On this episode of The Addicted Mind podcast, we are joined by Robert Weiss, a digital-age intimacy and relationship expert and author of several insightful books on the topic (links below). Rob’s non-alarmist approach to the impacts of our digital age on intimacy and relationships as well as on the minds and futures of our children is refreshing and encouraging, while still reminding us to be aware and informed. In his 25 years in the industry, Rob has noticed significant shifts in the accessib...
May 10, 2018•37 min•Ep. 37
On this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast, we talk with Nicki Mosley about trauma-sensitive movement practice and the effective impact that this can have on those suffering from long-term trauma. Trauma-sensitive yoga was developed by The Trauma Center in Boston several years ago to give individuals a safe way to access their trauma and work through the sensations felt in the body by rebuilding the neural pathways related to making choices based on feelings. This is an evidence-based techniqu...
Apr 26, 2018•29 min•Ep. 36
On this episode of The Addicted Mind podcast, we are joined by Dr. Pam Peeke, a physician and scientist specializing in food addiction. Those struggling with food addictions fit into two categories: (1) people who practice disordered eating which eventually takes over all other aspects of their life, or (2) those who are recovering from another addiction and have turned to junk food and beverages as a transfer addiction. Disordered eating and food addictions mainly revolve around the chemical ef...
Apr 12, 2018•39 min•Ep. 35
Our guest on this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast is Dr. Louise Stanger, a clinician, interventionist, author, and trainer specializing in the grief and loss experienced by the family members of an individual who dies of an opioid overdose. Since nearly all overdoses occur somewhere other than the hospital, there is not much scientific research on the opiate epidemic. We do know that in 2016, 155 people per day died of overdoses, and for every one of those people, at least four family membe...
Apr 05, 2018•35 min•Ep. 34
Our guest on this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast is Colleen Koncilja, a counselor based in the Chicago area who specializes in gambling addictions. Shortly after a casino riverboat became a permanent fixture just blocks away from her practice’s office in Elgin, Illinois, the town recognized that compulsive gambling would become an increasing problem and they gave Colleen’s team funding to assist the population who would suffer from this behavioral addiction. Problematic gambling, also refe...
Mar 29, 2018•34 min•Ep. 33
Our guest on this episode of The Addicted Mind podcast is Jonathan Horowitz, founder and director of the San Francisco Stress and Anxiety Center. Jonathan is a clinical psychologist who studied anxiety research in graduate school before transitioning to being a clinician and opening the Stress and Anxiety Center. It is a misconception that anxiety is always a bad thing; in fact, our minds were built to experience healthy anxiety when our bodies sense that they need to be alert to their surroundi...
Mar 22, 2018•30 min•Ep. 32
On this episode of The Addicted Mind podcast, Curt Widhalm shared with us on his area of expertise, teens, and self-harm. Curt has observed two types of teens who are engaging in self-harm behaviors: (1) those struggling to find the opportunity to express their emotions due to their busy schedules, and (2) those whose friend groups are engaging in self-harm behavior for attention-seeking. In general, self-harm behaviors, which could include cutting, burning, or over-exercise, are quick ways for ...
Mar 15, 2018•30 min•Ep. 31
On this episode of The Addicted Mind podcast, my guest is Kay Simmeth, a Marriage and Family Therapist certified in EMDR. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a type of bilateral stimulation that activates both sides of the body and both sides of the brain. This dual action process of tapping on the client’s knees back and forth, listening to music or sounds that alternate between headphones, or feeling vibrations in alternating hands, the frontal cortex and the amygdala are both act...
Mar 08, 2018•33 min•Ep. 30
Susanne Jessee is with us today to talk about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). TMS is a relatively new treatment, at least in the United States, for individuals who are struggling with depression. Depression is often present in addiction and TMS is something that may help people that are struggling with addiction and treatment-resistant depression. Susanne Jesse is the CEO and founder of Anew Era TMS in Huntington Beach, California. To start, Susanne breaks down what TMS stands for. Tran...
Mar 01, 2018•32 min•Ep. 29
Today our guest is board certified music therapist Amylynn Dimaano. She speaks to us today about music therapy and how music can help us deal with underlining issues in recovery. What is music therapy? Music therapy is the scientific use of music to effect a change of non-musical goals. It is not a music lesson, and Amylynn is not a music teacher. Music therapy isn’t about to learning music. Her goals are to help people through mental health therapy that are struggling with depression, anxiety, ...
