NSU Horizons Spring 2012

In fact, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) now has literature that promotes low-risk drinking as a goal for some individuals with alcohol problems. Their research had many important by-products that innovated alcohol-problem studies, such as the Timeline Followback method, which the Sobells developed. Today, that method is used by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicine Agency, and in many scienti c trials done in the eld for assessing alcohol and drug use. Self-Change Recoveries Through the years, the Sobells continued their research in Canada and at NSU, focusing on individuals with addictions that are not severe. The Healthy Lifestyles Guided Self-Change Clinic on NSU’s main campus is one-of-a-kind in the state, offering an out-patient alternative for those who may not need or want intensive treatment. The Sobells’ studies also focus on natural or self-change recoveries, in which people with addictions successfully resolve the problem on their own. Numerous studies, including the Sobells’ own research, have shown that the majority of people recover from alcohol problems on their own, without ever having entered treatment. With research grant support from the NIAAA, the Sobells recently conducted further research exploring how to facilitate more self-change recoveries and create a healthier society. The Sobells’ current research also includes studies under grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for preventing alcohol- exposed pregnancies in high-risk women. That research earned the Sobells and the other researchers the CDC’s coveted Charles C. Shepard Science Award in 2008. More recently, with support from a CDC research grant, the Sobells and their co-investigator, NSU professor Ken Johnson, D.O., have evaluated a mail intervention program to reduce the risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancies. They recently completed a smoking cessation project, which was implemented at Lackland Air Force Base (Wilford Hall Medical Center) in Texas, and which was funded by a research grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. Ultimately, the Sobells hope their decades of research will lead to more effective and less costly ways to reach larger numbers of people with addictions. The Sobells also write books (their latest release is Group Therapy for Substance Disorders , published by Guilford Press in 2011), teach their students to conduct group therapy sessions, are motivational coaches in NSU’s Biggest Loser weight loss program, and provide all of NSU’s group and individual smoking cessation services. In their spare time, the couple enjoys gourmet cooking, exercising, and traveling. They say their greatest accomplish- ments are their two daughters, ages 30 and 33. Mark Sobell, who is currently president elect for the Society of Clinical Psychology (Division 12) of the American Psychological Association, said he is proud of what they have been able to achieve together in their careers and for the students they have inspired. “To have played a role in advancing science in the addiction eld is important,” he said. “But to be able to mentor students and then see what they have gone on to do, that is the biggest reward.” For more information on the Healthy Lifestyles Guided Self-Change Clinic, visit www.nova.edu/gsc . 27 HORIZONS Linda and Mark Sobell still enjoy their work in alcohol and addictive behaviors research.