Helen Dahlhauser - Author of Before You Leave

After earning my master’s degree, I went on to do post graduate work in addictions and co-dependency. Then my supervisor said, “Helen, you have a gift for seeing relationships.” She suggested that I get my license in marriage and family therapy so that I could fully use my innate understanding of the inner play between people. I’ve always attributed my “big picture” view of relationships to my theater background where it is important to understand the interaction between the characters and how it affects them.

I worked as a marriage and family therapist for several years. But when the political climate changed at the agency where I was employed, I once more bet everything on my passion and ability to succeed by opening a private practice. Despite my fears, by the end of my first week in business, I had a waiting list of potential clients. For more than 20 years, my practice has continued to thrive. I’ve added business consulting to my areas of expertise and work with several company presidents who trust me with their business counseling.

The gift I continue to share with my clients is an understanding of how people interact and the skill to help them spot the faulty elements. I teach people how to think and act with clarity. I know that when we deal with people in a respectful, honoring way, the rewards appear. Prosperity seems to flow effortlessly, relationships flourish, and happiness becomes the norm instead of a rare surprise. It is in that spirit that I wrote Before You Leave.

This is a book about endings…and about beginnings. While the pain, struggle, and anger involved in a failing relationship are not ignored, the focus is on the process of self-awareness, growth, and renewal. I hope that reading Before You Leave and working through the exercises at the end of each section will support you in creating relationships that add the richness, passion, and wonder to your life that I have found in mine.

~ Helen


	HELEN DAHLHAUSER In my late twenties, my life changed dramatically. I was raising three children, ages 2, 9, and 11, in a marriage that simply wasn’t working. My love of the theater had resulted in an undergraduate degree. But, aside from a short stint in retail, I had no work experience. I was terrified and incredibly stuck, but I had to do something. So I took my three confused children and left the security of a husband and his promising career. I believed in my decision to finish graduate school, but I was also committed to properly raising my children. For many years, I constantly tried to be in two places at once. Because my children depended on me, I was determined to stay the course.
Although I often felt like a “loser” in many parts of my life, I discovered my gift for counseling during those years. My lack of experience made it hard to find a paying job in my chosen field, but my passion kept me learning and experiencing even when little money was coming in. After earning my master’s degree, I went on to do post graduate work in addictions and co-dependency. Then my supervisor said, “Helen, you have a gift for seeing relationships.” She suggested that I get my license in marriage and family therapy so that I could fully use my innate understanding of the inner play between people. I’ve always attributed my “big picture” view of relationships to my theater background where it is important to understand the interaction between the characters and how it affects them. I worked as a marriage and family therapist for several years. But when the political climate changed at the agency where I was employed, I once more bet everything on my passion and ability to succeed by opening a private practice. Despite my fears, by the end of my first week in business, I had a waiting list of potential clients. For more than 20 years, my practice has continued to thrive. I’ve added business consulting to my areas of expertise and work with several company presidents who trust me with their business counseling. The gift I continue to share with my clients is an understanding of how people interact and the skill to help them spot the faulty elements. I teach people how to think and act with clarity. I know that when we deal with people in a respectful, honoring way, the rewards appear. Prosperity seems to flow effortlessly, relationships flourish, and happiness becomes the norm instead of a rare surprise. It is in that spirit that I wrote Before You Leave. This is a book about endings…and about beginnings. While the pain, struggle, and anger involved in a failing relationship are not ignored, the focus is on the process of self-awareness, growth, and renewal. I hope that reading Before You Leave and working through the exercises at the end of each section will support you in creating relationships that add the richness, passion, and wonder to your life that I have found in mine. ~ Helen
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