Weekend Retreat

Hope you all had a nice Valentine's Day. I have come to learn that Valentine's Day isn't just for couples. It can be an important day for anyone. For me, it's important to love yourself and others daily, but society marks Valentine's Day as a special day. I hope you created one for yourself with loads of self-care!

This weekend, take a look at these activities dedicated to focusing on your recovery. First up is Breaking Free: A Recovery Workbook for Facing Codependence by Pia Mellody. You all know that Pia is my favorite author for everything codependence. She spent a lot of time researching the disease of codependence and talks in detail about her own experiences with the life altering condition. In her workbook, she uses the Twelve Step model to illustrate the recovery process. 

I have used this resource for the last year in my therapy practice to assist over a dozen people in their recovery from codependence. I love this book so much! It's a step by step process that is easy to comprehend. You can work with a group of recovering person or use it in conjunction with your therapy. The one thing that I can say that will help you the most while working in this book is, be gentle with yourself! This process is long and arduous, but worth it, because you are worth it. 

The Joy Luck Club, is a 1993 American film that depicts the inner and outer struggles of Chinese women and their Chinese-American daughters as they explore the cultural complexities of their histories. This story intricately weaves together a powerful exploration of how cultural and familial drama can impact an individual, as well as an entire family system. The film is based on a 1989 novel of the same name, by Amy Tan.

I have worked with Asian-American women and men, as they explore their histories to understand how cultural influences have impacted present day relationship dynamics. I have learned that we have to get a clear picture of our pasts to understand our present and prepare for the future.

Let me know what you think about The Joy Luck Club and Breaking Free.


Enjoy your weekend! Stay safe, sane, and sober!

Sincerely,