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Understanding the Dream Sociogram: Transformational Patterns of Intrasocial Preference
by Joseph DillardUnderstanding the Dream Sociogram, the complementary volume to Dream Sociometry, explains how to take sociometric data from dreams and life issues and create a Dream Sociogram, to reveal patterns of intrasocial dynamics that clarify conflicts and reveal pathways to transformation. By identifying collectives of emerging potentials, or perspectives and relationships that are attempting to manifest higher order integration, this book teaches readers to stand back from personal and societal dramas and discover creative contexts that show an effective way forward. Unique in its approach to analysing dreams, the book introduces a methodology that teaches multi-perspectivalism as a way of resolving pressing life issues. It argues that humans, as naturally psychologically geocentric, need to evolve into a multi-perspectival world view and understanding of self. Exploring how to use the sociogram to deepen this understanding, the book offers practical examples and detailed real-life applications. Its integral and transpersonal applications of Moreno’s sociometry are novel and substantive in their addition to this field of research. The transpersonal results can be effective in reducing anxiety-based disorders, nightmares and phobias, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. As such, this book will be of interest to researchers in the fields of psychodrama, sociometry, group psychotherapy, transpersonal, experiential and action therapies, as well as postgraduate students studying psychology and sociology.
Understanding the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse: Feminist Revolutions in Theory, Research and Practice (Women and Psychology)
by Sam WarnerChild sexual abuse is a global problem that negatively affects many women and girls. As such, it has long been of concern to feminists, and more recently mental health activists. This book draws on this revolutionary legacy, feminism and post-structuralism to critically examine current perceptions of women, girls and child abuse in psychology, psychiatry and the mass media, and to re-evaluate mainstream and feminist approaches to this subject. The book aims to contribute to the ongoing development of a knowledge-base for working with abused women and girls, and demonstrates the need to question the use of formulaic methods in working with abused women and girls. It calls for an explicit concern with politics, principles and ethics in the related areas of theory, research and practice. Using research into women who have been sexually abused in childhood, and who are detained in maximum security mental health care, Sam Warner explores and identifies key principles for practice. A social recovery model of intervention is developed, and case study examples are used to demonstrate its applicability in a range of practice areas. These include abuse psychotherapy; expert witness reports in child protection; with mothers of abused girls; and with women and girls in secure care contexts. This thorough investigation of this emotive issue provides a clear theoretical and practical framework for understanding and coping with child sexual abuse. This book will be of interest to anyone who works with children and adults who have been abused. This includes clinical psychologists, therapists and other professionals that work in mental health, psychotherapy and social services; and legal settings within both community and secure care contexts. It should also be essential reading for students and academics in this area.
Understanding the Global Experience: Becoming a Responsible World Citizen
by Thomas Arcaro Mathew Gendle Duane Mcclearn Laura Roselle Jean Schwind Kerstin Sorensen Anthony Weston Rosemary Haskell Jeffrey C. Pugh Robert G. Anderson Ann J. Cahill Chinedu Ocek" Eke Lawrence A. Basirico Jeffrey Pugh Anne Bolin Stephen Braye Ann Cahill Brian Digre Ocek EkeThis cross-disciplinary anthology of contemporary global issues explores a number of topics and methodologies critical to developing responsible world citizenship. Globalism, Globalization, Culture, Environmentalism, Western Imperialism, Global Media and News; Global Media and News. For anyone wishing to better understand globalization and its impact.
Understanding the High Performance Workplace: The Line Between Motivation and Abuse (SIOP Organizational Frontiers Series)
by Neal M. Ashkanasy Rebecca J. Bennett Mark J. MartinkoThis book asks the crucial question: When does high performance supervision become abusive supervision? As more organizations push to adopt high performance work practices (HPWP), the onus increasingly falls on supervisors to do whatever it takes to maximize the productivity of their work teams. In this rigorous, research-based volume, international contributors offer insight into how and when seemingly-beneficial workplace practices cross the line from motivation to abuse. By reviewing critical issues in both high performance work practices and abusive supervision, it illuminates the crossover between these two modes of work, and forges a path for future scholarship.
