About Dan Drake

If you’re in a recovery program, you’ve probably heard people talk a lot about “working the steps.” You may have even started working the steps. And if you’re like too many, you may have stalled in working the steps, perhaps in step 4 or 9. Whether you’ve stalled in your step-work or if you want …read more

PTSD Caused by Relational Trauma An “Invisible” Disorder that Can go Undiagnosed When I used to hear the term “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,” I generally only thought of combat veterans and the trauma they experienced that could lead to PTSD. Combat can certainly induce PTSD. However, other types of trauma can also lead to PTSD. In …read more

Download COVID-19 Resource Guide   Our world has been thrown into turmoil as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread. What some of us may have thought would be a brief period of quarantine and social isolation has turned into a chronic anxiety-ridden time, where many have struggled with both their medical and mental health.   …read more

COVID-19 has forced us all to adjust to life in new ways. That means that many are “sheltering in place” rather than going to the office or engaging in typical routines. It also means that so many people are relying heavily on technology to stay employed, connected, and informed. Yet what do you do when …read more

We keep hearing about this “unprecedented” time in our world. In this season where we are all distancing ourselves from others to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, I wanted to write a few notes about how to maintain recovery during such a stress. If you are in recovery from sex addiction, use these 5 tips …read more

However you got here, you’ve started a journey of recovery from sexual addiction.  These early days of recovery may be confusing, overwhelming, scary, painful, or discouraging. That’s why I wanted to spend a few moments sharing how you can build a solid recovery foundation that will help you and your relationship heal.   Successful long-term …read more

An impossible role for partners of sex addicts   If you’re a partner of a sex addict, do you feel that you take on more responsibilities in your relationship than you want to, which causes you to feel more like a mom than a partner?   If you are a recovering addict, do you find …read more

Here are 6 ways you can better respond to your partner’s boundaries:   1) Make sure you understand your partner’s boundaries! This may seem obvious, but it’s vital to understand what your partner’s boundaries are.  You may feel backed into a corner, with no option but just to agree to all of your partner’s boundaries.  …read more

Most of us, particularly if we’ve been in any kind of counseling, are used to hearing the word “boundaries”.  Boundaries may seem obvious, but they can so easily be misunderstood.  Let’s take a few minutes to look at what boundaries really are.   What are Boundaries: 1) Boundaries are for SAFETY, NOT PUNISHMENT It’s critical to …read more

Myths vs. Reality When I think of domestic violence (DV), I often think of physical violence between one member of a couple to the other.  In fact, domestic violence (often referred to as Intimate Partner Violence) could involve physical violence, sexual violence, stalking or psychological aggression.  Similarly, DomesticViolence.org onsiders DV to include any behaviors that one …read more