“Dear Barry,
I have searched to the extent of my computer knowledge to try and find the e-mail that I sent back on May 11. It must be lost somewhere in cyberspace! My e-mail was an update on my son, Jacob Connor, who first came to see you and Rhonda on April 22, 2005. I wrote on Jacob’s 25th birthday.

In March and April I honestly didn’t know if Jacob would live to see his 25th birthday. He had been battling addiction issues (it was alcohol when I made the call to set up the appointment) for a long time. Jacob’s father is an alcoholic and as Jacob once put it, he was “blessed” with the addictive genes. Jacob had tried to quit drinking on his own. He went to see his doctor numerous times. His doctor was very compassionate and helped him as much as he could. He put Jacob on an antidepressant, then on an anti-anxiety medication and Jacob eventually needed a medication to help lower his blood pressure. During this time he was trying hard not to drink, to work and live a “normal” life. However, Jacob was unable to stop drinking and his drinking escalated frighteningly. Jacob had some seizure type “spells” and his doctor called me and said that the situation was no longer safe. Jacob needed to detox immediately and he needed help. Jacob got himself a bed at a detox facility and just before taking him, I called and spoke to you. Rhonda was our back-up plan. I knew from all that Jacob’s father had been through, the sad fact that detox facilities are often revolving doors. Jacob was in detox for five days (it was wonderful to be able to sleep during those days). He came out and within 24 hours he was drinking again. Jacob was drinking whiskey (or any other alcohol he could find) like it was water. He would drink until he passed out. He was not eating and was 100% out of control. I knew that it was just a matter of time before his body could not take any more and just shut down. All along Jacob knew he had a serious problem. I counted the hours until his appointment to see you. All of my eggs were in the Rhonda Lenair basket and I didn’t dare look beyond our appointment.

Today is July 5th. I just spoke to Jacob. He is doing great! About two weeks after his visit to you, I asked him one of my typical questions: “So, Jacob, what’s new in your life?” The standard response my kids give me is “not much” or “same old, same old…” Jacob looked at me after I asked him this and responded, “Everything!” He called me after two months of being sober and reminded me that it had been two months–as if I would forget such a miraculous event! Last weekend he called to tell me that on Sat. night he was watching a movie and was hungry. He went to the refrigerator and found nothing (he’s pretty good about sticking with the dietary suggestions from Rhonda) and then he checked the freezer and found nothing. He went back to his movie and shortly afterward went back to the freezer. He said, “Ma, I had a breakthrough! There was a bottle of vodka nicely chilled in the freezer. I didn’t even see it the first time I opened the door!” Three months ago that bottle would have been calling his name and he would have drunk it until it was gone or he passed out–which ever came first. He was able to close the freezer door and go back to his movie.

Please tell Rhonda how deeply grateful I am to her. Jacob is not only sober and back at work (he was working full-time in less than a week after his first treatment), but he is happy! My ex-husband (Jacob’s father) has been in and out of detox facilities since before Jacob was born. He is a very angry, unhappy person. I wouldn’t want Jacob to live a life where he was filled with anger and resentment. Jacob is just beginning to know himself. He is feeling better and better about himself with every little challenge that he takes on and conquers. His self esteem is blossoming and he is able to handle some very emotionally, painfully intense situations that recently occurred with the sudden death of his aunt in an automobile accident. There are more stories I could share, but this is enough for now.

I was concerned about whether or not your program might work for someone as young as Jacob. The testimonial letters all appeared to be from older adults. Jacob is proof of Rhonda’s extraordinary gift and age is no limitation. I should add that Jacob is able to be around his friends, attend parties where alcohol is flowing everywhere and be happily social without feeling the need (and I think without the desire) to drink. He now has a chance to live the special, wonderful life that he deserves to live.

There are no words to express my gratitude. I only wish that there were more people like Rhonda with the ability and giftedness that she possesses. What a different world this would be for so many individuals and families who suffer immensely from addiction. I know that I do not possess these abilities, however, if there is something that I can do (besides share Jacob’s story with anyone who is interested), please let me know. Jacob and my whole family has suffered a lot because of addiction and any way to alleviate this in someone else’s family is well worth pursuing.”
Wishing you all the best,

“I’ve recently returned from taking treatment for alcohol abuse at the Lenair Technique Clinic in Newbury, Massachusetts. My co-workers, friends, and family have noticed such a change in me that I’ve been swamped by people wanting to know what on earth took place there. My problem is that I am not quite sure myself other that the fact that what ever it was worked!

This past November I awoke on the morning of my 53rd birthday with a tremendous hangover. I am not proud to say that this was no new condition for me but something was different this particular morning. I took the time to reflect upon my life and shamefully recounted that I had been drinking, getting drunk, and waking up with hangovers for 40 years.

Forty years of hard drinking certainly took its toll. A broken marriage, alienated from friends, and family, work place and relationship problems, almost killing myself in a car wreck, and all the other self destructive behaviors that go hand in hand with the nightmare of alcoholism.

Several years ago I developed “Inflamed Bowel Disease” which was later confirmed to be “Crohn’s Disease”, a most humiliating and weakening condition that I could only wish upon the likes of Osama Bin Laden and crew. Although stress has been proven to provoke Crohn’s, I have no doubt what so ever that I had been drinking myself to death.

Over the years, I had tried A.A. I know many people who have stopped drinking by attending their meetings. I have signed myself into a “30 day programme” in Buffalo N.Y. These programmes have helped many people but did not work for me.

I think the reason I was unsuccessful in these other formats may be because for seven years prior to getting on the fire department, I was a hospital orderly and worked with addicts in the hospital setting. Crossing the line from “keeper’ to being one of the “kept” was just too difficult for me.

Deciding to try once again to quit drinking, I was not very optimistic. After all I had tried everything hadn’t I ? For some reason I found myself on the internet looking for help when the web site for the “Lenair Technique” came up and I started reading. The more testimonials I read, the more I began to hope that maybe, just maybe there was still a chance for me.

I asked my wife Loretta to read some of the articles and see what she thought (she had been considering leaving me if I didn’t seek help). Knowing only too well the failed attempts of the past, Loretta, without hesitation, told me to look into the “Lenair Technique”.

My appointment booked, Loretta and I headed out for Massachusetts all the while me assuring my wife that if nothing else, we would make a nice vacation out of the trip. Even up to twenty minutes into my first session, I had serious doubts.

After that first twenty minutes however, something told me that this was no farce because after that time and ever since then all physical craving and desire for alcohol has been gone from me. I haven’t yet been able to explain it but thank God, it’s just gone!

After my first session, when Loretta and I went out to eat, I found that I was bothered just ever so slightly by the beer signs in the restaurant and the labels on the bottles at other tables. It wasn’t an urge to drink at all, just a nuisance-uncomfortable feeling if you will. I mentioned this to Ms. Lenair at my next session and by the time we finished that day’s treatment, the problem was gone.

Today, Loretta and I are happier and healthier than we’ve been for years. I was also given diet change recommendations and am practicing Yoga and Tai Chi.

I am not simply suggesting that people with a drinking problem look into The Lenair Technique, I am begging them to!

As a firefighter, I’ve cut your dead kids out of their wrecked cars finding an open bottle of booze or bag of pot inside the vehicle. I’ve extinguished the burning corpses of people who drank and drove and I’ve given futile first aid to people whose intestines had burst because they had become so weakened by alcohol.

If anyone reading this story feels the need by all means feel free to contact me but please don’t just take my word for any of this, read the web site and call the clinic. I’m thankful to God I did.”