Peter Gerlach

I have circled the Sun 70 times, have a mechanical engineering degree from Stanford U (1958), and 17 years' experience working for GT&E and IBM in various capacities. I also have a Masters degree in Social Work (MSW), over 17,000 hours of direct service to over 1,000 self-referered clients, and hundreds of hours of post-grad training in a wide variety of psychotherapeutic, communication, anger and addiction management (including codependence), clinical hypnosis, multiple personalities (dissociative states), and a range of behavioral and clinical subjects, including internal family systems (IFS) therapy. I've worked with five wise clinical guides for 35 years on improving and harmonizing my own life.

I had a private therapy practice in the western suburbs of Chicago 1981 - 2007, working with persons, couples, and families. I have specialized in supporting stepfamilies since 1979, and in personal recovery from childhood neglect and abuse since 1986. I began personal ACoA recovery from growing up in an addicted family in that year. My recovery has led me from early atheism (unawareness) to solid nondenominational spiritual faith, searching, and growth.

I have designed and led over 300 seminars and classes for a wide range of lay and clinical groups on stepfamily dynamics, relationship problem-solving, effective-communication skills, healthy grieving and freeing blocked grief, and personal wound-reduction via IFS therapy.

My clients have included Northern Illinois, Governor's State, Northeaste and Northweste Universities, the Catholic Diocese of Rockford (IL), the Chicago States Atto ey's Office, the College of Du Page, many Chicago-area high schools, hospitals, and churches, Parents Without Partners, Young Single Parents, Mothers Without Custody, and many others.

I taught communication skills professionally for Ridge Associates in New York, and have published a unique guidebook on that subject ("Satisfactions - Seven Skills You Need to Know" - Xlibris.com, 2002). I co-founded the nonprofit Stepfamily Association of Illinois (SAI), and have been a Board member of the recent Stepfamily Association of America (SAA) for several years. I was on the Board of a large suburban mental health agency for many years, including a term as Board President. I'm a member of the National Stepfamily Resource Center (NSRC) Expert's Council.

I maintain a free educational Web site called "Break the Cycle!" - originally "Stepfamily inFormation." (sfhelp.org), and have published five more books from it's content about healing psychological wounds and co-creating healthy marriages and stepfamilies. I'm now expanding the site to apply to all families and relationships.

My life purpose is to educate and motivate other people to protect future generations and break the toxic [wounds + unawareness] cycle that is crippling many persons, families, and our society.

I have an incurable muscle-wasting disease, and am now confined to a wheelchair in a convalescent home in Portland, Oregon. I'm glad to consult with fellow seekers via phone and email.