I grew up in the Windy City - Chicago, Illinois in the 50’s. I lived on the northwest side of town in a community called Jefferson Park. What a great town. If you haven’t been to Chicago and seen it’s incredible skyline make it a point to visit.

I am the oldest of 4. My father, Alvin Jerome Berger, was a metallurgical engineer who worked for Honeywell while mom, Louise Pressano, was a homemaker. He was half Norwegian and half Russian Jew. She was Italian. I’m sure these cultural differences created challenges in their marriage. But overall I sensed they respected their differences. They had a marriage with very traditional marital roles. My mom loved to cook, and hold court while sitting in the kitchen smoking and drinking coffee. I can still taste her scrumptious mouthwatering meatballs and pasta. My dad was a devoted family man, a great provider, good son, enjoyed photography and loved spending time with his four children. I can still remember the trips to the Museum of Science and Industry and to the Natural History Museum. Up until about ten life was good. But it changed dramatically in 1963 when he died of cancer.

Chitown has cold frosty winters, especially when the “Hawk” blows (the hawk is the wind that gusts off of Lake Michigan). The winter of 1963 was the coldest ever, but not because of the temperature. I will never forget December 26, 1963. This is when I learned that my dad passed away in the early morning, alone at the hospital. I remember staring out the window of the living room at the dark gray snow on the corner of the street. Something deep inside me froze that morning; I would never be the same again.

Alvin Jerome Berger was a wonderful father. We were very close and I was devastated by his death. I had no concept of how to cope with losing him, he was my hero. I not only lost my father that day but I lost my entire family, we were all devastated. My mother fell into the abyss of a deep grief. I was lost and so were my brothers and sister.

I have always been shocked that no one, and I mean no one, asked me how I was feeling about this loss. (I am certain this experience influenced me to choose psychology as a career, deep inside I made a commitment to not let anyone in pain suffer alone). It seems that we didn’t talk about anything really personal in our family; unfortunately this was common in families of this generation.

I internalized my grief. But pain finds a way to be expressed. I acted out or acted up. I became a very angry young man, and ended up having a serious personal crisis abusing drugs including alcohol, getting in fights, skipping school, stealing money from my mother, and eventually dropping out of high school.

At 17 I joined the Marine Corps, hoping this experience would help me find myself and become a man. I was just clearing the sleep from my eyes when I arrived at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California in the summer of 1969. That’s when I met my first drill instructor. Wow - what an experience. A year later I was serving a tour of duty in Vietnam with the 1st Marines on Hill 55 just 15 kilometers south of Danang. My drug abuse peaked during the 11 months I spent in Vietnam. I returned to the States with a serious problem.

I arrived in San Francisco from Vietnam feeling lost and confused. I wasn’t ready to come back to reality; none of us were. I didn’t know how to reconcile the difference between being in combat versus being back in the States. The Marine Corps didn’t help the transition either. There was no reentry program to debrief us and prepare us to return to “normal” life. I continued to get high, spinning totally out of control until serendipity or my guardian angel led me to treatment.

In the summer of 1971 at the Kanehoe Marine Corps Air Station (KMCAS) in Hawaii a miracle happened in my life. I will never forget the day I met Tom M. It was on a Tuesday night when we had our “drug rap” sessions (In fact this eventually became the first meeting of Narcotics Anonymous on the island of Oahu). Tom and other young people who were in recovery would come to KMCAS and share their experience, strength and hope with us. Picture this, a bunch of Vietnam Vets sitting in a circle and receiving help from a bunch of hippies. Ironic, wasn’t it. But there was something real and right about this encounter at the same time.

When Tom shared I was impressed and deeply moved. Here was a man honestly and openly talking about personal issues and shortcomings. He was emotionally free, liberated from a demanding and fearful addicted self. I was deeply impressed. I wanted the personal freedom I saw in Tom. I desired to have what Tom had and I told him so— this was when my recovery truly began. Tom became my sponsor and still sponsors me to this very day.

As I reflect on the first year of recovery the relationship with Tom stands out as critical. He saw a potential in me that I couldn’t see in myself. He believed in me and had a faith in me when all I had was self-doubt. He encouraged me when I was discouraged. He saw worth in me when I felt worthless. I will be forever grateful to this man. I have heard in meetings people say that in the beginning of recovery they (the group members) will love us until we can love ourselves. This is exactly what happened for me with Tom.

During recovery I also discovered a passion to help others. Eventually I was placed on temporary assignment as a counselor at the Drug Information Center, KMCAS. What an opportunity. I loved working with others. It inspired me to return to school and become a psychologist. Quite an ambitious goal for a high school dropout wasn’t it? But I found that there are many things possible if I maintain recovery.

