Gender is one of many powerful forces in our lives. We are all raised with a set of “Man Rules” and “Woman Rules,” cultural prescriptions of what it means to be a man or woman. While these rules are being actively challenged today, they are still potent influences in our lives and set us up for becoming emotionally dependent. These rules and how we can unhook ourselves from them and create a more stable foundation and more authentic sense of self will be the focus of this discussion.

Emotional sobriety promotes authentic self-esteem. The pillars of self-esteem can be integrated into an emotional sobriety practice. This is an important and emerging discussion in the field of emotional sobriety. The focus of this topic is how these two concepts interrelate.

The essential elements of emotional sobriety can be found in the work of master psychotherapists including Karen Horney, Fritz Perls, Rollo May, Virginia Satir, Victor Frankl, and Nathaniel Branden. Dr. Berger will discuss some of their key insights and their relevance to emotional sobriety. This closing session will also allow for general Q&A time.