotes hope and encourages achievement
Very good
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golden girl
5.0 out of 5 stars Gentle Path review
Reviewed in Canada on December 15, 2012
Verified Purchase
I have actually done this workbook 3 times (this would be my 3rd time) with various groups of women in recovery. I would have to say that as intensive as it is, it also has been the one book that has contributed greatly to my own personal growth and the growth of the women I have worked with. Right now we are on Step one but its an awesome experience watching this group of ladies open up personally and discover things about themselves that they previously were unaware of. In addition it is the beginning of ending a long cycle of unmanageable and powerless living. We have discovered that once you see a why you do/react to a person, place or thing, you can begin to work on change. I love this book and wish it were not so hard to get. Its now rated as one of those "out of print" books.
4 people found this helpful
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Mrs. Janet B. Mann
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!!!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2012
Verified Purchase
This and The first 30 Days to Staying Sober, have totally transformed my life. I know now that I was rewarding myself with a glass or two of wine, say after the kids had gone to bed, or after painting, or doing some gardening. But then I was drinking for any occasion, there was always a reason. So after having bought this book and having read it through something just clicked and I have not had a drink since, I'm really pleased as I have found that I have so much more energy and generally I'm a lot happier. The book was great to read straight thru' and now I dip into it whenever I feel like it, and I always feel inspired, and content with what they are saying.
I would recommend this book to anyone who felt that their drinking was becoming a problem/ out of hand. It has certainly changed me for the better. And I honestly don't even think of a drink now! Was it just a bad habit? I bought this book for my Kindle so cannot share it, but I would definately share it if I could.
7 people found this helpful
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Jean de blois
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read
Reviewed in Canada on January 25, 2021
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Great book
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