Welcome to my website
I am a professional counselor who helps those in recovery from addiction and compulsive behaviors.  In addition, I specialize in working with sexual addiction, compulsive gambling and compulsive overeating.  Anxiety and depression are common to those with addiction.  I see individuals, marriages and families gain freedom every day by giving them the tools and resources needed to get unstuck from unhealthy patterns.   

Articles on Addiction Recovery

Alcoholism

• How to determine what is alcoholism by Crescent Life and National Mental Health Association (NMHA)

Anger

• The Beast of Anger - Fr. George Morelli, Ph.D., orthodox Christian priest and psychologist.  Excellence integration of psychological techniques of managing anger and early Christian thought.

• The Anger Handout - this handout describes the process of getting backed into a corner with anger and the process of stepping out of it.

Antidepressants

• New England Journal of Medicine study finds that negative results of antidepressant drugs were repressed and unpublished 67 % of the time.

• Negatve Studies of Antidepressants Remains Unpublished

Anxiety  

• Fewer Panic Attacks with Talk Therapy - from WebMD University of Washington researcher Peter P. Roy-Byrne, MD, and colleagues report the findings in the March 2005 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry of how people respond to "talk therapy" for panic disorder.

• When Panic Attacks - from WebMD

Brain Health

Cell Phones and our Brain Health? While the evidence is not conclusive, there is some evidence you might want to know about.

• Nerve cell damage in mammalian brain after exposure to microwaves from GSM mobile phones.  Study done by Salford, LG, AE Brun, JL Eberhardt, L Malmgren and BRR Persson. 2003.  Environmental Health Perspectives 111:881-883.

• Research in Israel might indication damage to the lens of the eye due to cell phone use.

• Henry Lai and Narendra "N.P." Singh had results indicating that the radiation could cause DNA damage in brain cells.  This article in the UW Alumni discusses the research and the political pressure from cell phone companies.
  The Stewart Group - an independent report on cell phones and pubic health.  A long article and quite extensive.

• The Reflex Report (2004)  Twelve institutes in seven countries have found genotoxic effects and modified expressions on numerous genes and proteins after radio frequency and extremely low frequency EMF exposure at low levels, below current international safety guidance, to living cells in-vitro. These results confirm the likelihood of long-term genetic damage in the blood and brains of users of mobile phones and other sources of electromagnetic fields. The idea behind the REFLEX study was to attempt replicate damage already reported to see if the effects were real and whether, or not, more money should be spent of research into the possible adverse health effects of EMF exposure. They concluded that in-vitro damage is real and that it is important to carry out much more research, especially monitoring the long-term health of people.

• The cell phone industry: Big Tobacco 2.0?  By Molly Wood, senior editor, CNET.com

Children

• Taking Charge of Stress for Children - pamphlet prepared for Iowa State University Extension by Virginia Molgaard, Human Development and Family Studies

Counseling

• Effectiveness of Telephone Counseling - article from the American Psychological Association publication, "The Monitor."

Daily Devotions

• The Daffodil Principle - this amazing story tells of how a woman plants a garden of 50,000 daffodils all by herself and the impact it has on her community.  The principle of doing things in small steps to achieve an overwhelming effect on life is known as the Daffodil Principle.  Here is a link to Gene Bauer's Daffodil Garden in California.

Depression

• Depressing News: St. John's Wort May Not Work After All St. John's Wort may not work as well one study suggests by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

• Suicidality, violence and mania caused by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors:  A review and analysis by Peter Breggin.  This review is done by Peter Breggin and was published in the International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine.  Dr. Breggin is a Harvard trained psychiatrist is in an expert in the understanding of Antidepressants.  He is the author of Talking Back to Prozac.

• St. John's Wort useful for serious depression Study published by the British Medical Journal showed that St. John's Wort was as affective as Paxil.  The study was funded by a German manufacturer of St. John's Wort.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy - basic definition, FAQ's from BehavioralTech in Seattle, WA.  Therapy useful for those who struggle with emotional regulation and self harm developed by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D at the University of Washington.

