The Toledo Free Press has an excellent article on Pasadena Recovery Center alum Jennie Ketcham — who previously worked as a porn star under the name Penny Flame. After appearing on “Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew” and “Sober House,” Ketcham quit the adult film business, pursued a healthier lifestyle, and started a personal blog – Becoming Jennie – where she wrote about her redemption and recovery. She released her memoir, I Am Jennie, this month. From The Free Press:
In an effort to explain, chronicle and aid her transition, she began to write about her life in a blog named “Becoming Jennie.” It was there — among the thousands of words, thoughts, reflections and emotions she shared with her loyal readers — that Ketcham’s unique and fascinating voice as a writer began to come to the forefront.
“I had always kept a blog but never kept an honest one about my feelings,” Ketcham said in an interview with Toledo Free Press Star. “I was also so out of touch with those feelings, and the voice with which to describe them and experience them, I felt safe behind the gossamer veil that is Internet blogging. But once word got out into the porn world that I’d left, the blog’s popularity boomed and the rest is history.”
During the past few years, her site has become an exhaustive and emotional look at the many changes in Ketcham’s life. The world of adult films is, indeed, in her past. She now works as a hostess at a Pan-Asian restaurant. She’s attending college. And — most importantly — she’s becoming happy with who she is.
As Ketcham has grown, so too have her writing skills. Now, all facets of her personal evolution come to the forefront with the release of “I Am Jennie,” a new memoir released July 10.
Ketcham’s book is available at Amazon and other book stores.
Marshall Richter, 52, is a recovering addict who hasn’t touched a drug in eight years. An addict for most of his adult life, Marshall checked into the Pasadena Recovery Center (PRC) for a court ordered six month stay in 2004.
Marshall remembers PRC founder Dr. Lee Bloom fondly. “He saved my life,” says Marshall, who has worked the last six years as PRC’s facility manager. He adds that Dr. Bloom was instrumental in repairing his relationship with his family. “When I arrived at [PRC] I had no communication with my parents but three months later I was enjoying Thanksgiving dinner (on a pass) at their house.” Marshall calls his current relationship with his parents “great”.
Marshall, who did suffer a brief alcohol relapse, also credits his turn towards spirituality in helping him get back on the path.
Are you a Pasadena Recovery Center alumni who wants to tell your story? If so, please contact [email protected].
Tennis coach, Tennis Channel celebrity, and 2010 USPTA California Pro of the year – Mary Pat Faley – spoke at the Pasadena Recovery Center on March 28, 2012. Residents, alumni and staff listened intently as the author of “Winning in Tennis and Life: How to Execute Your Strategy On & Off the Court” offered guidance for dealing with addiction and living a healthy life. Healthy living, according to Mary Pat, includes putting one’s life at the top of their game for their own personal health. Mary Pat also spoke about many of the topics in her book including:
Are you the victim of stress in your job or your life?
Are you overeating?
Do you get enough exercise?
Do you have an addiction?
Afterwards, both current PRC residents and alumni raved about Mary Pat. “I really learned so much and feel inspired,” said Rhonda P.
The Toledo Free Press has an excellent article on Pasadena Recovery Center alum Jennie Ketcham — who previously worked as a porn star under the name Penny Flame. After appearing on “Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew” and “Sober House,” Ketcham quit the adult film business, pursued a healthier lifestyle, and started a personal blog – Becoming Jennie – where she wrote about her redemption and recovery. She released her memoir, I Am Jennie, this month. From The Free Press:
