Books & Publications by Our Founders
Decades in direct clinical practice
Insight Into Action Therapy’s approach to substance use and mental health did not appear out of thin air. It is built on the work our founders have been doing for decades in direct clinical practice, research translation, and national training. Their books and tools shape how alcohol moderation, harm reduction psychotherapy and co-occurring disorders are treated across the country.
This page highlights the primary publications and resources created by co-founder Cyndi Turner, LCSW, LSATP, MAC and her long-term clinical partner and co-founder of Insight Recovery Centers, Craig James, LCSW, LSATP, MAC.
Books by Cyndi Turner
Practicing Alcohol Moderation: A Comprehensive Workbook
This workbook is the practical counterpart to the more conceptual texts. It is designed for clients, either on their own or working with a therapist.
Inside are:
- Step-by-step exercises to track current drinking, triggers, and outcomes
- Tools for setting and testing specific moderation goals
- Worksheets for identifying high-risk situations and planning alternative responses
- Space to monitor progress, setbacks, and patterns over time
Therapists at Insight frequently integrate this workbook into individual sessions as part of structured moderation or harm reduction work.
The Clinician’s Guide to Alcohol Moderation: Alternative Methods and Management Strategies
This book is written for therapists, psychiatrists, and other professionals who work with clients who do not fit the traditional abstinence-only model.
It covers:
- How to clinically assess whether alcohol moderation is an appropriate goal
- The use of the Alcohol Moderation Assessment, developed by Cyndi, to estimate moderation suitability
- Treatment frameworks and protocols for moderation and harm reduction
- Risk management, ethics, and documentation considerations when working outside a strict abstinence framework
Many clinicians use this text to expand their skill set so they can offer more nuanced options to clients instead of defaulting to “quit or keep drinking.”
Can I Keep Drinking? How You Can Decide When Enough is Enough
Written for people who are questioning their drinking but not ready to immediately commit to abstinence, this book outlines a structured way to evaluate alcohol use and decide whether moderation or stopping makes more sense.
Key themes:
- How to assess your relationship with alcohol using clear criteria, not panic or denial
- The difference between risky drinking, alcohol use disorder, and everything in between
- Practical frameworks for deciding whether moderation is possible or whether abstinence is the safer, smarter path
- How to move from vague intentions (“I should cut back”) to a specific plan
This book is often used by clients in tandem with therapy, giving them a concrete structure between sessions instead of relying solely on willpower.
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Tools & Professional Contributions
Alcohol Moderation Assessment
Developed by Cyndi Turner, the Alcohol Moderation Assessment is a clinical tool used to estimate a person’s likelihood of successfully practicing alcohol moderation. It incorporates history, risk factors, current patterns, and motivation to help determine whether moderation is a clinically sound target or whether abstinence is safer.
At Insight Into Action Therapy, this assessment is built into substance use evaluations and alcohol focused work, giving both client and clinician a shared, data-based starting point.
Dual Diagnosis Recovery Program©
Cyndi and Craig co-developed the Dual Diagnosis Recovery Program (DDRP) used across Insight organizations. While the full program runs through Insight Recovery Centers, its concepts inform how Insight Into Action Therapy clinicians structure outpatient dual diagnosis work for individuals with both mental health and substance use conditions.
Articles, Trainings & Expert Commentary
In addition to books and tools, our founders contribute to the broader field through:
- National and regional conference presentations on alcohol moderation, harm reduction psychotherapy, and co occurring disorders
- Professional trainings for clinicians who want to incorporate moderation and harm reduction psychotherapy into their practice
- Topic expert work and content contributions for major behavioral health platforms
- Consultation and education for legal, medical, and community partners on substance use across the spectrum
- Ethics
These publications and speaking engagements reflect the same principles that guide treatment at Insight Into Action Therapy:
- All use is not addiction
- Substance use exists on a spectrum and should be treated accordingly
- There are multiple paths to recovery, including abstinence, moderation, and harm reduction, when chosen and structured carefully