Divorce

• Considerations for Divorced Parents  (in MS Word)

• Divorce Matters pamphlet by Iowa State University

Ecstasy (MDMA)

• Testimony before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources , Committee on Government Reform, United States House of Representatives - Research on MDMA

Humor

• Bloopers

Marriage and Family Life

• Becoming the Father you want to be exercise   Handout to help you proactively be the father you want to be. (in MS Word)

• Should we live together? What Young Adults Need to Know about Cohabitation before Marriage A Comprehensive Review of Recent Research by David Popenoe and  Barbara Dafoe Whitehead

• Does Divorce Make People Happier? Research says no.  Study shows 2/3 of unhappy couples will be happier 5 years later than if they divorce.  Findings from a study of unhappy marriages by Linda J. Waite, Don Browning, William J. Doherty, Maggie Gallagher, Ye Luo, and Scott M. Stanley

• Statistics of Children of Divorce from Father for Life website  

Marijuana

• Fact Sheet from National Institute of Drug Abuse

• Medical Dangers of Marijuana Use

• Freevibe-effects of Marijuana on the Brain -take the short quizzes

• Marijuana-facts for teens - each question is answered and gives a reference for the clinical research study

Nutrition and Mental Health

• Choose your mood with Food - Article looks at how depression, anxiety, fatigue and mood are affected by food and nutrients.

• Herbal Antidepressants - by WebMD  This article looks at the role of St. John's Wort, an herb used for treatment for mild to moderate depression.  It discusses the history, the numerous studies, dosages and side effects.

• Depressing News: St. John's Wort May Not Work After All - by WebMD   St. John's Wort may not work as well one study suggests by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

• St. John's Wort useful for serious depression - by WebMD Study published by the British Medical Journal showed that St. John's Wort was as affective as Paxil.  The study was funded by a German manufacturer of St. John's Wort.

• Herbal Remedies:  Helpful or Harmful? - by WebMD 

Online Safety

• Online Safety Links for Parents

Physical Health Issues

• Allergies - Quercetin a bioflavinoid and how it helps allergy sufferers. 

Prayer

• This is your Brain Praying - article about Dr. Andrew Newberg and his SPECT Scans of meditation and prayer.

• Healing the Mind:  The Nexus between Contemporary Psychology and Eastern Christian Practice - Article by Erik Bohlin, M.A. presented in Boston, MA at the Institute of Medicine, Psychology and Religion on 4-1-06. (in MS Word) (in PDF)  

Quotes

• Gratitude by Melody Beattie

• I stand by the Door - by Sam Shoemaker taken from the Oxford Group.  Very important reading.

Recovery Articles

• "How can I be codependent when I am not married to an alcoholic"         by Erik Bohlin, M.A.

• Emotional Leprosy by Erik Bohlin, M.A. (MS Word)

• "My Autobiography in Five Short Chapters" by Portia Nelson

• Papers by Dr. Henry Tiebout, M.D. - Dr. Tiebout was an outstanding psychiatrist and pioneer in the field of addiction. The four papers described below present several of his significant concepts:
  
        The Act of Surrender in the Therapeutic Process
        Direct Treatment of a Symptom
        The Ego Factors in Surrender in Alcoholism
        Surrender Versus Compliance in Therapy

• Gresham's Law and Three types of AA program -this is a must reading for anyone who really wants to understand recovery and is struggling with getting sober in any program.  This article describes Gresham's law, "good currency drives out the bad."  In AA or any twelve step program this describes how there are three type of program, likened to cups of tea:  "strong" "medium" and "weak." 

• Trauma Addiction: Safety and Stabilization for the Addicted Survivor of Trauma by Dr. Eric Gentry - article on skills for the person who has experienced trauma and addiction.  Good tools for recovery from both.

• The Healer-Bill Wilson - article and audio of Bill W., co-founder of AA.

• Bill W's last message - Bill W., co-founder of AA shares his last message emphasizing the principle of anonymity.

Recovery Research

• Evidence for 12 step based treatments - Dennis M. Donovan, Ph.D, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute and Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington

  　

Recovery Worksheets

• Boundaries - healthy boundaries and poor boundary systems (PDF format)

• Set Aside Prayer

• The Twelve Steps for Insanity

• The Twelve Steps for Sponsors

• The 12 Steps in Reverse

• "12 Traditions checklist" of AA traditions - this a very powerful inventory to apply the 12 Traditions of AA to your own personal life.  Originally this was for a group to use for the "group inventory" but has now come to be used individually. NEW!

