In this practical Guide to recovery from codependence, Darcy S. Clarke expands the existing understanding of this condition by asserting that its underlying cause is a lack of awareness of--or no conscious connection with--our soul. Offering a compassionate perspective on how we suffer from both family-based shame and rigid, culturally imposed expectations, Darcy views the five major core patterns of codependence as symptoms of spiritual 'dis-ease'. Packed with user-friendly charts, worksheets, checklists, and experiential exercises that offer transformative insights to those willing to explore the pain of dysfunctional beliefs, behaviors, and relationships, this Guide assists readers to reclaim their lives by developing both a working understanding of the sources of their codependent patterns and a practical skill base essential to self-empowerment and personal well-being. Trained by Pia Mellody at The Meadows, Darcy incorporates her perspective on the origins of codependence in dysfunctional families but also deepens it dramatically in a radical departure from her analysis. He offers both a transpersonal perspective on the core experience of feeling empty, lost, numb, and entitled and a practical focus on how to deprogram and reprogram our underlying beliefs and cognitions based on toxic shame and disconnection from our deepest self (our soul). Forged from insights derived from group and individual psychotherapy in multiple residential treatment centers and in private practice, this Guide offers a distillation of the wisdom of many pioneers in the treatment of codependence, along with Darcy's unique focus on the spiritual dimension of experiencing 'Freedom to Be'. Darcy S. Clarke's companion Guide, LIVING IN ALIGNMENT, offers further practical insights into personal transformation for those interested in deepening the journey they can begin by HEALING THE WOUNDS OF CODEPENDENCE.