Understanding the Human Mind: Why you shouldn’t trust what your brain is telling you
by John Edward Terrell Gabriel Stowe TerrellDrawing on current research in anthropology, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and the humanities, Understanding the Human Mind explores how and why we, as humans, find it so easy to believe we are right—even when we are outright wrong. Humans live out their own lives effectively trapped in their own mind and, despite being exceptional survivors and a highly social species, our inner mental world is often misaligned with reality. In order to understand why, John Edward Terrell and Gabriel Stowe Terrell suggest current dual-process models of the mind overlook our mind’s most decisive and unpredictable mode: creativity. Using a three-dimensional model of the mind, the authors examine the human struggle to stay in touch with reality—how we succeed, how we fail, and how winning this struggle is key to our survival in an age of mounting social problems of our own making. Using news stories of logic-defying behavior, analogies to famous fictitious characters, and analysis of evolutionary and cognitive psychology theory, this fascinating account of how the mind works is a must-read for all interested in anthropology and cognitive psychology.
Understanding the Impact of Emotional Stress on Crisis Decision Making
by Noel Allan SawatzkyMotivational models are critical to understanding crisis decision making because leaders and their advisors are emotionally involved, intent on reducing stress, and motivated to find ways of advancing their interests while minimizing the risk of war. The principal theoretical work on the subject is Irving Janis and Leon Mann’s classic study of decision making, published in 1977. While useful, the book has a significant flaw: Janis and Mann theorize that policy maker stress during crisis is derived from decision deliberation, leading to a circular approach. This book solves the identified problem by addressing circularity between the rise of psychological stress, decision deliberation, and dysfunctional behavior with an independent measure of decision conditions using cognitive complexity. With an effective independent measure of stress, the key contribution of this volume is a reformulation of Janis and Mann’s model to render the construct more rigorous and empirically useful to the present-day study of crisis decision making.
Understanding the Impact of INSET on Teacher Change in China
by Ming LiThis pivot considers the impact of INSET courses on EFL teachers practicing under the national curriculum reform in China. Providing context-specific findings on the policy and implementation of INSET as well as its impact on teacher education initiatives in both China and similar contexts, it explores the limitations of one off training events such as INSET and the inconsistency between teacher learning results and their classroom practices. The book argues that teachers, when returning to pre-INSET teaching, are influenced by their prior deeply-rooted beliefs largely considered more powerful than newly-learnt theories. Addressing the rarely discussed fact that the complex and dynamic characteristics of teacher learning change over time and support the construct of teacher learning as a social event rather than a one-off event, the book also offers practical solutions on how to improve teacher education and enhance the long-term INSET impact on teacher development, with the ambition of promoting education reform for both teachers and students alike.
Understanding the Japanese Mind
by James Clark MoloneyExplore the intricate layers of Japanese culture and psychology with James Clark Moloney's insightful work, Understanding the Japanese Mind. This illuminating book delves deep into the unique characteristics and complexities that define Japanese thought and behavior, offering readers a comprehensive guide to understanding the cultural and psychological underpinnings of one of the world’s most fascinating societies.James Clark Moloney, an expert in East Asian studies, combines his extensive research with firsthand experiences to provide a nuanced analysis of the Japanese psyche. Understanding the Japanese Mind covers a wide array of topics, including social norms, communication styles, and the values that shape daily life in Japan. Moloney’s clear and engaging writing makes complex cultural concepts accessible to a broad audience.Key themes in the book include the importance of harmony and group cohesion, the concept of face (tatemae and honne), and the intricate social rituals that govern Japanese interactions. Moloney also explores the historical and philosophical roots of these cultural traits, drawing connections to Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shintoism.This book is an essential resource for students, scholars, business professionals, and anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of Japanese culture. Moloney’s balanced approach and thorough analysis offer readers a valuable perspective on the factors that influence Japanese behavior and thought processes.Join James Clark Moloney on a journey into the heart of Japanese culture, and gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities and nuances of the Japanese mind. Understanding the Japanese Mind is a timeless exploration of cultural psychology that continues to resonate with readers seeking to bridge the gap between East and West.
