About Lisa Frederiksen and BreakingTheCycles.com
Substance Use Disorders | Mental Health | Trauma | ACEs | Secondhand Drinking | Treatment | Recovery and more – welcome to BreakingTheCycles.com.
Lisa Frederiksen founded Breaking The Cycles.com to provide education, prevention and intervention services on a range of addiction* and other mental health disorders-related topics anchored in breakthrough 21st century brain and scientific research. This research was guided by her 40+ years of personal experience with secondhand drinking, a concept she first introduced in 2009. It refers to the negative impacts of a person’s drinking behaviors on others. It was also guided by her personal experiences with eating and self-harm disorders, childhood trauma, sexual assault and toxic stress.
Working to overcome these conditions, she’s spent the last 18+ years studying and simplifying this research on topics related to her experiences. These topics include: brain wiring, mapping and development; alcohol, drug, mental health and co-occurring disorders treatment and recovery; codependency; trauma; toxic stress; adverse childhood experiences and the like. This work culminated in her latest of 12 books, 10th Anniversary Edition If You Loved Me, You’d Stop! What you really need to know when your loved one drinks too much.
Lisa’s goal in establishing BreakingTheCycles.com in 2008 was to change, and in some cases simply start, the conversations on these topics so that together we can end the stigma, misinformation and shame that keep an estimated 130 million Americans stuck fighting something they truly don’t understand. This 130 million represents those struggling with their alcohol or other drug use and/or mental health disorders and the people – typically family members and friends – who love them and try desperately to help them seek treatment and success in recovery. She does this through presentations, workshops, consulting, blogging and media outreach (visit links to the right).
*The term “addiction” may be regarded as equivalent to a severe substance use disorder as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5, 2013).
Lisa’s Background
40+ Year Career in Executive Management, Consulting, Speaking, and Writing
- Most recent 20+ years has studied and simplified current research on brain wiring, mapping, and development; toxic stress; substance use disorders (addiction); mental illness (disorders); adverse childhood experiences (ACEs); and related topics. She shares this information in her books, articles, and presentations (see details of this below).
- Pioneered ways to simplify the research that explains the connections between neuroscience, social environment, childhood trauma, toxic stress and the developmental causes of addiction (substance use disorders) and co-occurring disorders, offering new modalities and approaches to prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery for individuals, families, and communities.
- Developed the concept of secondhand drinking – the negative impacts of a person’s drinking behaviors on others – to address the physical and emotional health and quality-of-life consequences for the nearly 80 million Americans who are affected by a person’s drinking behaviors (concept applies similarly to secondhand drugging – the negative impacts of a person’s drug addiction/drug abuse behaviors on others).
- 20 years senior level executive management experience, with specific expertise in operations, human resources, performance management and strategic planning, working as an Operations Officer for two banks, Executive Director for a CA Department of Consumer Affairs State Licensing Board, and Executive Vice President for a professional trade association.
Author
- Author of 12 books of which the most recent six are on addiction (substance use disorders) and secondhand drinking, and include: 10th Anniversary Edition If You Loved Me, You’s Stop! What you really need to know when your loved one drinks too much; Crossing The Line From Alcohol Use to Abuse to Dependence; Loved One In Treatment? Now What! and Secondhand Drinking: the Phenomenon That Affects Millions. Two were translated into Spanish and published by Editores Mexicanos Unidos, S.A. and are titled: Si me amaras… dejarías de beber and Adicciones. and Codependencia, El ser querido bajo tratamiento… ¡Y ahora qué!
- Creator of the blog, BreakingTheCycles.com, and author of more than 850 blog posts, articles and guest posts.
- Creator of several short video programs for PennTV (San Mateo County Public Access Television), also available on BreakingTheCycles YouTube channel.Click here to find our more about Lisa’s books and here for Lisa’s YouTube Videos.
Speaker
- 30+ years of public speaking experience with most recent 22 as a National Keynote Speaker.
