About Lisa Frederiksen

Lisa Frederiksen has 40+ years of personal experience with secondhand drinking, a concept she first introduced in 2009. Working to overcome its impact, she's spent the last 18+ years studying and simplifying the newest brain and scientific research on topics related to those experiences. These topics include alcoholism, drug addiction, alcohol and other drug use disorders, mental illness, co-occurring disorders, the family member's experience, toxic stress, adverse childhood experiences, codependency, brain development, and childhood trauma.

This work has culminated in her latest book – 10th Anniversary Edition If You Loved Me, You’d Stop! What You Really Need To Know When Your Loved One Drinks Too Much.

Lisa founded BreakingTheCycles.com in 2008 to change, and in some cases simply start, the conversations on these topics. She has appeared as an expert guest on a variety of television, radio, and Internet radio programs, as well as authoring hundreds of blog posts and articles for other publications. She is a nationally-recognized keynote speaker with over 30 years' public speaking experience, and the author of 12 books, including "Loved On In Treatment? Now What!" and "Secondhand Drinking: The Phenomenon That Affects Millions." Lisa consults with individuals, families, and organizational clients throughout the U.S. and from as far away as Kenya, Mexico, and Ireland about these topics.

Frederiksen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California at Davis in 1975.

After two decades in senior level executive management positions, working as an Operations Officer for two banks, the Executive Director for a California State Licensing Board and Executive Vice President for a professional trade association, Lisa transitioned her career to work as an author, speaker and consultant helping companies and nonprofit organizations manage projects; develop and revise their HR policies and procedures; and create marketing, informational, and website content.

She concurrently explored a wide range of topics in her writing and speaking career, including: civil and women’s rights issues (publishing four biographies on women leaders in these movements and serving as a nationally recognized keynote speaker on women’s history); results-oriented workplace initiatives; career search and job hunting techniques;  voter registration and empowerment; and substance use disorders and the family side of recovery.

For more information about Lisa's current work, please visit BreakingTheCycles.com.