Understanding the Mathematical Way of Thinking – The Registers of Semiotic Representations
by Raymond DuvalIn this book, Raymond Duval shows how his theory of registers of semiotic representation can be used as a tool to analyze the cognitive processes through which students develop mathematical thinking. To Duval, the analysis of mathematical knowledge is in its essence the analysis of the cognitive synergy between different kinds of semiotic representation registers, because the mathematical way of thinking and working is based on transformations of semiotic representations into others. Based on this assumption, he proposes the use of semiotics to identify and develop the specific cognitive processes required to the acquisition of mathematical knowledge. In this volume he presents a method to do so, addressing the following questions:• How to situate the registers of representation regarding the other semiotic “theories” • Why use a semio-cognitive analysis of the mathematical activity to teach mathematics • How to distinguish the different types of registers • How to organize learning tasks and activities which take into account the registers of representation • How to make an analysis of the students’ production in terms of registersBuilding upon the contributions he first presented in his classic book Sémiosis et pensée humaine, in this volume Duval focuses less on theoretical issues and more on how his theory can be used both as a tool for analysis and a working method to help mathematics teachers apply semiotics to their everyday work. He also dedicates a complete chapter to show how his theory can be applied as a new strategy to teach geometry.“Understanding the Mathematical Way of Thinking – The Registers of Semiotic Representations is an essential work for mathematics educators and mathematics teachers who look for an introduction to Raymond Duval’s cognitive theory of semiotic registers of representation, making it possible for them to see and teach mathematics with fresh eyes.”Professor Tânia M. M. Campos, PHD.
Understanding the Nature of Autism and Asperger's Disorder: Forty Years of Clinical Practice and Pioneering Research
by Edward R Ritvo Anthony AttwoodEdward R. Ritvo md is an internationally recognized medical expert, researcher and pioneer in the field of autism and Asperger's disorder and co-author of the official diagnostic criteria in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Much of what is known about these disorders today is based on his painstaking research and groundbreaking discoveries. In this book he shares his forty years' experience and opens his extensive UCLA casebook to the reader. Understanding the Nature of Autism and Asperger's Disorder is 'a consultation with Prof. Ritvo' - a thoroughly accessible introduction for professionals, families, spouses and individuals with autism and Asperger's Disorder. Prof. Ritvo traces the historical development of understanding about autism and Asperger's Disorder, from the centuries of misdiagnoses and the first recognition of the characteristics of the disorders to his own highly-regarded methods for making a diagnosis. Drawing on case histories from forty years' of clinical practice, he explains their basic nature, what the causes are, what is different in the brain, treatments that work (and those that don't), what a child with a diagnosis might be like when he or she grows up, and what future research may hold. This book will be an absolute must-read for anyone with an interest in autism and Asperger's Disorder, whether a practitioner, a parent, a student, or an affected individual.
Understanding the Nature of Motivation and Motivating Students through Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
by David KemberThis book is based upon three interrelated open naturalistic studies conducted to better characterise the motivational orientation of students in higher education. Open semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with undergraduates, students at community colleges and students in taught postgraduate courses in Hong Kong. The analysis used an exploratory grounded theory approach and resulted in a motivational orientation framework with six continua with positive and negative poles. On enrolment students had positions on the six facets of motivation, which shifted as they progressed through their degree according to their perceptions of the teaching and learning environment. The framework can, therefore, be used to explain both initial decisions to enrol and motivation to continue studying. The interviews included descriptions of teaching approaches and learning activities and their effects on motivation. This made it possible to describe a teaching and learning environment conducive to motivation, with eight supportive conditions. Each facet of the teaching and learning environment is illustrated with quotations from the three groups of students, resulting in a guide to configuring a teaching and learning environment conducive to motivating students. The emerging community-college sector in Hong Kong is used as a case study of the effects on student motivation of the expansion of the higher education sector through private colleges. Cultural issues are discussed, particularly the performance of Asian students relative to those in the West.
Understanding the Older Consumer: The Grey Market (International Series in Social Psychology)
by Barrie GunterIn Understanding the Older Consumer, Barrie Gunter provides a detailed examination of the demographic, behavioural and psychological profiles of the older consumer. He shows that without the responsibilities of loans and child raising and with better financial provision than in previous years, the over-50s represent a powerful spending force. In order to reach this group, Barrie Gunter shows how to target advertising and respond to the changes that have occurred. Understanding the Older Consumer provides a wealth of information on older people's lifestyles and leisure, their interest in the mass media, their perceptions of advertising and their shopping.
