With unflinching clarity, Hidden Healers cuts through the myths about incarcerated women to expose the all-to-real brutalities they face within a criminal legal system never designed for them.  Backed by three decades' experience providing therapeutic programs inside prisons across the United States, trauma specialist Dr. Stephanie S. Covington has used her unique access to amplify the voices of the women themselves.  Their stories illuminate realities most never see:  That most women who get caught up in the criminal justice system have themselves been victims of harm, that the degradations of today's prisons and jails only magnify their trauma – and that the incarcerated women regularly risk punishment to tend to one another's wellbeing in unexpected acts of kindness.  Grounded in research and rich with personal narrative, Hidden Healers is a poignant and riveting look inside women's prisons and jails – and what we can do to help.

Please see the book review by Merry Morash, PhD of Michigan State University.

Standard shipping is 10-14 days. For other expedited shipment options, or to use PayPal to purchase your materials, or for international shipments please contact kim@stephaniecovington.com.

For full shipping information, please see our Book Ordering Information page.

Advance Praise for Hidden Healers

After working in the criminal legal system for over 25 years as a Criminologist, I’ve studied, read, and written numerous publications about this system and the people under its care. Hidden Healers is a very moving and personal account of Dr. Covington’s journey with this system and the people behind its walls--both those who can leave and those who cannot. This book challenges terminology within the field of criminology. It challenges how we think and feel about the legal system, punishment, and rehabilitation. It most definitely challenges us to contemplate the human beings who rely on the system that is in place in the U.S. Incarcerated women become something more than subjects in these pages: they become people once more. Dr. Covington brings attention to the realities of daily life in prison and the research that supports the recommendations for change.  She debunks the stereotypes with such clarity that you cannot pretend you don’t get it! If you are interested in learning about incarcerated women, or teaching on this topic, then you MUST read Hidden Healers. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to learn about things I claim to be an expert on. – Dr. Nena Messina, Criminologist, UCLA (ret.), President and CEO, Envisioning Justice Solutions, Inc., Simi Valley, California

This is a brilliant and rattling study of women’s journeys into imprisonment, their stories of abuse and pathways into crime often borne of psychological trauma, their unnecessary degradation and humiliation upon arrival in prison, and the ongoing pain of the daily grind of imprisonment. Yet it is also a story of women’s survival and support for one another.   This is a study and story of real importance in which Stephanie Covington captures the different ways in which women transform their lives against the odds and help to heal one another. The great strength of this book is that Covington ‘tells it like it is’.   It is a unique and inspiring effort, addressed to a broad spectrum of readers. – Professor Dr Loraine Gelsthorpe, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, UK

It is time for change.  Our voices have been heard, our evaluations are in and our impact is undeniable.  We are the help we have been waiting on, women helping women.  I'm grateful for the support Covington's work has offered for years, and for the change that will happen as a result of this book. - Kim Carter, Found and Ambassador of Time for Change Foundation

Stephanie Covington has updated the language from the original A Woman's Way to be more inclusive, trauma-sensitive, and reflective of current values about gender, sexuality, spirituality, and recovery.

Order today, see link below! 

The three components of A Woman's Way through the Twelve Steps program - facilitator guide, workbook, and book, along with the supplemental DVD - are designed for use with women and gender-diverse people in residential and outpatient treatment programs, as well as mental health and criminal justice settings. The components can stand alone, but to achieve the best outcomes, it is recommended that components be used together as a comprehensive, integrated treatment program for women.

A Woman's Way through the Twelve Steps Book

[Covington, S.  (2024 English and Spanish).  Center City, MN: Hazelden Publishing]
 

The life stories included in this new 30th anniversary edition are rich in diversity - reflecting differences in age, race, and ethnicity, class, gender, religion, geographic location, occupation, choice of partner, and role as mother. In this new edition, Stephanie Covington has added the voices of transgender women and nonbinary people whose recovery was significantly supported by connecting with women's groups. This compilation of a diverse group of real women’s voices and wisdom illuminates how women understand the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and offers inspiring stories of how they have traveled through the Steps and discovered what works for them. The book can be used alone or as a companion to The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.

By drawing attention to how recovery raises special issues for those who identify as women - from questions about sexuality and relationships to essential topics such as powerlessness, spirituality, and trauma - A Woman’s Way empowers women to take ownership of their recovery and to grow and flourish in sobriety.

