Soulbriety: A Plan to Heal Your Trauma, Overcome Addiction, and Reconnect with Your Soul

Hallerman, founder of the Recovery Management Agency, debuts with a sincere manual on “how to make meaning of your addiction, shine a light on the soul journey you’ve been walking... and heal your way back to who you really are.” Remarking on the power of narratives to clarify the conditions that drive an individual’s addiction, Hallerman recounts struggling with alcoholism while working as a Hollywood talent agent, but notes that even after she had sobered up and achieved professional success, she felt empty and realized the need to “reconnect with my soul.” She offers an “approach to recovery more than a step-by-step process” and outlines the principles of her method: the soul is “our most trustworthy guide,” addiction often stems from trauma and “soul loss,” and recovery requires addressing the spiritual needs underlying addiction. She encourages readers to get in touch with themselves by writing down their life stories and imagining conversations with personified elements of one’s personality. The author’s contention that the “journey to soul healing is unique to who each of us are” means that the advice is broader than some readers may find useful, but the focus on the spiritual side of addiction is a welcome complement to more clinical approaches. This offers some earnest guidance. (Dec.)