Breaking Free

Posted on: October 14th, 2008
By: Luke Gilkerson
Under: Book Reviews, Guest Bloggers, Pornography Addiction

Book Review: Faithful and True

This is a guest post from Johnny LaLonde. Johnny is a Registered Mental Health Counselor, Intern and Counseling Assistant at University Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Florida. Johnny is also the founder of theVERSOgroup, an online resource for those who are struggling with sexual addiction or those who have been affected by sexual addiction. TheVERSOgroup aims to be a safe place to gather and “allow caring intimacy to enter the pain we hide and invite healing.” The Latin word “verso” means “the page being turned.”

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Faithful and True is the original book authored by Mark Laaser. At present it also has an accompanying workbook. As a counselor, I use the Faithful and True workbook for most of the groups that I run and for many of my clients.

Laaser does a great job of integrating Patrick Carnes‘ information with a biblical framework. In the book version, Laaser speaks from the truth and brokenness of his experience to offer a truly empathetic look at sexual addiction.

Unfortunately this particular book is short and therefore only offers the reader an overview of the topic and struggle of sexual addiction. For that reason, it can serve as a wonderful introductory book for someone interested in learning about sexual addiction or for a person who has just begun their recovery and is overwhelmed by the vast amount of information available on the topic.

One great aspect of the workbook is the internal breakdown. The book is structured into two sections. The first section deals with healthy living and healthy sexuality. The second deals with sexual brokenness and sexual addiction. This offers some versatility with the material and allows for more group applications.

In the groups that I run, I begin the members on the second section and then move to the first section as health becomes more attainable. I choose this approach because of the importance of sobriety for the recovery process. The second section deals with patterns that contribute to addiction, the addictive cycle and life structure for moving toward sobriety.

The greatest strength of this resource is Mark Laaser. Laaser speaks from a place of brokenness. He has walked down the paths of addiction. He has found himself lost. Addiction has claimed many places in his life. There is power in knowing that a person is speaking from a place of humble reliance on God. Faithful and True captures this by the very nature of how it began. A former pastor removed from the Church now finds a new ministry within the pain and sin that took so much from him and his family. It is a powerful story. The original book was short and to the point. This shortcoming has since been compensated for by the variety of other resources in which Laaser has participated.

Having used the material for recovery groups, my chief complaint is a lack of emphasis on the healing power of the Holy Spirit. All addicts carry guilt from the things they have done, pain from the things they have experienced and shame from a core sense of woundedness. In recovery, we can correct the behaviors, address thoughts and even explore the emotional world. But, if we do not recognize that the healing power of the Holy Spirit is what we must call upon, then our recovery will be cut short. Fortunately, the emphasis on healing is something that can be experienced in the group process. It can be prayed for and spoken about by the members of the group. As a group, addicts can learn to rely upon this power more and more.

To purchase the workbook, go to the Faithful and True website.

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Maintaining Sexual Integrity - Men’s Seminar in Orlando

For any men in the Orlando area, Johnny LaLonde will be leading a weekend seminar on sexual healing and restoration in a sexually broken world. Johnny will be talking candidly about topics such as sexual addiction, intimacy, understanding a biblical view of sex, making practical applications of biblical principles, and talking with your kids about sex.