Feb 22, 2018•31 min•Ep. 28
Welcome to this week's Addicted Mind podcast. Our guest today is the wonderfully humorous and informative Liz Dube, and she’s here to talk about healing our sexuality, and finding our sexual satisfaction once we’re in recovery from addiction. Liz is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist with a private practice in Long Beach and Huntington Beach, California. Most of her clients are looking to increase their levels of intimacy and improving sexual and relationsh...
Feb 08, 2018•31 min•Ep. 27
TJ Woodward is with us today to talk about a system of care that he has developed called conscious recovery. Conscious recovery is a groundbreaking and practical approach to viewing and treating addiction. It’s how we see addiction and addiction treatment through the spiritual lens. Your spiritual life is a big part of recovery and finding a place of calm within yourself is a critical stage. TJ has worked, with remarkable results, for over a decade in spiritual care at top-tier treatment centers...
Feb 02, 2018•31 min•Ep. 26
We have a fantastic guest today. Dr. Tracy Zemansky is here to speak about the fascinating topic of psychological assessment, and how it can help you or your client on a journey of healing. What is a psychological assessment? It’s not what we typically see in the movies. It is a way of evaluating a particular part of an individual and trying to understand it more. To get as much information as possible psychological tests, interviews, questionnaires, behavioral observations, and sometimes collat...
Jan 25, 2018•33 min•Ep. 25
We are excited to have mental health therapist, and Air Force veteran, Megan Fenyoe as our guest today as we discuss trauma, addiction, and changing your mindset toward a more positive life. Megan has been a mental health therapist for over 15 years, primarily focusing in the areas of trauma and substance abuse. As an officer in the Air Force, Megan provided mental health services to veterans and active duty members mostly in the field of substance abuse. Most recently she has worked with patien...
Jan 18, 2018•30 min•Ep. 24
Our guest today is Pete Finger from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In this episode, he shares his recovery journey and how the support group Smart Recovery helped him to overcome addiction and helped him to enjoy the life he lives today by helping others through the same program that helped him. Mr. Finger had struggled with alcohol addiction for 20-30 years. Growing up in what he describes as an “addictive family” where cocktail parties were a big part of their lives, he used alcohol to cope with t...
Jan 11, 2018•30 min•Ep. 23
Marnie Breecker from the Center for Relational Healing in Los Angeles joined me for the second part of our discussion on relational and betrayal trauma. She walked us through the Six Dimensions of Relational and Betrayal Trauma as well as the steps in the process of partner healing. The Six Dimensions are: Shattered Inner World – In this initial dimension, the four core beliefs (the world is benign and a source of pleasure; the world is meaningful, controllable, and just; people are trustworthy ...
Jan 04, 2018•46 min•Ep. 22
Our guest today is Marnie Breecker from the Center for Relational Healing in Los Angeles. In this first episode of a two-part series on the topic of relational and betrayal trauma, we will be defining what this type of trauma looks like and its impacts on both partners in the relationship. As a sex addiction therapist and a marriage and family therapist, Marnie is an expert identifying and assessing the traumatic impact of the discovery of infidelity or betrayal on relationships as a whole and o...
Dec 21, 2017•28 min•Ep. 21
Our guest today is Chris Shorrock, a psychologist in private practice in Medicine Hat. Our point of discussion is the opioid addiction and opioid epidemic, and Chris understands this topic very well. He’s got experience in treating addicted disorders in different treatment centers that he’s been working with after being a registered psychologist. He’s also worked at the methadone maintenance treatment program. So we can certify he’s got first-hand experience dealing with opioid addiction. An opi...
Dec 14, 2017•34 min•Ep. 20
In this episode, we talk about sacrificial helpers’ syndrome, great for people who are in the helper profession or volunteer helpers. Sacrificial help syndrome can be defined as people giving more than they have for the people they serve. Our guest today is Katie Vernoy. A licensed family therapist, a coach, and consultant with helpers based in Torrance, California. As she says, she helps helpers to help better. Most people who’ve had traumatic experiences that completely changed their lives can...
Nov 30, 2017•31 min•Ep. 19
Welcome to the Addicted Mind Podcast. Today, we are delighted to bring you the wisdom and expertise of Dr. Adina Silvestri, EdD, LPC as she talks about her research on women seeking addiction treatment. Dr. Adina Silvestri is a licensed Professional Counselor in Richmond, Virginia and the founder of Life Cycles Counseling. One of her specialties is helping women that are struggling with substance abuse recover from shame to find hope and healing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...