- Guest expert on a variety of television, radio and Internet radio and podcast programs.
- Developed and produced a 46-minute online educational training video using 21st Century brain research explaining alcohol misuse, secondhand drinking, stress and brain health. This video is currently under license and being employed by the Kansas City Police Department and Ft. Irwin National Training Center.Click here to learn more about Lisa’s speaker audiences.
Consultant
- Family Program Consultant/Weekly Speaker, Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services.
- Provider of a variety of consulting services for over sixteen years to hundreds of individuals, families, treatment centers and organizations across the United States and from as far as Kenya, Slovenia, Iceland and Mexico.
- Provider of education and implementation consulting services to public agencies.Click here for more on Lisa’s consulting work.
Sample of Clients and Audiences
- Sacramento Covered, “Understanding the Impacts of ACEs/Pair of ACEs on Brain Development to Enhance Trauma-Informed Practices” – Speaker/Trainer
- Sacramento Area Re-Entry Collaborative, “Understanding the Impacts of ACEs/Pair of ACEs on Brain Development to Enhance Trauma-Informed Practices Within the Criminal Justice System” – Speaker/Trainer
- HOPE Cooperative Monthly Staff Training, “Understanding Brain Wiring, Mapping, Development and ACEs to Enhance Trauma-Informed Practices” – Ongoing monthly Speaker/Trainer
- Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services, “Helping Parents Understand Adolescent Substance Use, Other Mental Health & Co-Occurring Disorders & Their Impacts on Families,” – Ongoing, 4-Week Family Program Series for Parents – Speaker and Group Facilitator Family Program
- AgingUp (a foster care youth mentoring program), “Understanding Brain Wiring, Mapping & Development to Enhance Trauma-Informed Mentoring & Mentee Resilience” – Speaker
- Texas Health and Human Services Institute, “Understanding Brain Wiring, Mapping, Development and ACEs to Enhance Trauma-Informed Practices” – Speaker
- Texas Health and Human Services Institute, “When Drinking Causes Secondhand Harm to Others: Secondhand Drinking — It’s a Problem” – Speaker
- ACEs Connection – Resilient Sacramento Community Meeting, “When Drinking Causes Secondhand Harm to Others – Secondhand Drinking – It’s a Problem,” – Speaker
- Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District, “Understanding ACEs | The Pair of ACEs & Their Influences in the Juvenile & Criminal Justice System” – Speaker
- Sacramento Area Re-Entry Collaborative, “Understanding Brain Wiring, Mapping, Development and ACEs to Reduce Recidivism” – Speaker
- Vacaville and South Sacramento Kaiser Permanente Doctors and Trauma Surgeons, “Brain Wiring, Mapping & Development to Help Explain the Health Impacts of ACEs” – Speaker
- Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District, “Brain Wiring, Mapping & Development to Explain the Impacts of ACEs” – Speaker
- San Joaquin County Office of Education and the San Joaquin County Children’s Services Coordinating Commission, “Building Resilience Through Understanding Substance Use Disorders and Their Impacts on Others” – Keynote
- Fresno Council on Child Abuse Prevention, “Building Resilience Through Understanding Substance Use Disorders and Their Impacts on Others” – Keynote
- Kern County Network for Children, “Building Resilience Through Understanding Substance Use Disorders and Their Impacts on Others” – Keynote
- Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District, “Neurobiology of Substance Use Disorders, ACEs, and Toxic Stress: Implications for the Criminal Justice System” – Speaker
- Ft. Irwin National Training Center, Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), “The Unintended Addict: Key Information to Fight the Opioid Epidemic” – Keynote
- Ft. Irwin National Training Center, Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), “Raising Awareness About Secondhand Drinking…the Other Side of Alcohol Misuse to Support the Army’s Ready and Resilient Campaign” – Keynote
- Houston Chapter Texas Association of Addiction Professionals SPECTRUM Conference, “ACEs, Addiction & the Secondhand Drinking|Secondhand Drugging Connection” – Keynote
- Stanford Medical School Eating Disorders & Addiction Rotation students under Dr. Stanley Fischman – Guest Class Lecturer on addiction and secondhand drinking for each rotation
