Vancouver therapist Michael Pond has journeyed down the dark path of addiction and returned to sobriety with a story to share - plus an urgent call to improve addiction services.
Pond, who last year published a memoir titled The Couch of Willingness, will visit Douglas College's Coquitlam campus on Monday as part of the Health Sciences Speaker Series.
In his book, co-authored with his partner and documentary filmmaker Maureen Palmer, Pond recounts how he went from being a successful psychotherapist to losing his career, home and family during a lengthy struggle with alcoholism. Eventually, he ended up on a couch in a Lower Mainland recovery home, where he was forced to confront his addiction.
Now sober and again practising psychotherapy, Pond is speaking publicly about his experiences and calling for change to what he argues is a broken recovery system.
"Michael's compelling story outlines his struggle with alcoholism and journey back to sobriety. His experience of the hard realities of alcoholism sheds a new light on treatment practices and policies regarding addiction," says Pam Cawley, dean of health sciences at Douglas College.
Pond will deliver his free, public talk Jan. 19 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in room A1470 of the Douglas College David Lam Campus, 1250 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam.
Presented by the college's Health Sciences Department, the Health Sciences Speakers Series is held monthly throughout the year, typically on the third Monday of the month. Additional events for 2015 will be announced.
Douglas is one of the largest colleges in British Columbia, providing applied bachelor's degrees, university transfer, career and post-degree programs for more than 20,000 students each year. For more information, visit douglascollege.ca.
