We Level Up-Sobriety and Beyond with Jason Lennox (Episode 46)

Jason Lennox is an addiction survivor who found his own recovery after a drug overdose in 2010. He is now a behavioral healthcare executive; founder and owner of two small businesses supporting organizations and individuals in recovery; and a professional speaker and author who has used his story to influence hundreds of thousands of people in his twelve years of recovery. Jason is proof that not only can we recovery, but we can thrive. In this powerful episode, Jason shares his story and perspective on the lifelong journey of recovery. We discuss the contributing factors that lead to his addiction and the mental, physical, and spiritual areas of personal development essential in the recovery process. You can find out more about Jason Lennox and read his book "A Perfect Tragedy: Finding Purpose in Pain, Loss, & Addiction" by clicking here. 

Addiction Treatment Explained with Betsy Byler (Episode 45-Part 2)

If you have ever thought about addiction treatment for you or a loved one, you are probably wondering what to expect, which center to call, and what happens in treatment. In part 2 with Therapist and Addiction Counselor Betsy Byler, you will hear sage advice when it comes to helping your child or loved one with an addiction. You will also learn about the nature of things like clinical assessments, detox, inpatient vs outpatient treatment, co-occurring disorders, referrals, after care planning, what happens in treatment and more.

From Teen Addiction to Counselor and Therapist with Betsy Byler (Episode 44-Part 1)

When Betsy Byler was a teenager, her mom sent her to nine therapists before they found one who could help her. Coincidentally, this therapist was also named Betsy! Find out what this therapist did that not only got Betsy’s attention, but paved the way for her to become a therapist herself with a special knack for helping other teens overcome addictions.

Betsy is an extremely knowledgeable trauma therapist and addiction counselor who also specializes in training other mental health clinicians in addiction counseling. She is also an addict in recovery.

Listen in as Betsy dives into her personal story about when she recognized her own addictive behavior as a child, how it manifested when she was older, and how she got sober and became an addiction counselor/therapist. 

In part two we offer help for parents dealing with addicted children, and describe what happens during assessment and treatment for substance use.

Broken Open-A Mother’s Journey to Survive Her Children’s Addiction and Mental Illness (Episode 43)

What do you do when you keep trying to help your kids and nothing is working? What happens to our kids when we continue to rescue them? What does being a ‘fixer’ parent teach our kids about themselves? Is ‘tough love’ the answer and does it even work? How can we love and support our kids who are struggling and still take care of ourselves? In this episode author Maureen Towns shares her journey as a mom of children with addiction and mental illness. Learn how she found freedom from the co-dependent relating patterns that were damaging her and hurting her relationships. Gain a clearer understanding of codependency and how it manifests. Listen as she shares the difference between boundaries and rules. If you have tried everything and feel ‘broken open,’ hopeless and confused this is the episode for you. Maureen provides experienced care for struggling families. She is author of the book Broken Open-A Mother’s Journey to Survive Her Children’s Addiction and Mental Illness: “Filled with rich true stories from a mother who fought to put her family on a sober path, Broken Open is your path back to calm. 

Addiction, Prison, Recovery and Success with Samantha Lander (Episode 42)

No matter how bad things seem, there is always hope and a way out. Today’s guest is living proof. Samantha Lander is a Functional Diagnostic Nutritionist, certified personal trainer, holistic lifestyle coach and founder of SeeFit. But Samantha also has another story she freely shares to help others find hope and healing. Samantha struggled with drug addiction for many years which led to a prison sentence. In this episode she shares what happened leading up to that point, what prison life was like, how she survived, and how she got sober and became the successful business woman she is today.

Letting Go of our Addiction with Matt Gardiner (Episode 41)

Giving up addiction and addictive behaviors is rarely an overnight experience. It is a journey of many miles with ups, downs, relapses, setbacks, and victories. In this episode Matt Gardiner shares about his road to recovery and the lessons learned along the way. We talk about trying bargain with addiction; ego and relapse; the grieving process and letting go; sound therapy and more. Tune in to this interesting and insightful conversation. Matt Gardiner is the founder of Recovery Roadmap where he offers tools and solutions to help people overcome addiction.

Teens and Substance Abuse-Everything you Need to Know (Episode 40)

Everything you need to know about teenagers, addiction, and substance use and abuse is in this episode with therapist, addiction counselor, and author Richard Capriola. In this episode you will learn:

What is happening with teens and substance use before and after the pandemic.

The difference between adult addiction and teen addiction.

The types of substances kid and teens are using and experimenting with today.

The importance of a comprehensive assessment.

The danger of delaying treatment and assessment.

The critical impact of early intervention.

How to talk to your kids about drugs.

What questions to ask a treatment provider.

What to look for in a good treatment provider,

Richard’s book is called The Addicted Child – A Parents Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse. Find it here:  https://helptheaddictedchild.com/

Addiction, Attachment, Family & Trauma with Therapist Ed Khouri (Episode 39)

Ed is an author, teacher, and public speaker with decades of experience in the field of addictions, trauma, and family issues. In this episode we dig into attachment disorders, the types of attachment disorders, and how they impact our relationships and correlate with addictions later in life. Ed also explains the part of the brain that forms attachments and the two types of trauma. We also discuss healing from trauma and how we can learn to form healthy attachments after trauma.  You will also learn how addiction impacts the entire family, family roles and coping strategies in the addicted family system, and the importance of family treatment.