One of the reasons a person studies mental health is to understand their own unique background and set of issues. I came from a family where alcohol was heavily consumed, normalized, and any negative consequences were quickly denied. It was just an accepted part of adult behavior and the rules were: "Don't Talk About It, Don't Show Your Feelings, and Keep Family Secrets to Yourself!" This environment made me feel crazy as a child and so I researched it with passion as a graduate student.

I was astonished to see my upbringing described in detail on the pages of Melody Beattie's book, Codependent No More, and Recovery for Adult Children of Alcoholics, by Gravitz and Bowden. The secrets were out! And I began to understand the consequences of this upbringing. I began to realize why relationships which involve talking honestly and expressing your feelings seemed so challenging. I found my own therapist and Alanon and began to recover. For five years, I facilitated therapy groups for ACOA's to share the research and give clients the hope they needed. Many followed up with individual therapy when I opened my own private practice. I felt such gratitude at having found my own healing and then was able to help others find their own.