Presenter: Ronald Chapman, MSW and Founder of Progressive Recovery
Topic: Emotionally Sober for Life
This session explores the foundation of Bill Wilson’s idea of Emotional Sobriety, and how we can practice the Twelve Steps more deeply and progressively as an approach to springboard ourselves into enduring sobriety and the kind of balance and well-being which endures no matter the circumstances of our lives.
Bio: Ronald (Ron) Chapman describes himself as a full-time, all-time student of life and living. Since being struck sober on December 28th, 1985, he has explored an extensive range of spirituality, studies and practices relevant to long-term sobriety. In addition to AA, Ron’s personal recovery spans AA, ACA, CoDA, and Al-Anon. In addition, and as a complement to his recovery, he completed a Masters in Social Welfare in 1990.
A number of years ago, as a way to support the recovery of others, he created ProgressiveRecovery.org, a free site containing a wide range of materials for others. A few years ago, in response to the requests of a number of those who were attracted, he wrote Progressive Recovery Through the Twelve Steps: Emotionally Sober for Life. More recently, he has adapted the notion of experience, strength and hope to a fictional storytelling format which features Kevin Pitcairn, a recovering alcoholic and investigative journalist, and the love of his life, Emmy, engaging in advanced recovery in and through the world. The Dark Side of Grace was published in May 2023 and joins A Killer’s Grace (2016) in telling his story, which is in fact a reflection of many of our stories in recovery.