Behavioral Health Today

Rising Above Your Story with Karena Kilcoyne – Episode 276

Why do we feel so empty when we have so much? In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Karena Kilcoyne.  Karena is an author and a former criminal defense attorney, who faced profound trauma early in her life. Her mother tried to give her away at birth, and at the age of 12, Karena’s father's incarceration left the family struggling. After her mother's death, Karena adopted her 9-year-old brother and graduated from law school at 24. Karena carried around two decades worth of suppressed trauma for the next 10+ years and, after decades of suffering, went on a healing journey. In her book Rise Above Your Story, Karena shares her journey, guiding listeners to acknowledge, release, and rise above their limiting stories for emotional freedom and self-love. We’re excited to have Karena with us today to discuss trauma, resilience, and her new book Rise Above Your Story: Free Yourself from Past Trauma and Create the Life You Want.

 

For more information about Karena Kilcoyne and Rise Above Your Story, please visit: https://karenakilcoyne.com
To take advantage of a limited time special offer on Rise Above Your Story, please visit: https://karenakilcoyne.com/#special-offer
Connect with Karena on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/karenakilcoyne
Connect with Karena on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/karena_kilcoyne/
Connect with Karena on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXxBm3NXsVUaNT7JqQkYgww
Connect with Karena on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karena-kilcoyne-rise-above-the-story/

 

12 Questions for Love: Unlocking Deeper Human Connection with Topaz Adizes – Episode 275

Every relationship has its own story, has its own world, has its own language. And there's something to be learned if you create the space and you ask good questions. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon speaks with Topaz Adizes. Topaz is an Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and experience design architect. He is an Edmund Hillary fellow and Sundance/Skoll stories of change fellow. His works have been selected to Cannes, Sundance, IDFA, and SXSW; featured in New Yorker magazine, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times; and have garnered an Emmy for new approaches to documentary and Two World Press photo awards for immersive storytelling and interactive documentary. He is currently the founder and executive director of the experience design studio The Skin Deep. We’re excited to have Topaz with us today to share his book 12 Questions for Love: A Guide to Intimate Conversations & Deep Relationships and his work with THE SKIN DEEP, hosting over 1,200 conversations all over the world.

 

For more information about 12 Questions for Love: A Guide to Intimate Conversations & Deep Relationships, please visit: https://shop.theskindeep.com/products/12-questions-for-love-a-guide-to-intimate-conversations-and-deeper-relationships
For more information about The Skin Deep, please visit: https://shop.theskindeep.com
Connect with The Skin Deep on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/c/theskindeep/videos
Connect with The Skin Deep on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/the_skindeep/
For more information about Topaz Adizes, please visit: https://www.topazadizes.com

Bipolar General: Warrior’s Battle with Mental Illness with Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Gregg Martin– Episode 274

“I was born with a bipolar brain, and that I lived on the bipolar spectrum pretty much my whole life.”- Gregg Martin. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon speaks with retired Major General Gregg Martin. Gregg Martin, PhD, is a retired major general and a 36-year Army combat veteran, celebrated for his remarkable career commanding engineer units and holding prestigious roles such as president of the National Defense University, and commander of Fort Leonard Wood. Gregg is an accomplished author, his book Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness, candidly shares his journey. With advanced degrees from MIT, the Naval War College, and the Army War College, Gregg’s indomitable spirit offers hope and inspiration to others. We’re excited to have Gregg with us today to discuss Bipolar Disorder, his book The Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness and his experiences with his Bipolar diagnosis.

 

For more information about Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness please visit: https://www.amazon.com/Bipolar-General-Forever-Illness-Association/dp/1682479188
For more information about Major General Gregg Martin, please visit: https://www.generalgreggmartin.com
For more information about Grit Hope, please visit: https://grithope.com
For more information about BiAffect, please visit: https://www.biaffect.com

ABPsi & African-Centered Psychology with Dr. Donell Barnett – Episode 273

When we think about cultures that are more community oriented, we embrace the concept of Ubuntu, which says “I am because you are. You are because I am”. It is this notion that we are inextricably connected to one another, to our world, to our environment, to all that is around us. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Dr. Donell Barnett. Donell is a counseling psychologist and Past President at The Association of Black Psychologists. Donell has served as the Director of HIV Prevention Programs, Adjunct Professor of Psychology, Behavioral Health Clinic Director, and Chief of Field Investigations and Program Evaluation for the US Army Public Health Center. His expertise and interests include trauma, the role of faith in wellness, and programs to improve the health and well-being of communities left out of economic and social growth. Together Graham and Donell discuss the creation of ABPsi and the critique of APA, healing through relationships and community, and the unique skills and attitudes of black psychologists in the mental health field.  ABPsi is the liberation of the African Mind, the empowerment of the African Character, and the enlivenment of the African Spirit.

