Feb 16-18, 2007
Charlotte Kasl’s 16-Step empowerment model, based on love and power, not fear, is positive, holistic, and flexible. It honors cultural differences and provides invaluable support and information for people wanting to utilize the 16 steps in groups and in their daily lives. Addiction and compulsions, and the associated depression and anxiety, often start as survival responses to the helplessness, sorrow, loneliness, and rage that underlie neglect, trauma, and alienation. The 16 steps address these core issues and have become a successful alternative to the widely used 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Utilizing the 16 steps, we will address some of the well researched markers of overcoming addiction, trauma, and depression, including developing a sense of mastery, attuning to one’s authentic voice, creating warm supportive relationships, recognizing fight, flight, and freeze responses, soothing one’s self, having fun, and accessing one’s internal wisdom and courage. The model also addresses the needs of people both to have emotions and to contain them appropriately, and it helps people replace shame and guilt with curiosity and creativity.
The 16-step model holds that understanding internalized oppression and depression associated with racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia can be an important element for sustaining sobriety and feeling empowered. This workshop will include numerous strategies for recognizing and casting out the voices of the internal critics, saboteurs, and censors that lead to fear.
The workshop will be lively, uplifting, and will include lecture, dialogue, and experiential segments. Dr. Kasl’s 16-Steps are for anyone wanting to become more confident, self aware, able to assert themselves, and have a quieter mind. There are no “outside issues” in this model because all aspects of one’s life are seen as interrelated.
Charlotte Kasl has been is a psychotherapist and workshop leader for 30 years and is a Certified Addiction Specialist. She is author of Many Roads, One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12 Steps, Women, Sex, and Addiction: A Search for Love and Power, and six other books, including the highly popular series: If the Buddha Dated/Married/Got Stuck. She has presented workshops and keynote talks internationally and at her core she’s a peace and social justice activist who believes the starting place for healing the planet is in our heart. She believes deeply in the power of the human spirit to heal, particularly when we create supportive communities. Personal growth and healing involve a holistic process that includes insight, bonding, awareness, discipline, learning new skills, and spiritual growth.