I was honorably discharged from the USMC in 1972. I returned to Chicago to take care of some unfinished business. I started making amends to those people I hurt. I also attended Amundsen Mayfair Junior College full time, majoring in sociology. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I wasn’t nearly as stupid as I thought, that I was capable of college level academics.

The difference between being in school then as compared to earlier in life, when I dropped out of school, was that I was now attending school for the right reason - because I wanted to, not because someone else thought it was a good idea. I was motivated and fully committed. I had a goal, a dream, and a new purpose in life. I enjoyed homework, reading, I eagerly completed assignments, turned in assignments in a timely manner, took copious notes during class, and was usually on time and prepared for class. I loved every minute of college. In recovery I realized that I had a deep desire to learn and grow. This was the beginning of a long and satisfying academic experience.

Throughout college I was fortunate enough to also work as a counselor which gave me valuable clinical experience. In 1973 I was hired at The Western Institute of Human Resources, in Long Beach, California, to work with alcoholic families and their children. It was here that I met William C. Rader, M.D.

Dr. Rader was one of the brightest and most gifted clinicians I have had the privilege to know. He was the Clinical Director of this fantastic outpatient program. The elegant and dedicated Joan McCrae was Program Director. We were one of the first programs in the nation to treat the entire alcoholic family. We worked with Navy personnel and their families who were in treatment at the Alcohol Treatment Program at Long Beach Terminal Island. I received incredible training and supervision from Dr. Rader. He was a brilliant and creative clinician. He taught me much of what I know about alcoholism and addiction.

Dr. Judi Hollis also joined our staff and together we did some incredible work helping alcoholic families put their lives back together. Dr. Hollis and I learned a lot during these years, especially when we started training with Walter Kempler, M.D., a pioneer in the field of family therapy.

Dr. Kempler translated Gestalt Therapy into working with families. Walt was incredibly astute and powerful therapist, may he rest in peace. He taught me the art of treating couples and families from a Gestalt therapy perspective. The unique thing about this approach is that it focuses on the interaction between people in the here and now. This is a very effective and powerful approach to treatment. With it I have helped thousands of couples and families forge better relationships.

A few years later we opened up the Alcohol Recovery Service at San Pedro Peninsula Hospital. We now provided inpatient treatment in addition to a very comprehensive outpatient family program. The first program director of the ARS-SPPH was Len Baltzer a very gifted counselor and talented leader. He led us in developing an incredible program that literally saved the lives of thousands of men and women suffering from addiction.

Our remarkable staff included the likes of Dr. William Rader, Jerry McDonald, Ed Storti, Jerry Buchko, Al Ahl, Ray Wilson, Ruth Rothwell, David Murphy, Olive Reed, Jim Fulton, Dave Schoerner, Michael Lucid, Father Leo Booth, Mike Brubaker, and John Epson. It is a testimony to the talent we had at SPPH that most of these individuals have made and continue to make significant contributions in the field of chemical dependency treatment.

Throughout the time I worked I was also attending classes at California State University, Long Beach, majoring in psychology. I graduated in 1977 and entered their Master of Arts program in psychology. I graduated with a Master’s Degree in 1979 and was accepted into a very unique clinical psychology doctoral program at the University of California, Davis. Seven students were accepted in this program. Instead of being admitted to the Psychology Department we were admitted to the Medical School in a graduate group of clinical psychology in the Department of Psychiatry. This allowed us access to a tremendous amount of practical experience. The faculty at UC Davis were fantastic: Drs. Stephen Abramowitz, Dan Edwards, Leslie Green, Tom Morrison and John Batista were remarkable mentors and teachers.

In 1982, while I was still in graduate school at UC Davis, Dr. Rader opened up a sister program to the ARS-SPPH at South Bay Hospital, Redondo Beach, California. Jerry McDonald was appointed program director and I became the clinical supervisor along with Dr. Leelya Gary. Our counseling team was outstanding. It included Jerry Buchko, John Strouse, Debby LaChapelle, Billy LaChapelle, Elsie Tyson, Nicky Jeffers, Judi Anne Carol, Mike LaBleu, Michael Lord, Kathy Hauber, Steve Moberg, Steve Powel and Frank Defry. Our team spirit was amazing.

While the program was closely modeled after SPPH it had one important difference, the Alumni program. Jerry Mc Donald saw great potential in creating an active alumni program. He developed a program that trained former patients to facilitate aftercare groups for the ongoing support to our patients and their families after completing treatment. The Alumni program contributed to our phenomenal success. Great job Jerry! Our program made a lasting impression on the South Bay recovering community. If you attend the South Bay AA Round-Up on the July 4th weekend you can meet many of the men and women we helped discover a clean and sober life.