• Research on effectiveness of Al-anon by independent Research (in PDF format)

• Treatment Centers, Counseling and Alcoholics Anonymous:  The Pros and Cons

• Recovery Sayings -quotes, slogans and sayings of the 12 step program.

Sexual Addiction

Sex Addiction Resources for Men and Women

• Acting Out or Acting in Recovery - NEW!  This article shares the different options one is faced with when tempted. A plan of recovery is used to help deal with the battle.

• Dateline NBC Battling Sex Addiction - interview with Patrick Carnes, Ph.D., Marnie Ferrie, M.A. and Mark Laaser, Ph.D.

• How do I know if I have a Sexual Addiction - by Erik Bohlin, M.A.

• MarkBrouwer.com -  This blog offers the latest information about sex addiction, pornography, recovery coaching, and healthy leadership

• Core Beliefs of Sex Addiction (HTML)

• Core Beliefs that Sex Addicts (MS Word)

• Recovery from Sexual Addiction from St. John Climacus, 6th century writer

• Treatment for Sexual Addiction (PDF) - by Erik Bohlin, M.A. 

• White Book (Sexaholics Anonymous Big Book for PDA) - this is a Palm database file.  Right click and "save target as." Once downloaded, click on it and it should upload automatically to you installer for your Palm PDA.

Podcast and Recordings

• Treatment for Sexual Addiction- (MP3)   (in WMA)  This talk was given to the Stephen's ministers at Northcreek Presbyterian Church.  The above handout on Treatment for Sexual Addiction can goes with this talk.   

• Disclosing Secrets: Guidelines for Therapists Working with Sex Addicts and Co-addicts by M. Deborah Corley and Jennifer P. Schneider  Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity 9:43-67, 2002.

• How to recognize the signs of sexual addiction: Asking the right questions may uncover serious problems Jennifer P. Schneider, MD, PhD  Post Graduate Medicine Vol 90, No. 6, Nov. 1, 1991

• Sexual Addiction: An Orthodox and Scientific View by Rev. Fr. George Morelli, Ph.D.

• Sexuality, Marriage and Covenant Responsibility - Fr John Breck - Chapter 2 of The Sacred Gift of Life: Orthodox Christianity and Bioethics (SVS Press, 1998)

Sexual Addiction Resources for Women

• Dirty Little Secret - great article on women who struggle with internet sex addiction in Christianity Today.

• Testimony of Marnie Ferree - Professional Counselor who is a Christian who worked through Sex Addiction

• Bethesda Workshops - Ministry of Marnie Ferree, MA who helps women who struggle with sexual addiction.

Sexual Orientation

• National Association of Research and Treatment for Homosexuality (NARTH)

• JONAH'S Psyco-Educational Model for Healing written by Elaine Silodor Berk and Arthur A. Goldberg, Co-directors of JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality.  This article is helpful and can be translated in the Christian ethics and values.

• The Meaning of Same Sex Attraction - Dr. Joseph Nicolosi

• Perceptions among men with unwanted Same Sex Attraction (SSA) on what factors contributing to the development of their Homosexual Desires - a survey of 203 men from peoplecanchange.com

• Interview with Jerry Armelli and Dr. Joseph Nicolosi - recovery from Same Sex Attraction

Sleep, Behavior and Mood

• The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Brain and Behavior

Stress

• Taking Charge of Stress for Children - pamphlet prepared for Iowa State University Extension by Virginia Molgaard, Human Development and Family Studies

Thoughts

• Assaultive thoughts and Logismoi  

Weight Problems

• The Science of Fat - video cast by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  Comes in four lectures.  To watch video click on the video on demand at this site.  Great lectures!

Handouts

Addiction

• Signs of Love Addiction

• Personality Traits of Addiction

• Defensive Mechanisms of Addiction  (in MS Word)

• Warning signs for Alcohol or Drug problems in Teens  

• Continuum of Addictive Risk and Healthy Behavior

• Relapse Symptoms

• The Passions and the 12 Steps of AA

• The 12 Steps in Reverse  

• Who am I? I am your Disease - This chilling letter from the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction wakes the addict up to the damage addiction causes and the battle that takes place in recovery.

