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Blog

My publications & some others…
Why and How the For-Profit Treatment Industry Is Perpetuating More Harm Than Good

Why and How the For-Profit Treatment Industry Is Perpetuating More Harm Than Good 

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Trying to Heal From the Outside-In and Why Drug and Alcohol Treatment Is Backward

Trying to Heal From the Outside-In and Why Drug and Alcohol Treatment Is Backward 

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The War on People Who Use Drugs and Why Prohibition Was, Is, and Always Will Be an Epic Fail

The War on People Who Use Drugs and Why Prohibition Was, Is, and Always Will Be an Epic Fail 

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Why The Disease Model Of Addiction is So Vitally Important To The American Economy

Why The Disease Model Of Addiction is So Vitally Important To The American Economy 

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Why We Need to Take a Closer Look at Our Diagnosis Happy Culture

Why We Need to Take a Closer Look at Our Diagnosis Happy Culture 

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Why the Tremendously Expensive DARE & Just Say No Campaigns Failed So Badly

Why the Tremendously Expensive DARE & Just Say No Campaigns Failed So Badly 

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Sometimes My Clients Get Angry at Me, and Why That’s Such a Good Thing

Sometimes My Clients Get Angry at Me, and Why That’s Such a Good Thing 

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The Architects of the Flood and How Sacklers and Purdue Pharma Fueled the Opioid Crisis

The Architects of the Flood and How Sacklers and Purdue Pharma Fueled the Opioid Crisis 

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Vital Voyage Author of the Month: Joshua Bennett-Johnson

Vital Voyage Author of the Month: Joshua Bennett-Johnson 

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The New, Therapeutic Psychedelic Groove and Healing the Mind While Risking the Spirit?

The New, Therapeutic Psychedelic Groove and Healing the Mind While Risking the Spirit? 

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The High Cost of Hovering and How Over-Parenting Breeds Learned Helplessness

The High Cost of Hovering and How Over-Parenting Breeds Learned Helplessness 

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Why the 12-Step Recovery Model Falls Short and What Really Works for Lasting Healing

Why the 12-Step Recovery Model Falls Short and What Really Works for Lasting Healing 

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America, The Land Where We’re Not Taught to Be Human

America, The Land Where We’re Not Taught To Be Human 

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A Treater’s Speculative Support of Rx Medication in the Field of Drug & Alcohol Treatment

A Treater’s Speculative Support of Rx Medication in the Field of Drug & Alcohol Treatment 

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A Journey Through the Hypothetical & The Literal Power of the Ripple Effect

A Journey Through the Hypothetical & The Literal Power of the Ripple Effect 

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The Elimination of Pain and the Stabilization of Symptoms – It’s Not Helping People Heal

The Elimination of Pain and the Stabilization of Symptoms – It’s Not Helping People Heal 

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What Would Happen if we Outlawed the Labels Addict & Alcoholic?

What Would Happen if we Outlawed the Labels Addict & Alcoholic? 

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‘Tis The Season to Be Triggered – Navigating Early Recovery During the Holiday Season

‘Tis The Season to Be Triggered – Navigating Early Recovery During the Holiday Season 

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She Wanted to Keep Drinking but Got Sober – The Curious Case of the Efficacy of Harm Reduction

She Wanted to Keep Drinking but Got Sober – The Curious Case of the Efficacy of Harm Reduction 

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The Tortoise & the Hare Parable – Why It’s Such an Important Lesson to Those Seeking Recovery

The Tortoise & the Hare Parable – Why It’s Such an Important Lesson to Those Seeking Recovery 

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Recovery, What Does it Even Mean? – How Do We Find Our Way Out of the Shadows?

Recovery, What Does it Even Mean? – How Do We Find Our Way Out of the Shadows? 

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The Families I Work With and Why They All Want the Wrong Thing for Their Loved One in Crisis

The Families I Work With and Why They All Want the Wrong Thing for Their Loved One in Crisis  

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We Might Be the Most Powerful Nation in the World – But We’re Certainly Not the Most Well-Rounded

We Might Be the Most Powerful Nation in the World – But We’re Certainly Not the Most Well-Rounded 

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The New Psychedelic Revolution – Buckle Up, and Don’t Believe The Hype of Propaganda

The New Psychedelic Revolution – Buckle Up, and Don’t Believe The Hype of Propaganda 

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Why Client Autonomy is Sacred, and Needs to be Upheld, Supported & Honored at All Times, Every Time

Why Client Autonomy is Sacred, and Needs to be Upheld, Supported & Honored at All Times, Every Time 

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Why Treatment Works When It Challenges 'Staying Sick' and Focuses on 'Being Well'

Why Treatment Works When It Challenges 'Staying Sick' and Focuses on 'Being Well' 

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World View Anxiety, and Just What the Hell Are We Supposed to Do About It

World View Anxiety, and Just What the Hell Are We Supposed to Do About It 

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Everything I Learned About Being a Good Therapist I Learned From Listening To The Grateful Dead 💀🌹⚡️