- Menlo Park Rotary, “Secondhand Drinking – the Other Side of Alcohol Misuse” – Speaker
- Grandparents as Parents Lexington, Kentucky Conference, “Breaking the Cycles of Addiction – How Grandparents Can Help Their Grandchildren” – Keynote
- Kansas City Police Department Training Academy, “Secondhand Drinking & Protection: A New Solution to a Continuing Problem” – Speaker
- Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Physical Therapists, “Using 21st Century Brain Research to Explain Stress and Its Physical Manifestations” – Speaker
- Coalition of Behavioral Health Services Houston Family+Friends Recovery Resource Expo & Symposium – Keynote
- Center for Enhanced Recovery – Keynote
- Council of Nephrology Social Workers – Speaker
- Kaiser Permanente’s Northwest Employee Assistance Program Coordinators, “Reduce Impacts of Employee: Alcohol Misuse, Secondhand Drinking, Stress & Poor Brain Health,” – CEU Speaker
- Mississippi Association of Recovering Pharmacists (2014 and 2017) – CEU Keynote
- National Police Activities League (P.A.L.), “Harnessing the Power of the Brain” – Speaker
- California Police Activities League (California P.A.L.) – Speaker
- San Mateo County Sheriff’s Activities League (S.A.L.) – Speaker
- San Mateo Union High School District Health Council – Speaker
- Andrew Hill High School Red Ribbon Week – Keynote
- Ft. Irwin National Training Center troops and personnel, “National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month” – Keynote
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region – Keynote
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region Health and Safety Officers, “Secondhand Drinking – the Other Side of Alcohol Misuse Is Significantly Impacting Your Agency’s Bottom Line” – Speaker
- Salmon-Challis National Forest, Idaho – Keynote
- Tahoe National Forest, “Stress and the Secondhand Drinking Connection” – Speaker
- Muir Wood Adolescent Teen Treatment and Family Services – Consultant | Speaker
- The Delray Recovery Center and The Sequoia (Addiction Treatment) Center – Speaker
- Community College of San Francisco, “New Brain Research & Science: Debunking the Myths and Explaining How a Person Can Lose Control of Their Drinking“
- County of Santa Clara Department of Alcohol & Drug Services Learning Institute – Speaker
- National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Santa Clara – Speaker
- Santa Clara County Bar Association, “Using 21st Century Brain Science to Prevent Substance Abuse & Secondhand Drinking|Secondhand Drugging” – MCLE Speaker
- San Mateo County Bar Association, Family Law Section, “Alcohol Misuse, Secondhand Drinking & Divorce, Understanding the Science Can Help Improve Financial & Custody Agreements When These Conditions Exist” – Speaker
Education
- BA Economics, University of California at Davis
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BreakingTheCycles.com was founded in 2008 as part of Lisa Frederiksen Associates, LLC.
WEBSITE COPYRIGHT and DISCLAIMER
©2008-2022, Lisa Frederiksen, BreakingTheCycles.com. All data and information on this website is provided for informational purposes only. The information on this website is provided on an “as is” basis and is not designed or intended to constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to be used for diagnosis, treatment or referral services. You should consult your own personal physician and/or an addiction or mental health agency or specialist to determine the appropriateness of the information for your specific situation and before making any decision regarding treatment and/or medication. BreakingTheCycles.com does not endorse any content provided by any linked sites on this website, nor does it assume any responsibility for the interpretation or application of any information originating from such content. Additionally, the research on which this information is based is advancing rapidly so facts, resources and links cited may have changed. BreakingTheCycles.com shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any injury, loss, errors, inaccuracies, omissions or damage caused or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information contained on this blog/website. Additionally, we reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions or to update the information contained herein at anytime without prior notice.
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