Nov 24, 2017•26 min•Ep. 18
We are discussing a new immersive VR experience that’s teaching teenagers about addiction. Elvar Sig has transformed personal tragedy into an innovative and generous project, a tool to build awareness and generate conversations. He shares how addiction has been a force in his own life. He walks us through the VR journey he’s created, and what he hopes young people will take away from the experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 16, 2017•28 min•Ep. 17
In this episode, we talk with Anthony Ramynke about attachment, empathy, and early childhood experiences. He tells us why early childhood experiences are the root cause bringing people into therapy, and what this means for the process. The therapist’s job is to attune empathically to the client, giving them the building blocks to heal. By creating a safe, intimate relationship – perhaps for the first time in the client’s life – the therapist allows the client to develop new ways of relating to t...
Nov 09, 2017•46 min•Ep. 16
Jason Groce stops by to talk about sobriety, dual diagnosis, and the recovery support group LifeRing. For 10 years, Jason was an on again off again alcoholic. He would stay sober for periods of time or attempt to moderate. Eventually, stressors would pile up and he would start drinking. He tried support groups but didn’t find them helpful. 3 and a half years ago, a social worker asked him what he was going to do differently. It wasn’t his first time to the hospital, but he was committed to makin...
Nov 02, 2017•37 min
We are talking with Megan Peterson of 2nd Chance Counseling. 2nd Chance is an internet-based addiction treatment provider. They have therapists in every state working to make treatment accessible, flexible, and cost-effective. Duane and Megan talk about the advantages and disadvantages of this new treatment model, who it’s for, and how it came to be. 2nd Chance conducts therapy by video chat. The flexibility this offers creates new possibilities for treatment that is impossible for traditional o...
Oct 26, 2017•30 min•Ep. 14
Part of the work we do to treat addiction is to work through the other preexisting conditions and environmental factors that could contribute to addictive behavior. Those who suffer from a co-morbid condition will notice that addiction recovery is much harder to treat without also addressing the other condition. Recently, we have more insight than ever before how Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) plays a role in Sex Addiction in particular. Today, our guest is Dr. John Sealy, who has been an advo...
Oct 17, 2017•38 min
Addictions can infiltrate and influence so many aspects of relationships, and affairs and betrayal are no exceptions. Here to speak to her experiences as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist is Katie Leminux. Katie fell into working with couples in affair and betrayal recovery because she loved to see the huge potential for improvement. Time and again, she realized that addictions of all kinds play into affairs and why they happen or as a result of the trauma. We as therapists can provide th...
Oct 10, 2017•32 min•Ep. 12
Today, I am delighted to bring you the wisdom and expertise of Eli Holmes. Dr. Holmes is a Portland-based Psychologist who is just as passionate as we are about research-based treatment. Today, Dr. Holmes is going to bring to light some of the amazing insights therapists can gain from using Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Therapy. The REBT model is perfect not just for individuals struggling with addiction, but also those with emotional swings, obsessive thoughts, and mood issues. In this epis...
Oct 03, 2017•36 min
Every week on the Addicted Mind Podcast, we seek to share methods and insights from mental health professionals that are paving the way to success and recovery. This week, Dr. Nazanin Moali is bringing her insights to the podcast on Moderation Management models as opposed to Abstinence Models. Are you ready to challenge what you know about recovery models? Is there more out there than a 12 Step Program? Dr. Moali is a Sex Therapist and Addiction Specialist. Through her work with her practice, Oa...
Sep 26, 2017•32 min•Ep. 10
As therapists, we hear about Motivational Interviewing (MI) all the time. It's a technique that therapists can use to bring forward the ambivalence that a person with an addiction has, towards resolving that addiction. It's well regarded and it's a fairly well-researched intervention for people with addictions, but still, a lot of the people looking for treatment, or even those who have been in treatment, don't really seem to know what it is, or why we would use it in a treatment setting. Today'...
Sep 19, 2017•26 min•Ep. 9
Welcome back to The Addicted Mind podcast. This week, we are talking with Dr. Jessica Naughton, a Clinical Psychologists who has years of experience working with combat veterans dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Many veterans struggle with addiction that also suffer from PTSD. Now we know that PTSD can be one of the underlying causes of substance abuse since addictions spring up as a way to deal with PTSD symptoms. So how can we care for veterans as they navigate PTSD symptoms? The go...
Sep 12, 2017•43 min
