Facing Heartbreak: Steps to Recovery for Betrayed Partners - Paperback

by Stefanie Carnes (Author), Mari A. Lee (Author), Anthony Rodriquez (Author)

However you have discovered Facing Heartbreak, the simple fact that you are

reading this right now shows that you are a person of enormous courage.

We understand that you are likely going through one of the most difficult

and painful seasons of your life. There are days when you may want

to give up and just leave. There are nights where you may cry yourself to

sleep or stare at the ceiling feeling hopeless and more alone than you can ever

remember. There are times when you may feel misunderstood and unappreciated.

There are weeks where you may feel like your life has been shattered

into a million little pieces and you want to wake up from this nightmare. There

are moments where you may blame yourself, your family, and God, wanting

to scream, Why me?

We are therapists who have worked for years with clients healing from

compulsive sexual behavior, commonly known as "sex addiction," and with

their spouses and partners who have been deeply wounded. We empathize with

the pain you have been struggling with. We have seen firsthand the strength

it takes for the hurting partner or spouse to move through the trauma of discovery,

the bitterness of betrayal, the fog of confusion, and the humiliation and

anger. And we know the kind of courage it takes to reach out in order to heal.

We are here to support you as you take hold of your own emotional

well-being. As you begin the work in Facing Heartbreak, we will support your

process one step at a time. Yet we will not sugarcoat what is ahead. Healing

from the pain of a loved one's sex addiction is not an easy journey. It is an arduous

process that will take time, an investment of daily effort, and emotional

energy--especially when you may feel that you have none to give. Healing

takes place in the midst of the chaos, trauma, and enormous hurt that is the

unfortunate, but very real, consequence of being in a relationship with a sexually

compulsive partner.

However, as therapists who do this work every day we want to reassure

you that by giving yourself the gift of your own recovery, you will begin to see

hope again. Eventually you can create a peaceful, healthy life.

Author Biography

Anthony Rodriguez, MSW, CSAT, BCSA, LISW, LCSW, is the founder and clinical director of the Men's Center in Iowa City, Iowa. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Education (with a focus in counseling) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and his Master's degree in Clinical Social Work from Loyola University-Chicago. He is clinically credentialed in Iowa and Illinois. Anthony is a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and is Board Certified in treating sexual abuse by the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. He is also a Fellow with the Wisconsin Sex Offender Treatment Network and is Technical Consultant with the Office for Victims of Crime Training & Technical Assistance Center (U.S. Department of Justice). With over twenty years of clinical experience in treating trauma, addictions, sexual issues, and other mental health concerns, he has worked in a vari-ety of treatment settings in London, Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Quad Cities. In his practice, he provides individual and couples therapy and facilitates a monthly Men's Forum for sexually compulsive men, and a Women's Forum for their spouses. He is trained in EMDR and family/divorce mediation, and has interned at the Loyola Sexual Dysfunction Clinic/Stritch School of Medicine. He is a seasoned presenter and has provided clinical trainings nationally to other professionals, universities, and the general public in the areas of sexual addiction, spouses of sex addicts, and survivors of sexual abuse. He has also provided critical incident stress debriefings to organizations and companies that experienced violence and trauma in their environment. Anthony was a member of the Board of Directors for Male Survivor, formerly the National Organization against Male Sexual Victimization and has served as the Program Chairperson for their International 2007 Male Survivor Conference in New York City--drawing in over 450 survivors and professional participants from around the world. He was also one of their clinical facilitators for their Weekend of Recovery program for survivors and the co-recipient of the Fay Honey Knopp Memorial Award. Mr Rodriguez resides in Iowa City, IA. To learn more about his work, visit his website at www.themenscenter.net or contact him directly at adrodriguez@themenscenter.net.
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