Understanding the Paradox of Surviving Childhood Trauma: Techniques and Tools for Working with Suicidality and Dissociation
by Joanne Zucchetto Simone Jacobs Ly Vick JohnsonUnderstanding the Paradox of Surviving Childhood Trauma offers clinicians a new framework for understanding the symptoms and coping mechanisms displayed by survivors of childhood abuse. This approach considers how characteristics such as suicidality, self-harm, persistent depression, and anxiety can have roots in behaviors and beliefs that helped patients survive their trauma. This book provides practitioners with case examples, practical tips, and techniques for applying this mindset directly to their most complex cases. By depathologizing patients’ experiences and behaviors, and moving beyond simply managing them, therapists can reduce their clients’ shame and work collaboratively to understand the underlying message that these behaviors conceal.
Understanding the Psychological Soul of Spirituality: A Guidebook for Research and Practice
by Ralph L. Piedmont Teresa A. WilkinsUnderstanding the Psychological Soul of Spirituality is a comprehensive exploration of spiritual constructs based on an empirical, evidence-based paradigm for understanding and addressing spirituality. In a field where there is no current consensus on spirituality, this book provides a much-needed psychologically based definition and ontology that assists helping professionals in formulating their professional identities; developing effective and appropriate training models; furthering their understanding of what spirituality is and is not, from a psychological perspective; and more effectively addressing spiritual issues to support clients. The authors provide a review of current issues in the area of spirituality, also called the numinous, and provide perspectives that address these concerns in ways that promote a fully scientific understanding of the construct. Ultimately the book provides a concise definition of the numinous that places it squarely in the social sciences. Chapters outline the clear value of the numinous for psychology and detail its relevance for professionals’ training.
Understanding the Psychology of Diversity
by B. Evan Blaine Kimberly J. BrenchleyThe updated Third Edition of this best seller presents a highly readable examination of diversity from a unique psychological perspective to teach students how to understand social and cultural differences in today’s society. By exploring how individuals construct their view of social diversity and how they are defined and influenced by it, author B. Evan Blaine and new coauthor Kimberly J. McClure Brenchley present all that psychology has to offer on this critically important topic. The new edition features chapters on traditional topics such as categorization, stereotypes, sexism, racism, and sexual prejudice, in addition to chapters on nontraditional diversity topics such as weightism, ageism, and social stigma. Integrated throughout the text are applications of these topics to timely social issues.
Understanding the Psychology of Diversity
by B. Evan Blaine Kimberly J. BrenchleyThe updated Third Edition of this best seller presents a highly readable examination of diversity from a unique psychological perspective to teach students how to understand social and cultural differences in today’s society. By exploring how individuals construct their view of social diversity and how they are defined and influenced by it, author B. Evan Blaine and new coauthor Kimberly J. McClure Brenchley present all that psychology has to offer on this critically important topic. The new edition features chapters on traditional topics such as categorization, stereotypes, sexism, racism, and sexual prejudice, in addition to chapters on nontraditional diversity topics such as weightism, ageism, and social stigma. Integrated throughout the text are applications of these topics to timely social issues.
Understanding the Psychology of Diversity
by Bruce E. Blaine Kimberly J. BrenchleyUnderstanding the Psychology of Diversity offers a highly accessible examination of diversity to show students how to understand social and cultural differences in today’s society. Taking a psychological perspective, authors B. Evan Blaine and Kimberly J. McClure Brenchley explore how individuals construct their view of social diversity and how they are defined and influenced by it. The book covers traditional topics like categorization and stereotypes, sexism, racism, and social stigma, as well as non-traditional topics like sexual orientation-based prejudice, weight and appearance-based prejudice, diversity on television, and age stereotypes and ageism. The Fourth Edition confronts the credibility crisis that has surfaced in the academic psychological research community by following parameters for the research that is presented.
Understanding the Psychology of Diversity
by Bruce E. Blaine Kimberly J. BrenchleyUnderstanding the Psychology of Diversity offers a highly accessible examination of diversity to show students how to understand social and cultural differences in today’s society. Taking a psychological perspective, authors B. Evan Blaine and Kimberly J. McClure Brenchley explore how individuals construct their view of social diversity and how they are defined and influenced by it. The book covers traditional topics like categorization and stereotypes, sexism, racism, and social stigma, as well as non-traditional topics like sexual orientation-based prejudice, weight and appearance-based prejudice, diversity on television, and age stereotypes and ageism. The Fourth Edition confronts the credibility crisis that has surfaced in the academic psychological research community by following parameters for the research that is presented.
