This book would not have been possible without the support and guidance of many to whom I am deeply grateful. Several of my most influential teachers throughout my training as a clinician and scientist enabled me to become the expert that I am in the various therapy approaches to the treatment of addiction that are integrated in this book, and I am deeply grateful to them: Bruce Overmier, Sandra Brown, John McQuaid, and Tamara Wall. I am profoundly appreciative for the mentorship of Thomas Mintz, who inspired me with his wisdom and knowledge about how to synthesize my scientific expertise and clinical experience to form a book that could reach addicted clients directly.
The idea that formed the basis of this book—that integrating the various evidence-based therapeutic approaches to addiction treatment and providing them in a single source could enable those with addictions to individualize their approach to recovery—was born out of a series of conversations with Richard Rawson, to whom I owe an enormous debt of gratitude for helping me form and crystallize my ideas, and for fueling my passion for addiction science and treatment throughout my career.
I have valued greatly the professionalism and skills of Tesilya Hanauer and her colleagues at New Harbinger, who contributed to the development and production of this book, including Jess Beebe, Marisa Solís, and Angela Autry Gorden, as well as freelance editor Susan LaCroix. To Hélène Chokron Garneau at UCLA, I extend a special thank-you for her dedication to my clinical research and tireless efforts in the process of assembling this workbook. I’d also like to gratefully acknowledge the help and support of the agencies that have funded my research on developing and evaluating behavioral treatments for addictions and related conditions: the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse.
It is a pleasure to thank the many clients I have worked with over the years who have helped me understand the psychology of addiction and the struggles that are at the core of recovery.
Finally, I am forever grateful to my family for their love and support throughout the process of bringing this project to fruition; I know how lucky I am.