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Be part of something bigger than yourself and find the life you want.I know how hard it can be to take that first step toward becoming your best self. It’s not easy to face fear or self-doubt—they can feel so overwhelming at times. But I’ve learned that we don’t have to go through recovery alone.
Healing is always stronger when we lean on others, when we find a community that understands and supports us.
Wherever you are in your journey, remember that you’re not alone, and there’s always hope to move forward, one step at a time.


How Perfectionism and Shame Can Lead to Addiction: Wanja Joy’s Story of Recovery
Hiding--many addicts do it. It’s what keeps them locked in prisons of guilt and shame. It’s how they convince even themselves that they don’t have a problem. It’s the very thing that prevents them from getting the help that they so desperately need. Wanja Joy...

122 Miracles of Recovery with Harriet Hunter
When we’ve had trauma in our life, we can get really disconnected from our emotions. We don’t know how to express them or how to use them. Often, we turn to the only thing that we think will work: a substance or behavior that helps us escape or avoid those emotions....

How Changing Your Mindset Can Help You Heal from Child Abuse and Addiction
Addiction is often the result of pain in our early years of life. Whether it’s passed down through genetics or an attempt to escape the pain, many addicts can point to a hard childhood as the source of their addiction. This is why it’s so important to recognize our...

121 Actions in Recovery with Wanja Joy
Hiding--many addicts do it. It’s what keeps them locked in prisons of guilt and shame. It’s how they convince even themselves that they don’t have a problem. It’s the very thing that prevents them from getting the help that they so desperately need. Today’s guest,...

Steve Melen’s Story of Cancer, Addiction, and the Resiliency that Helped Him Overcome it All
When we go through extreme pain, it’s easy to feel like we’re all alone. We doubt that anybody has felt the level of pain that we are currently experiencing. Life begins to feel hopeless and we start believing that there is just no reason to carry on. However, there...

Episode 42 – Eating Disorders & Addiction Treatment with Adina Silvestri
On this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast, we are joined by a returning guest, Adina Silvestri of Life Cycles Counseling in Richmond, Virginia. Adina’s practice works with individuals battling eating disorders partnered with addictions with the goal of transferring...

Episode 41 – Veterans & First Responders with Timothy Wienecke
On this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast, Timothy Wienecke joins us to discuss his work in advocacy, clinical mental health, and an educational institute for veterans and first responders. A military veteran himself, Tim recognized the need for clinicians to focus...

Episode 40 – Invitational Interventions – The ARISE model with Jack Bloomfield
Our guest on this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast is Jack Bloomfield, a specialist in the ARISE model of interventions. This model is an alternative to the “traditional” form of confrontational interventions created in the 1960s by Dr. Johnson. In this...

Episode 39 – Understanding What Works Feedback Informed Treatment with Scott D Miller
On this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast, our guest is Dr. Scott D. Miller of the International Center of Clinical Excellence in the field of mental health. Dr. Miller has used his decades of experience in the industry to develop outcome measures with the goal of...

Episode 38 – You Are Worth Recovery – Women & Sex Addiction with Amy Smith
Our guest on this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast is Amy Smith, founder of the Worth Recovery podcast, which has grown into a community of mutual support. Amy began her recovery journey in 2011 when she realized that her multiple failed “relationships” were a...

Episode 37 – The Digital Age – Relationships, Intimacy & Porn with Robert Weiss
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...

Episode 36 – Trauma Sensitive Yoga with Nicki Mosley
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 by David...

Episode 35 – Food Addiction & The Hunger Fix
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...

Episode 34 – Sudden Grief – Losing A Loved One To Addiction with Louise Stanger
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...

Episode 33 Double Or Nothing – Gambling Addiction with Colleen Koncilja
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,...