Available in English and Spanish

A Woman's Way through the Twelve Steps Workbook

[Covington, S.  (2024 English, TBD Spanish).  Center City, MN: Hazelden Publishing]

A Woman’s Way through the Twelve Steps Workbook is designed to be used in conjunction with the book A Woman’s Way through The Twelve Steps. This workbook helps to increase understanding of the lessons in the book and brings them to life with simple exercises and journaling activities. It further empowers each woman to take ownership of her recovery by documenting her growth and recovery process in a personally meaningful way.

Available in English and Spanish

A Woman's Way through the Twelve Steps Facilitator's Guide

[Covington, S.  (2024).  Center City, MN: Hazelden Publishing]
 

The facilitator's guide describes the most effective ways to conduct the program, which is a thirteen-session curriculum of experiential activities and discussions. It describes when and how to use the book, workbook, and DVD, as well as special instructions on how to adapt the content for girls and gender-expansive youth. It provides exercises to help explain and apply the themes in the Twelve Steps and make them more accessible for participants while offering essential background information on recovery as uniquely experienced by those who identify as women.

A Woman's Way through the Twelve Steps DVD

[Covington, S.  (2009).  Center City, MN: Hazelden Publishing]
 

A Woman's Way through The Twelve Steps DVD is for clients, family members, and facilitators who want to learn how women and girls can utilize the Twelve Steps in a safe, nurturing environment that allows them to heal from addiction. The DVD begins with an introduction to the A Woman's Way through The Twelve Steps program, followed by the author, Stephanie S. Covington, Ph.D., leading participants through discussions and exercises that address complex issues, such as shame, isolation, and abuse, and empower women. Facilitators of the A Woman's Way program will appreciate Chapter 2, "Special Feature: Tips for Facilitators," which includes a roundtable question-and-answer session between Covington and five facilitators.

• See endorsements for the 2nd edition.
• See the A Woman's Way through the Twelve Steps 2nd edition Facilitator Guide Table of Contents.
• See more information on A Woman's Way through The Twelve Steps.

For full shipping information, please see our Book Ordering Information page.

• A Woman's Way through The Twelve Steps Book ($19.95)
• La mujer y su práctica de los Doce Pasos (A Womans Way through the Twelve Steps Book in Spanish) ($19.95)
• A Woman's Way through The Twelve Steps Workbook ($19.95)
• La mujer y su práctica de los Doce Pasos, Libro de ejercicios (A Woman's Way through the Twelve Steps Workbook in Spanish) ($19.95)
• A Woman's Way through The Twelve Steps Set:  1 Book and 1 Workbook set in English ($33.95)
• A Woman's Way through The Twelve Steps Sets:  5 Books and 5 Workbooks set in English ($169.00)
• A Woman's Way through The Twelve Steps Facilitator's Guide ($105.00)
• Facilitator’s Guide and 10 Workbooks ($259.00)
• A Woman's Way through The Twelve Steps Program DVD ($265.00)
• Complete Set: 10 books, 10 workbooks, and 1 Facilitator's Guide ($429.00)

One of the most neglected issues for women in recovery from addiction and trauma is sexuality. Awakening Your Sexuality gives women the tools to process their sexual histories, understand their sexual selves, and create the fulfilling sexual lives they want. Honest, sensitive case studies and relevant exercises provide gentle, step-by-step guidance to help women confront guilt, shame, and addiction; become aware of their body images and behavioral patterns; honor and accept their pasts; and begin the liberating journey of sexual recovery and growth.

• See the Awakening Your Sexuality Table of Contents.

Standard shipping is 10-14 days. For other expedited shipment options, or to use PayPal to purchase your materials, or for international shipments please contact kim@stephaniecovington.com.

For full shipping information, please see our Book Ordering Information page.

This is a clear, practical guide for anyone interested in developing healthy relationships. In addition to discussing the roles and impacts of family and society on relationships, Leaving the Enchanted Forest provides ten stepping stones to intimacy (e.g., values, communication, boundaries, and quality time).  Using richly detailed examples, suggestions, and exercises for self-exploration, this book offers real solutions for the healing of relationships.

• See the Leaving the Enchanted Forest Table of Contents.

Standard shipping is 10-14 days. For other expedited shipment options, or to use PayPal to purchase your materials, or for international shipments please contact kim@stephaniecovington.com.

For full shipping information, please see our Book Ordering Information page.