The Healer's Way: Bringing Hands-On Compassion to a Love-Starved World

Is there a secret to healing others and ourselves? Larsen, originator of the process known as Stage II recovery from addictive behaviors, replies that although there is no shortcut to recovery, at the root of all human well-being is the question of “love or love denied.” Love denied leaves a wound that continues to cause pain in different forms throughout a person's life. Writing with his sister Hegarty, Larsen breaks down the healing process, or “hoop” of recovery, into seven steps. We must make sure our basic physical needs are met; then we get lost, get hurt and get stuck. Only then can we get called, get up and finally get going. By telling the stories of people in different stages of recovery, Larsen seeks to demonstrate that “the hoop” is universal. The book's loose organization, colloquial style, frequent changes of metaphor (on one page we go from bent trees to a bend in the road then the “shark bite... taken out of our soul”) and digressions make it hard to follow. Nevertheless, Larsen has a solid understanding of human emotions gained through years of counseling experience, and his conception of recovery is a valuable tool for both healers and those in need of healing. (Sept.)