In 1982, while training with Dr. Kempler in Holland to become a member of his International Staff, I met and married my second wife, Dymphna Johanna Maria Gruijters. She is a remarkable woman and we enjoyed over 23 years of marriage. We have two incredible children, Danielle Berger and Nicolas Berger. Danielle has a master’s degree in teaching from USC and is teaching at Redondo Union High School. My son Nicolas is attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He is majoring in Kinesiology and playing on the Men’s Tennis Team. I am very proud of both of my children and love them very much.

I also want to mention my experiences at the Eating Disorders Unit of San Pedro Peninsula Hospital from 1983 to 1986. I had the privilege of being the Clinical Director of this wonderful eating disorders treatment program. The program was developed by Dr. Judi Hollis, author of Fat is a Family Affair. Judy created a terrific program. The staff was remarkable: Dr. Katherine Ruccione, Jack Soll, Michael Berman, Brenda Carl, Ralph Hoetger, Susan Owen, and Margie Dourmak, I regretted that I had to resign from both South Bay Hospital and San Pedro Peninsula Hospital to fulfill the final requirement of my doctoral program.

In 1986 I left Southern California for Connecticut. I entered a one year pre-doctoral internship in psychology at Fairfield Hills Hospital in Newton, Connecticut. The training program was outstanding. During my first rotation I had the opportunity to work with severely disturbed patients and their families. My second rotation was spent in a drug treatment program called EDON House, End Dependency on Narcotics. The clinical experiences at Fairfield Hospital rounded out my clinical education.

After completing and defending my doctoral dissertation in 1987, which was titled “The Differential Effectiveness of Nondirective vs. Directive Counseling on Patients with either Internal vs. External Health Locus of Control,” I graduated from UC Davis. I am forever grateful to Steve Moberg, Ph.D. for helping me collect the final data for my dissertation.

I was eager to return to Southern California to open a private practice. From 1987 to 2004 I had a very successful private practice at The Center for Counseling and Recovery - which I co-founded with Roger Andes. Here we helped individuals and families suffering from a wide range of personal problems. I literally treated thousands of men, women and children who needed help coping with life and facing the many challenges and adjustment problems inherent in life, especially during recovery.

As a member of the International Training Staff of The Kempler Institute I trained family therapists in Scandinavia, and Holland. I also consulted for treatment programs across the nation training staff in group therapy, family therapy and chemical dependency counseling techniques. I lectured internationally and nationally on group therapy, intervention, the science of recovery, and family therapy. I am forever grateful to my sponsor Tom, professors, supervisors, friends and family who encouraged me to develop my potential and pursue my dreams.

I left private practice in 2005 to accept the position of Chief Clinical Officer of Cumberland Heights in Nashville, TN. My time at Cumberland Heights was memorable as I witnessed firsthand the challenges that treatment programs are facing in attempting to integrate drug replacement therapy and psychotropic medications in the treatment of addiction. I left Cumberland Heights in 2007. Unfortunately I was unable to become one of the “good ole boys.” I think there is just too much West Coast spirit in my soul.

In June of this 2007, I moved back to California and accepted the position of Clinical Director of La Ventana in Malibu California. La Ventana was an incredible program. We provided an unprecedented level of individualized care. I co-designed the program with Ed Lacy, the programs former Executive Director. I am very proud of the program that Ed and I developed at La Ventana. In January of 2008 I decided to step down as the Clinical Director of La Ventana to pursue other interests.

At this time I have returned to private practice in Southern California and in Nashville, Tennessee. I am also busy promoting my new book, 12 Stupid Things that Mess Up Recovery (Hazelden, 2008), lecturing, writing my next book on integrating modern psychotherapy with the 12 Steps of AA, and conducting in-service training for clinical staff.

Much has transpired during the past 37 years of my life. I have worked the 12 Steps several times, and I have spent many years in therapy. I have been married twice and divorced twice. I fathered two adult children in my second marriage who continue to inspire me and make me very proud. I have experienced many disappointments, failures, losses and successes while in recovery. I continue to square off with many of my own demons like emotional dependency, selfishness, fear, false pride and insecurity.

It has been an incredible journey. I am forever grateful to AA and NA, my sponsor, therapists, and friends and family who have loved me and supported me over the past 37 years - especially when I wasn’t able to love or support myself.

I hope this gives you an understanding of what I have experienced in recovery and the types of clinical experiences I have been privileged to have during my career. I love life and I love what I do. It hasn’t been easy. Life isn’t easy. If you are interested in learning about my practice and my availability to work with you or lecture to your patients or train your clinical staff then please read the section on Psychological Services.