Many people who have a rather dramatic life story often hear, “You should write a book.” Such was the case with Derald Cochran who after many years of hearing this, …
A Hero’s Journey
The Twelve Steps are more than a recovery strategy—they are a path of transformation. When viewed through the lens of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, the Steps take on a new narrative clarity: each is part of a powerful arc that begins with surrender and ends in renewal. Dr. Michael Cowl Gordon’s work bridges these two frameworks to help individuals understand recovery as an act of courage, meaning-making, and self-discovery.
About Dr. Gordon
With over 50 years of experience in addiction medicine and recovery guidance, Dr. Michael Cowl Gordon brings compassion, wisdom, and an open-hearted approach to spiritual healing. His teachings bridge the worlds of psychology, spirituality, and everyday life—inviting every seeker to discover a power greater than themselves.
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Seeking a Higher Power
It is regrettable that so many people fail to find help in a twelve-step program because of the requirement of reliance on a “higher power.” While the programs give latitude to participants to choose their own concept of a higher power, there is a definite perception that the higher power is expected to be a God-like figure whom Gordon refers to as the Big Guy in the Sky, Large and In-charge. As a result, as many as half of the people who could benefit from the programs are turned off because of their reluctance or even aversion to believe in …
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The Twelve Step Pathway
The Twelve Step Pathway – A Heroic Journey of Recovery, uses the hero’s journey as the path on which to travel for overcoming addiction and crisis and rescuing your own story. This is a book about becoming heroic. A hero is a person who faces great danger, overcomes incalculable odds, and accomplishes that which would have been thought (especially by the hero) to be impossible to achieve. Considering the fear and pain that a person must experience in such an adventure, it is a role that few would desire for themselves. And yet, more of us find ourselves in circumstances …
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Autobiography of a Georgia Cat
Autobiography of a Georgia Cat is the story of a Southern African-American family as it struggles with the illness and death of a granddaughter who is married to a Jewish man. Spiritual and family themes are emphasized. The story is narrated by Black Jack, the remarkable family cat, who also tells of his own life as an indoor-outdoor cat in Marietta, Georgia. Much space is devoted to “feline” mythology and spirituality which have a distinctly Native-American flavor. The strands of many cultures are woven into the fabric of this story, leaving the reader with a positive message of hope and of the oneness …
News & Views
Reflections on Mortality, Purpose, and Acceptance
Posted on March 31, 2026
One of life’s enduring challenges is coming to terms with our mortality. Popular culture often touches on this theme – sometimes humorously – suggesting that fear of death underlies many …
The Fourth Step
Posted on March 31, 2026
The fourth step in the Alcoholics Anonymous program reads, “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” The founders of the program, being alcoholics themselves, realized that all alcoholics …