The Gift of Recovery: 52 Mindful Ways to Live Joyfully Beyond Addiction

Editorial Reviews

“Invite The Gift of Recovery to accompany your journey home to yourself. You’ll meet no better guides to support your day-to-day recovery goals than authors Williams and Kraft. Their exercises, meditations, affirmations, and self-inquiry questions are grounded in their non-judging and compassionate understanding of addiction and recovery. This book will help you be kinder to yourself, even as you deepen your self-awareness and commitment to sobriety.”

—Amy Weintraub, author of Yoga for Depression and Yoga Skills for Therapists, and founder of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute

“The Gift of Recovery is a well-crafted, beautiful illustration of the power of mindfulness in healing from addiction. From compelling examples to memorable metaphors, the authors use a conversational approach to appeal to their audience and simplify the often-confusing jargon of psychotherapy. Short chapters, organized as ‘gifts,’ compel the reader to redefine their view of the recovery process. Mindful exercises and affirmations help the reader transform thoughts into action. Audiences will find it helpful to use independently or as an adjunct to their work in therapy. Comprehensive, masterful, and approachable, Williams and Kraft have done it again, bringing together the best evidence-based concepts to addiction recovery in this one absolutely essential guide.”

—Gina M. Bongiorno, LMFT, manager of the co-occurring substance and eating disorder program at the University of California, San Diego’s Eating Disorder Clinic; and adjunct faculty member at the University of San Diego

“In today’s world focused on apps and technology, this ‘gift’ brings it back to the fundamental instruments needed to help keep my clients focused and being present. As a clinician, I am inspired to use this as a parallel process and enhance my skill set.”

—Jason R. Allison, SAP, ICADC, LAADC, licensed addiction professional and cofounder of National Therapeutic Alliance

“Sustaining recovery is a complex process—it involves learning skills that will help you get through tough moments, and figuring out how and when to implement them when you need them most. Even more than making healthy choices in the moment, sustaining recovery also comes to life when you learn to be kind, curious, and even forgiving of yourself along the way. The Gift of Recovery strikes that beautiful balance. Williams and Kraft teach practical steps while fostering a spirit of compassion that will facilitate you making choices that honor your values, needs, and goals in an effort to live beyond addiction.”

—Rachel Hershenberg, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University, and author of Activating Happiness

“The Gift of Recovery presents a precious path into a new way of living for people recovering from any kind of addiction (or just struggling with life). Williams and Kraft were able to capture every scenario and situation that a person in recovery might face, and give them tools that could literally save their lives. They intimately know the world of addiction and its struggles as well as the way to recovery and its joys. I highly recommend this book.”

—Lynn Rossy, PhD, author of The Mindfulness-Based Eating Solution, and executive director of Tasting Mindfulness, LLC

“If recovery is what you’re looking for, look right here. … Without question, The Gift of Recovery has become an integral part of my mindfulness practice and is already weaving its way into programming throughout my three organizations. Highly recommended for all those looking to say goodbye to addiction and hello to serenity.”

—Christopher Bennett, CADC-II, CIP, BRI-I, chief executive officer and founder, Chris Bennett Interventions; cofounder of the Chris Buro Foundation; and founder of Encore Recovery Solutions

“This is one of the few books I’ve read that zeros in on recovery principles I believe are essential in achieving long-term recovery. It is an easy read that identi