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, 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
This news matters because it addresses a widespread but often overlooked population: adults who grew up in dysfunctional or alcoholic homes and continue to face challenges in relationships, self-worth, and emotional health. According to the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, nearly one in four children in the United States is exposed to alcohol abuse or dependence in the family. These children often carry learned behaviors into adulthood, affecting their mental health, relationships, and parenting. Clark's book provides a resource that combines personal insight with professional expertise, offering practical tools for breaking cycles of dysfunction. Its release could help reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking, and prevent the transmission of trauma to future generations. For professionals in counseling and addiction services, the book may serve as a supplementary resource for clients. For readers, it offers validation and a roadmap for change.
