Veronica Ramos Clark, LCAC, a licensed clinical addiction counselor and Executive Director of Fresh Start Counseling Services, has announced the release of her new book, A Fresh Start: Breaking the Cycle. Scheduled for publication on September 22, 2026, the book combines memoir and practical guidance for adults who grew up with an alcoholic parent or in a dysfunctional home. The announcement highlights a resource aimed at those who continue to struggle with patterns learned in childhood.
The book addresses a question familiar to its intended readers: why do the same struggles keep appearing long after childhood has ended? It explores how roles learned early in life, such as keeping the peace, taking responsibility for others, or staying quiet to avoid conflict, can continue to influence adult relationships and self-worth. By examining these dynamics, Clark provides insight into why dysfunctional cycles persist across generations.
Clark brings both professional and personal experience to the subject. An adult child of an alcoholic herself, she grew up as one of eleven children. Her work draws on nearly three decades of counseling experience and her own efforts to understand the family patterns she carried into adulthood. This dual perspective lends credibility and empathy to the guidance offered.
A Fresh Start invites readers to identify those patterns and consider how they want to respond differently. Topics include people-pleasing, conflict avoidance, grief, suppressed emotions, and the difficulty of setting boundaries. The book offers tools for examining childhood beliefs and developing a clearer sense of personal needs and worth. These practical elements aim to empower readers to make meaningful changes.
The intended audience includes adults who appear capable and dependable to others but feel exhausted by always being the responsible one. It also speaks to readers who want to understand recurring relationship difficulties and avoid passing destructive family patterns to another generation. By targeting these individuals, the book addresses a widespread need for healing and self-awareness.
In an endorsement published on Clark's website, Patty Aubery writes, "Veronica's wisdom and compassion shine through every page. This book is a gift to anyone seeking healing and hope." Such praise underscores the potential impact of the work on those seeking to break free from inherited dysfunction.
Readers can view A Fresh Start: Breaking the Cycle on Amazon and visit VeronicaRamosClark.net for book updates, information about the author, and Reading Your Story, a free companion self-assessment. These resources extend the book's reach, offering additional support for those on a healing journey.
Veronica Ramos Clark, LCAC, is a licensed clinical addiction counselor, speaker, author, and Executive Director of Fresh Start Counseling Services. She works with adult children of alcoholic and dysfunctional homes, helping them understand learned patterns and make changes in their lives. Her expertise and personal history position her as a trusted voice in the field of family dysfunction and recovery.
The release of A Fresh Start: Breaking the Cycle matters because it provides a roadmap for adults seeking to understand and alter the enduring effects of childhood trauma. By combining clinical knowledge with lived experience, Clark offers hope and practical strategies for breaking the cycle of family dysfunction, potentially transforming lives and future generations.
