“It Takes a Family” now available on AUDIBLE

Debra Jay’s best-selling book, It Takes a Family, is now available as an audiobook. Hazelden and Amazon have released a audio version of the book on Audible. It is available for immediate download here.

It Takes a Family is the groundbreaking book that presents the new program Structured Family Recovery®, created by Debra Jay. The book is published by Hazelden, and is now in it’s second edition.

Readers and listeners will learn:

• How to support their loved one in treatment
• How to help avoid relapse
• Ways to rebuild trust
• Why they need a Recovery Plan
• What creates lasting change–and what doesn’t
• Much more.

Get it here:

Library Journal said:

“What’s different about alcohol/drug counselor Jay’s guidebook on the healing process is that she makes family members part of the recovery team. Jay (No More Letting Go) begins with the newest medical models of addiction and relapse and describes the essence of the 12-Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon. She then portrays and sets forth a guide for Structured Family Recovery, wherein family members discuss the joys as well as the frustrations of the recovery process, hold one another accountable, and present ideas for a recovery plan. Forty-six detailed meeting plans compose the final section of the book.

“VERDICT: Highly recommended for basic information about addiction as well as a guide for the recovery process.” –Library Journal

What families are saying:

“Structured Family Recovery has been a gift from God for me. The process allows me to share in my recovery with my family, and it has really helped me understand the family disease of drug and alcohol abuse. The biggest lie I told myself as an addict was that I was only hurting myself. The SFR process has taught me that this is a lie and has been instrumental in the healing process between me and my family.”
—J. F., recovering from alcohol and drug addiction

“SFR helped me save my life. After confronting years of addiction, twelve difficult weeks in treatment, and the prospect of starting over entirely, SFR became an anchor to a loving, nonjudgmental group of friends and family. I am in a place where I feel joy unlike I’ve ever experienced, and my relationships with my parents, extended family, and life partner have deepened in ways I couldn’t have imagined. SFR has been the perfect complement to my Twelve Step recovery journey, and it introduced and strengthened a connection with my family that most addicts I know don’t have. I am so grateful for the opportunity to build my SFR identity, and I look forward to carrying the SFR program and message to the addict that still suffers.”
—D. C., recovering addict

“The SFR program saved our family—not just the addict but our entire family. It guided us to open and honest communication and taught us how to love and trust again; while helping us realize our inner strengths and how to use them. We are forever indebted to Debra Jay and her commitment to families and her dedication to helping us find our way back to each other. What we created through SFR is a long-term, ongoing fellowship and commitment to maintaining recovery.”
—D. C., father of a beloved recovering addict

“Structured Family Recovery allowed me to bridge the gap between my recovery and my family’s recovery. This process is unparalleled to any type of therapy I have been part of since my journey began in 2016. It has allowed me time to process sensitive topics in my own Twelve Step meeting with the ability to bring insight gained back to my family in a safe and structured environment. SFR taught me to stay in my own lane of recovery but if I look over, I will see family traveling down the same road and that is a priceless gift of recovery.”
–L.S, spouse of a beloved recovering addict

“Our family was reeling. Our son was lost in addition, with all of the attendant secrecy, lies, erratic behavior and health issues that can accompany the disease. As parents, we alternated between denial and ineffective over-reaction, guilt and excuse-making. We were all in great pain, spinning out of control until we immersed ourselves into Structured Family Recovery. Our son is now 5 years sober because he, and we, committed to the program.  It wasn’t easy, but the journey has transformed us all in unimaginable ways. “Grateful and blessed” can’t begin to express how all of us feel!”
–A.R. & G.R., Bloomfield, MI

“I remember the exact moment in time when I read the opening pages to Debra Jay’s It Takes a Family, and I began to feel the slightest dawn of hope emerge in my soul. I was sitting on a bed in a hotel room, in a city far away from my own and fully believing that my life was over. My spouse was in an inpatient rehab facility, and I was visiting him. I opened the pages, and I couldn’t believe that someone had dedicated their entire career to helping strangers like me. I was overwhelmed at the guidebook in my hand—it was a flashlight in the dark. During our recovery journey, our SFR counselor was the first person to treat us like a family full of love rather than a broken family.”
—K. F., wife of a beloved recovering alcoholic and addict

“Thank you, Debra Jay, for helping our family to find a clear path forward out of sadness and despair. Our family is working our way through your book for a second time and finding new wisdom and support on each page. We could have so easily fallen apart. And yet, with the help of the Twelve Steps and our wise and patient SFR counselor, this program has given us an opportunity to reflect, learn, and stay connected and supportive of each other.”
—L. S. H., father-in-law of a beloved recovering alcoholic and addict

“The SFR program has offered me and my dear family the time, the focus, and unfailingly positive support to have meaningful conversations. Addiction brought me to this program, but the healing of old wounds and the progress toward building even better family relationships has helped me to look forward to every SFR session.”
—K. H., mother-in-law of a beloved recovering alcoholic and addict

“To me, SFR has been a pathway to greater independence, self-respect, integrity, and accountability for each person on the team. SFR is not just for the addict/alcoholic; it is a vehicle that affords personal growth to each member of the family team. I can’t say enough about SFR.”
—D.C.C., father of two beloved addicted sons in recovery

“I remember being so afraid initially of the SFR phone dialogue, but very quickly that feeling was replaced with an eager anticipation of each meeting. It is such a well thought out and thorough program. The topic each week and the goal setting helped us keep focus on the importance of continually working this program. And the collaboration with all of the family members made such an integral component in the commitment and perseverance that we used to motivate ourselves each day. A true benefit, and one that we believe would never have happened if not for SFR, was the vast array of topics discussed openly and thoughtfully by my adult children with us. We were privileged to hear deep thoughts, desires, and goals of our family. The discussions were intimate and mainly about each of us as individuals. We came away from this past year of SFR with skills and confidence to handle the crises that may come to our lives. And I happily can say that our son is in recovery and maintaining his sobriety. SFR is a tool to build families into stronger units and guide families on what to expect and how to respond to our person who is afflicted. It is a wonderful program that has helped us immensely.”
—D.F. and S.F., parents of a beloved recovering addict