Everything I Learned About Being a Good Therapist I Learned From Listening To The Grateful Dead 💀🌹⚡️ 

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The Call That Changed Everything and Led Him to Discover the Real Treasure Within

The Call That Changed Everything and Led Him to Discover the Real Treasure Within 

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Stigma Kills, and Why We Need to Change The Language We Use To Describe Drug Users Now

Stigma Kills, and Why We Need to Change The Language We Use To Describe Drug Users Now 

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My Clients are Getting Younger & Younger, and it’s Scaring the Hell Outta Me

My Clients are Getting Younger & Younger, and it’s Scaring the Hell Outta Me 

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The Last Words of A Dying Man, From My Father Figure In Recovery

The Last Words of A Dying Man, From My Father Figure In Recovery 

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The Helper’s Perspective on The Super, Simple Secret to Successful Outcomes in Addiction Treatment

The Helper’s Perspective on The Super, Simple Secret to Successful Outcomes in Addiction Treatment 

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A Boy & His Bicycle, and What He Taught Me About Healing

A Boy & His Bicycle, and What He Taught Me About Healing 

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Why Clients Are Sometimes More at Risk for Relapse When “Life Is Getting Good”

Why Clients Are Sometimes More at Risk for Relapse When “Life Is Getting Good” 

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Harm Reduction is a Real Life Account of How it Saved My Client’s Life

Harm Reduction is a Real Life Account of How it Saved My Client’s Life 

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The Wealthiest Client I Ever Worked With, and How He Taught Me to “Be Careful What You Wish For.”

The Wealthiest Client I Ever Worked With, and How He Taught Me to “Be Careful What You Wish For.” 

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Is Motivational Interviewing Effective? A Look at 5 Benefits 19 May 2021 by Saima Latif, Ph.D.

Have you ever had a conversation with a friend and been persuaded to make a positive change?


Think back now. What was it they said that helped you make a decision? Or was it perhaps how they said it that had an impact? Did you notice anything about their style?


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Writing Our Way to a Healthy & Sustainable Recovery

It is one of the most cliché suggestions that anyone who has ever worked with a therapist has been on the receiving end of: “You should really consider keeping a journal and writing about what this experience of treatment and recovery is like for you.” 

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Motivational Interviewing -- What It Be!

Motivational interviewing is a client-centered approach that enhances motivation for change by exploring & resolving ambivalence. Key principles include expressing empathy, developing discrepancy between goals & behaviors & supporting self-efficacy. Practicing …

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Imposter syndrome — A hidden blessing? In this article, we explore how imposter syndrome might be less of a flaw and more of a hidden strength.

Could Imposter Syndrome Be a Hidden Blessing? 






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Medication-Assisted Treatment in Massachusetts

Posted on May 7, 2025


The growing use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in addiction treatment represents a shift from the old ways of helping people overcome substance use disorders. Clients get help in weaning themselves off drugs and alcohol with more …

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Want to stop harmful drinking? AA versus SMART Recovery

Posted on March 8, 2025



Ready to address excessive drinking in your life? Many people find peer support helps them take steps toward recovery. Two well-known self-help organizations built around peer support are Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Self-Management and …

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The trauma doctor: Gabor Maté on happiness, hope and how to heal our deepest wounds

Posted on Abril 7, 2025


The physician, author and self-help guru came to worldwide prominence when he appeared with Prince Harry last month. He discusses the mind-body connection, the reality of addiction and why trauma can be treated


Gabor Maté was arriving …

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Efficacy of Harm Reduction Strategies

Posted on Abril 7, 2025

Harm reduction is a public health approach aimed at minimizing the negative consequences associated with substance use without requiring abstinence. It encompasses a range of strategies designed to improve health outcomes for people who …

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The emergence of psychedelics as medicine

Published on March 29, 2025.


A look at the potential of MDMA, ketamine, and psilocybin to help people with treatment-resistant mental health conditions


When researchers recruit participants for studies involving psychedelic drugs, they are often looking for …

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Personalizing Your Recovery: Embracing Client Autonomy

Published on March 5, 2025.

At JBJ Counseling, there's a heartbeat—a pulse that resonates with every client and weaves through each success story, testament to the individualized approach we hold dear. It's about weaving your own tapestry of recovery, cherishing …

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Can Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Aid Addiction Recovery?

Published on March 1, 2025.

When you're navigating the path to recovery, every step forward can feel like scaling a mountain. You're not just tackling your own personal Everest, but also rewriting the script of your daily life—one where substance use doesn't play …

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Reels for Real!

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Take the first step towards recovery today. 

Reach out for personalized therapy that works for you. 

I’m here to listen and help you find your path to healing.

Change is not an event, it’s a process. It’s not like resetting a broken bone or having a surgical procedure. But I can *promise* you this: treatment works. It can be difficult & uncomfortable work, but the good stuff? The good life? It’s just up ahead. I can help you along that process.