Men’s Therapy Podcast

A Daughter’s Addiction and a Mother’s Love

Seeing your child succumb to an addiction is a harrowing experience. The paradox of both feeling helpless and responsible is an intense form of suffering. In this week's episode we'll sit down with Christine Naman, author of About Natalie, to hear her story of witnessing her daughter's opiate addiction. Be prepared to be moved and hopefully inspired by her journey.

In Love with an Addict

Falling in love with an addict is falling in love with a fantasy. The fantasy of their potential. Those moments of lucidity, intimacy, and clarity. The love can be a rollercoaster of awful fights, passionate sex, and quiet desperation. In this episode, Melissa Barbash comes on the show to talk about her relationships with addicts. She'll share what kept her in it and how she got out. In her psychotherapy practice Melissa helps other women recognize, cope with, and exit toxic relationships in order to reclaim their own lives.

Good, Clean, Fun

Being sober doesn't have to be boring! When I got clean I didn't want to give up the party scene, I wanted to be able to dance, flirt, and hang out with my friends - just without drugs and alcohol. Victoria Olson had the same idea, didn't want to change her life, just remove alcohol from it. In this episode we'll hear how she continues to have fun, be adventurous and party down while staying sober. From raves to Burning Man, Victoria has stayed connected to the party without any of the negative effects.

Your Children are People Too!

Many of the parents that I work with tell me that the hardest part of parenthood is watching your children fail. It can be excruciating to see your children make different decisions than you. Not to mention make some of the same mistakes. In this episode we have a returning guest, Marian Salley, on to talk with us about her journey as a single parent and how she has had to adapt her parenting style as her daughters become adults. Tune in, to learn how to overcome this hurtle and transition into a more egalitarian mode of parenting.

Nutrition for the Mind

Food is Medicine. What we regularly eat has a massive effect on the health of both our body and our mind. In this episode we'll be sitting down with Executive Chef, Author, and Nourishment Coach Maria Cooper to talk about how nutrition influences mental health. Maria was diagnosed with Bipolar I at an early age and has used that struggle to prioritize her wellbeing. She strives for balance through a combination of a nourishing diet, mindfulness practice, and embodied movement. Be sure to listen in to hear an inspiring story about the power of holistic health.

The Red Road to Sexual Empowerment

For many women, sexuality is a place of shame, oppression, and confusion. Our society does an awful job of educating and supporting sexual growth and empowerment in young women which leaves many of them to act out or be put into dangerous situations. This week's guest, Melissa Sladin will share some of her own experiences of female empowerment and sexual development. She'll also share how her pursue of Native American spiritual arts includes sweat lodges, vision quests, and peyote ceremonies helped her to reconnect and reclaim her sexual self.

Making Friends as an Adult

Melissa Raddatz, our resident relationship and marriage expert, returns for another episode to talk about making friends. I can't tell you how many of my clients struggle with making adult friends. With the decline of community groups and organized activities we are becoming increasingly more and more disconnected. Finding friends requires work, confidence, and emotional openness. Tune in to hear about Melissa's experiences and tips on making friends as an adult.

MDMA and Me

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is a rapidly growing field that aims to treat stubborn symptoms that are inaccessible through simply talk therapy. MDMA specifically is being studied to treat early childhood trauma and PTSD. In this episode, we'll talk with Tamra Sattler a psychotherapist who has undergone her own course of MDMA therapy. She'll share her experience as a client and her opinion as a professional on this divisive topic.

Encore: Living a Lie - A Story of Closeted Sex Addiction

Imagine keeping a secret so big that you couldn't even admit it to yourself. Something so scary that if it was even hinted at it could destroy the fabric of your life. Secrets like that can control your life, secrets like that can make you act out in self-destructive ways. Our guest, Rick Tivers, kept his sexuality a secret due to significant losses early in life which led him to believe he would be punished for being gay. This distortion caused him to be in an inauthentic marriage for 18yrs to a woman, which then triggered a severe sex addition. After some traumas, he tackled his closeted fears and sex addiction. Now, Rick Tivers is a highly sought after therapist and speaker based in Chicago and Palm Springs California. He is married to the man of his dreams. In this powerful interview, we will be unravelling the impulse control, shame and addiction recovery that is the fabric of Rick's journey.

Did you know your Therapist is Crazy?

All good therapists are in therapy. But were you ever curious about what treatment looks like for us? In this episode of From the Ashes we bring back Jeff Grossman to talk about how we stay on top of our own mental health. We'll share some stories from the American Group Psychotherapy Association and the Center for Group Studies that highlight the work that we do to stay on top of our game. From fighting with famous group leaders to having air sex Jeff and I will be pulling back the curtain on some of the weird and wonderful experiences we've had in the pursuit of excellence.