Understanding the Psychology of Health and Well-being
by Meetu KhoslaThe textbook provides a holistic understanding of health and well-being through the presentation of multicultural concepts and practices in the field. Understanding the Psychology of Health and Well-being offers theoretical insights and empirical evidence from both Western and Indian perspectives to comprehensively cover various components of and practices in health and well-being. It elucidates the historical framework, nature, theoretical foundations, research progresses and examples to provide a better understanding of psychological impacts on health and well-being. The book emphasizes on the need to develop cultural sensitivity to enhance health and well-being across cultures and how culture offers pathways to understand ill health and developing interventions to deal with health issues appropriately. The use of robust pedagogical features makes this textbook an invaluable companion for students of psychology at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It will also serve the requirements of students of other behavioural sciences, nursing, healthcare workers, counsellors, social workers and policymakers across a range of disciplines. Key Features: • Focuses exclusively on the relevance of maintaining health and wellbeing, and how to sustain and promote it • Discussion on each topic complemented by updates on current research findings and latest trends in the field • Each chapter aided by key pedagogical features to support contemporary teaching - learning practices • Uses mini cases, illustrations and 'did you know' vignettes in each chapter to make learning interactive and exemplary
Understanding the Self and Others: Explorations in intersubjectivity and interobjectivity
by Fathali M. Moghaddam Gordon Sammut Paul DaanenHow do we, as human beings, come to understand ourselves and others around us? This question could not be more timely or pertinent to the issues facing humankind today. At the heart of many of our world’s most troubling political and social problems lies a divergence, and sometimes a sharp contradiction, in perspectives between nations and cultural groups. To find potential solutions to these seemingly intractable divides, we must come to understand what both facilitates and hinders a meaningful exchange of fundamental ideas and beliefs between different cultural groups. The discussions in this book aim to provide a better understanding of how we come to know ourselves and others. Bringing together a number of cutting edge researchers and practitioners in psychology and related fields, this diverse collection of thirteen papers draws on psychology, sociology, philosophy, linguistics, communications, and anthropology to explore how human beings effectively come to understand and interact with others. This volume is organised in three main sections to explore some of the key conceptual issues, discuss the cognitive processes involved in intersubjectivity and interobjectivity, and examine human relations at the level of collective processes. Understanding the Self and Others will appeal to students and scholars of sociology, developmental psychology, philosophy, communication studies, anthropology, identity studies, social and cultural theory, and linguistics.
Understanding the Self-Ego Relationship in Clinical Practice: Towards Individuation (The Society of Analytical Psychology Monograph Series)
by Margaret ClarkUnderstanding the Self-Ego Relationship in Clinical Practice: Towards Individuation is a volume in the clinical practice monograph series from The Society of Analytical Psychology. This series is intended primarily for trainees on psychotherapy and psychodynamic counselling courses, and for those who are newly qualified. These compact editions will be invaluable to all who wish to learn the basics of major theories derived from the work of Freud and Jung, from an integrated viewpoint. The authors are Jungian analysts trained at the SAP, highly experienced in both theory and practice. The author argues for the profound importance of trusting the unconscious psyche in therapeutic work with adults. She considers various analytical meanings of the term "the self", with reference to a wide range of theorists, and various ways of thinking about the development of the ego. She uses primarily a Jungian model of the psyche from a developmental perspective, based on the assumption that the ego evolves in infancy and childhood out of a primary psychosomatic self.
Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men: The Trauma of Sexual Abuse (Psychoanalysis in a New Key Book Series)
by Richard B. GartnerUnderstanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men: The Trauma of Sexual Abuse is an indispensable go-to book for understanding male sexual victimization. It has become increasingly clear since the 1980s that men and boys, like women and girls, are sexually abused and assaulted in alarming numbers. Yet there have been few resources available to victims, their loved ones, or those trying to help them. Richard B. Gartner was in the vanguard of clinicians treating male sexual victimization and has written extensively about it, initially in professional papers, then in his landmark 1999 book for clinicians Betrayed as Boys: Psychodynamic Treatment of Sexually Abused Men, continuing with his 2005 work Beyond Betrayal: Taking Charge of Your Life after Boyhood Sexual Abuse. He has been a tireless teacher, clinician, and advocate for male victims of sexual abuse in the classroom, the lecture hall, and of course the consulting room as well as in newspaper, television, radio, and online interviews. Dr. Gartner has gathered together expert colleagues from the trauma, psychoanalytic, medical, and survivor treatment fields. Together, they have created a comprehensive guide to what was once thought to be a rarity but now is clearly an all-too-common occurrence. Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men looks at the realities of male sexual victimization, guiding clinicians and lay people alike to understand the complexities of the devastation it causes in victimized boys and men. It considers topics as diverse as: sexual assault in institutions like the military, sports teams, schools, universities, and religious organizations; sex trafficking of boys and adolescents; neurobiology and brain chemistry of male survivors of sexual abuse; gender and sexual dysfunctions and confusions resulting from sexual exploitation and trauma; physicians’ treatment of sexually abused men’s medical problems; socio-cultural influences on processing and treating men’s and boys’ sexual victimization. Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men is required reading for anyone working with male victims of sexual abuse and assault at any level – psychotherapists, rape counselors, attorneys, journalists, guidance counselors, physicians, clergy, graduate students, and lawmakers – and helpful to lay people interested in this often-unrecognized problem.
Understanding the Technology Behind Online Offending: A Guide for Professionals in the Criminal Justice System
by Christopher Wise Jennifer BamfordUnderstanding the Technology Behind Online Offending: A Guide for Professionals in the Criminal Justice System is a non-technical explanation of online offences by a cybersecurity expert, bridging the gap between the high-tech world of cybercrime and the non-technical professionals working within it.The book begins by equipping the reader with a foundational understanding of how the internet works before exploring the various ways that people can exploit the Internet to commit crimes. The reader is then introduced to some of the sophisticated ways that individuals may evade detection before we explore the organisations fighting to prevent and capture those offending online. The book includes a contributory chapter from solicitors at Stone King LLP to help the reader understand how the law is evolving to prosecute offenders. There is a further contributory chapter from psychologist Dr Ruth J Tully who discusses psychological risk assessment with those who offend online. The book concludes with important chapters looking at how professionals can keep themselves safe online, and future directions of the internet.The book's intended audience includes all professionals who work with those who commit online offences, such as psychologists, solicitors, social workers, probation officers and police officers. The book is also suitable for those in training or graduate education.
Understanding the Transgenerational Legacy of Totalitarian Regimes: Paradoxes of Cultural Learning
by Elena CherepanovUnderstanding the Transgenerational Legacy of Totalitarian Regimes examines the ways in which the cultural memory of surviving totalitarianism can continue to shape individual and collective vulnerabilities as well as build strength and resilience in subsequent generations. The author uses her personal experience of growing up in the former Soviet Union and professional expertise in global trauma to explore how the psychological legacy of totalitarian regimes influences later generations’ beliefs, behaviors, and social and political choices. The book offers interdisciplinary perspectives on the complex aftermath of societal victimization in different cultures and discusses survivors’ experiences. Readers will find practical tools that can be used in family therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and peace building to recognize and challenge preconceived assumptions stemming from cultural trauma. This book equips trauma-minded mental health professionals with an understanding of the transgenerational toxicity of totalitarianism and with strategies for becoming educated consumers of cultural legacy.
Understanding the Twelve Steps: An Interpretation and Guide for Recovering People
by Terence T. GorskiMillions of people have transformed their lives by working the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Their success has come from their ability to truly understand these principles and to apply them in their daily lives. Yet for many embarking on the road to recovery, the Steps can seem vague, even confusing. This practical, no-nonsense guide takes the mystery out of the Twelve Steps, presenting a straightforward explanation of what each step means, as well as examples of how it translates to real life. Written by a certified alcoholism and drug abuse counselor with more than twenty years of experience, it offers a wealth of wisdom, knowledge, and genuine support for anyone in recovery. Understanding the Twelve Steps features: Clear, easy-to-understand interpretation of the Twelve Steps -- the vital building blocks of recovery Checklists that summarize the tasks and objectives of each step The Twelve Promises -- the positive changes you can expect in your life if you follow the Twelve Steps What happens at Twelve Step meetings and why it is important to have a sponsor The experiences, strength, and hope of other recovering people