12-Step Worksheets

Here are some of my favorite and useful information and worksheets for working the 12 steps.

STEP 1

• First Step Writing Guide - Erik Bohlin

STEP 2 AND STEP 3

• Second and Third Step Questions - Erik Bohlin (in MS Word)

• Second and Third Step Questions - Erik Bohlin (PDF format)

STEP 4

• 4th Step Inventory Handout (PDF format)

• 4th Step-List of Resentment Form (PDF format)

• 4th Step-List of Fears Form (PDF format)

• 4th Step worksheet for Alcoholism (in MS Word) (in PDF format)

• 4th Step Fill-in-able form

• 4th Step writing guide - Dallas B. from www.step12.com.  This process is very thorough and covers all the necessary ingredients in step 4.  Look for all 5 worksheets on this webpage.

• Clancy's 7 Questions - these questions are very useful for tough cases.  Clancy found that most people in recovery struggle with guilt, fear, inadequacy, loneliness and resentment.  Dealing with these issues will make a big difference in your recovery.

Alcoholism

• Questions for Alcoholism Assessment--developed by John Hopkins University

• The "Promises" of alcohol vs. the promises of God.

• The Bedevilments vs. the promises of AA.

• Signs of Developing Alcoholism  NEW!

Anger

• Anger is a Secondary Emotion (in MS Word) (in PDF format)

• Do I have an anger problem?

• Argument Starters VS. Conversation Starters NEW!  (in MS Word)

• Steps to Control Anger NEW!

• The Anger Handout - this handout describes the process of getting backed into a corner with anger and the process of stepping out of it.

Assertiveness and Confrontation

• Constructive Feedback Model of Assertiveness - This model is useful for almost any situation.  Friendly and easy to use. (MS Word) (PDF format)  Watch Video on Recordings Page.

• DESC Model of Assertiveness - this is just one of many models.  Great for tough situations where people have not been able to get your point with milder confrontations.  (MS Word Format) (PDF format)

Attitude

• Attitude by Charles Swindoll

Compulsive Gambling

• Gamblers Anonymous - 12 step for Compulsive Gambler

• GA Meeting List - meeting list for Gamblers Anonymous

• 20 Questions for Compulsive Gamblers

• South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) - online tool to assess for problem gambling

• About Gam-Anon - meeting list and information for family members who suffer from a compulsive gambler

Communication

• Reframing

• Argument Starters VS. Conversation Starters  (in MS Word)

Decision Making

• Costs/Benefits Analysis tool for Making Decisions

Dysfunctional Families

• Boundaries - healthy boundaries and poor boundary systems (PDF format)

• Controlling Families vs. Healthy Families

• Violated Boundaries

• The process of recovery from Codependency

• Symptoms of coming from a Dysfunctional Family (in PDF format)

• Family Roles of Dysfunctional Families ( in PDF format) [Print in landscape orientation]

Emotion

• Anniversary Reactions (in PDF format)

• The Emotion Worksheet

• The Law of Emotions

• Resolving Feelings (in PDF format)

• Emotional Leprosy by Erik Bohlin, M.A. (MS Word)

Neuro-Linguistic Programming

• Presuppositions of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (in PDF format)  

Pain and Suffering

• The Goodness of God - C.S. Lewis 

Parenting

• The Essentials of Parenting

Prayers

• Prayer of Tranquility -this prayer is really useful for the recovering person as well as anybody.  It comes to us from the Elders at the Optina Monastery.

• The Sobriety Prayer - this paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13 substitutes the word, "sobriety" with love.  While taking liberty with Scripture in this way has it challenges, the truth is compelling.

• To Let Go -this is a great listing of what it means to let go and to not control another person.  To "care about" rather than "care for" is one of the shifts in thinking freedom from codependency.

• Third Step Prayer - this prayer from Alcoholics Anonymous is a foundation prayer where one prayers often on a daily basis to surrender their will and their life to the care of God.

Relationships

• Relationships in Life

• You are Special

Sexual Abuse

• Symptoms of Childhood Sexual Abuse (PDF)

CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in these links, articles and handouts are intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is educational and is not intended to diagnosis or treat and medical or mental health condition.