About Recovery Unscripted

My guest today is Lori Ryland, who serves as CEO of Skywood Recovery, a residential program for co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders in Michigan. She joined me at the Innovations in Recovery conference in San Diego to demystify the components of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and explain how our experiences, our perceptions and our biochemistry all interact and change the way we see ourselves and the world. She also shares how she works with the governor of Michigan to raise awareness about human trafficking and improve the way we heal the unique trauma and substance use issues affecting the victims.

On today’s show, I’m joined by Jay Crosson, CEO of Cumberland Heights recovery program near Nashville, Tennessee. He sat down with me at the Moments of Change conference in Florida to unpack the ethical dilemmas facing the treatment field and to share some self-assessment tools, practical tips and real-world examples to help us find contrast between what’s legal and what’s ethical. He also explains how his own experience of seeking help for alcohol addiction at Cumberland Heights inspires him to fight to do what’s right for their patients and patients everywhere.

As director of national drug control policy, Michael Botticelli led the Obama administration’s efforts to advance reforms in prevention, criminal justice and treatment. He was also the first person in recovery from a substance use disorder to hold that position. Michael sat down with me at the Innovations in Recovery conference in San Diego to describe how the power of personal narrative can go beyond the reach of scientific data to influence widespread change in public attitudes and policy.

Today, my guest is Dr. Melissa Lee Warner from Black Bear Lodge, a residential treatment program in north Georgia, where serves as the medical director. She joined me to discuss how they use a symptom-based approach to help each patient face the unique challenges various substances present during detox. She also illuminates the complex intersection of chronic pain, addiction, mental health and the non-intoxicating techniques that can set patients up for long-term recovery.

For today’s show, I’m joined by John Lehman of the Florida Association of Recovery Residences or FARR. He has served FARR in a number of capacities over the years, including most recently as president and board member. John sat down with me at the Moments of Change conference in Florida to describe the current landscape of sober homes and other recovery support services in that state and illuminate the challenges facing FARR as they work to regulate, educate and ultimately improve the recovery residence field for the benefit of those who need help most.

Today, I’m excited to have a conversation about the unique challenges facing the LGBTQ community and how they meet those needs at Pride Institute, where my guests Anna Hagen and Angi Grassley serve as therapist and community relations director. They joined me via Skype from Pride’s campus near Minneapolis to introduce the concept of heterosexism and explore some specific ways LGBTQ individuals experience trauma and shame in our society. They also describe how they build an environment where patients can finally feel safe and begin healing at a deeper level.

Today’s guest is Jeff Jay, interventionist and co-author of the best-selling book Love First: A Family’s Guide to Intervention. He sat down with me at the Moments of Change conference in Florida to discuss how he and his wife Debra created a step-by-step method to guide families through the intervention process, with or without a professional interventionist. He also shares why keeping love as the centerpiece of this interaction helps families reach past the addicted mind and connect with their loved one’s heart.

On today’s show, I’m joined by Dr. Julie Friedman, a health psychologist in the specialties of binge eating disorder, night eating syndrome and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In addition to leading the binge eating treatment program for Eating Recovery Center in Chicago, she also serves as a professor at the Northwestern University school of medicine. She sat down with me at the Moments of Change conference in Florida to discuss the genetic and biological factors that influence disordered eating behavior and explore the intersection of food, mental health substance use and healing.

My guest today is Jennifer Angier, a veteran addictions counselor who now serves as CEO of Talbott Recovery in Georgia, which offers specialized programs for professionals, such as doctors, nurses and lawyers. She sat down with me to share how her own personal journey has influenced the way she meets patients where they are and why it’s so important to listen to each individual’s story before doing anything else. She also explains how we can reframe 12-Step concepts to help patients overcome their points of resistance and tell their stories through the eyes of truth.