 

For more information about the Association of Black Psychologists, please visit: https://abpsi.org
For more information about ABPsi’s programs, please visit: https://abpsi.org/national-programs/
For more information about The Black Mental Health Workforce Survey Report, please visit: https://abpsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/The-Black-Mental-Health-Workforce-Survey-Final.pdf
For more information about resources available to you provided by ABPsi, please visit: https://abpsi.org/resources/

The Mental Health Crisis Gripping Our Youth with Mark Cloutier– Episode 272

There are increasingly pervasive mental health issues that adolescents are experiencing. If we can help kids understand what they’re feeling and give them a language, that’s the beginning of being able to give them help. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Mark Cloutier. Mark is the CEO of Caminar, a non-profit community-based agency that has been providing support services to individuals with mental health disorders for more than 50 years. Before joining Caminar, Mark held leadership roles in prominent health organizations and foundations, such as Horizons Services, the San Francisco Foundation, the Center for Youth Wellness, Kaiser Family Foundation, and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. A longstanding resident of the Bay Area, Mark is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College, and earned Master of Public Policy and Master of Public Health degrees at the University of California, Berkeley. He's also a published author, having co-authored Prevent, Screen, Heal: Collective Action to Fight the Toxic Effects of Early Life Adversity. We’re excited to have Mark with us today to discuss community-based mental health and prevention efforts for teens and young adolescents.

 

For more information about Caminar, please visit: https://www.caminar.org
If you would like to support Caminar, please learn more: https://www.caminar.org/together
To connect with Caminar on Instagram, please visit: https://www.instagram.com/caminarformentalhealth/
To connect with Caminar on Facebook, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/caminarformentalhealth/
To connect with Caminar on Youtube, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLpQ0IiUzDLUTNm52Za1ZLQ

Addressing Alcohol Use Disorder: A Solution to Drink Less or Quit with Jonathan Hunt-Glassman – Episode 271

When someone says “yes” to alcohol, they may not recognize that they’re saying “no” to so many other things. But, when you say “no” to alcohol, you now can say “yes” and come into an experience with all those things, that for some people, didn’t even know they were there. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Jonathan Hunt-Glassman. Jonathan Hunt-Glassman is the Founder and CEO of Oar Health, an addiction recovery platform focused on making science-backed addiction medicine approachable and accessible for the millions of people who struggle with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). With over 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Jonathan has held key leadership positions in strategy at Humana, Optum, and Bain & Company. His motivation for transforming the addiction treatment field and founding Oar Health stems from his personal battle with alcohol addiction, a journey that ignited his commitment to enhancing the current landscape of addiction treatment. We’re excited to have Jonathan with us today to discuss alcohol addiction recovery and an effective medication proven to help people drink less called Naltrexone

 

For more information about Oar Health and Naltrexone, please visit: https://www.oarhealth.com/quit
For more information about prevention of alcohol use disorder, please visit the C3 Foundation at: https://cthreefoundation.org
For more information about the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), please visit: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov
For more information about the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), please visit: https://www.samhsa.gov
Finally, for more information about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), please visit: https://www.aa.org

No Weigh: A Whole-Person Approach to Weigh Loss with Dr. Valerie Evans – Episode 270

No Weigh is a whole-person approach that treats weight loss as one part of a person’s life, interconnected with everything else that person values, In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Valerie Evans, BCBA. Valerie is a licensed and board-certified Behavior Analyst and founder of No Weigh, an app that leverages behavioral psychology and applied behavioral analysis to help users lose weight, ensure healthy habits, and build a healthier life. Valerie is a mom of three children and, after having her third child, turned to diet programs to help her feel like herself again. Valerie decided to make a new way for individuals to feel empowered in their wellness journey and created the No Weigh whole-person approach. We’re excited to have Valerie with us today to discuss a new approach to weight loss and her app No Weigh.

 

For more information about No Weight, please visit: http://noweigh.com
To get the No Weigh app on your phone, please visit: http://noweigh.com/app
To connect with No Weigh App on Facebook, please visit: http://www.facebook.com/no_weigh_app
To connect with No Weigh App on Twitter/X, please visit: http://www.twitter.com/no_weigh_app
To connect with Dr. Valerie Evans on LinkedIn, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-evans-a77990b/

Cutting-Edge & Tailored Life-Skills-Training for Individuals with Disabilities with Molly Oshinski & Morgan Marquez – Episode 269

Visualization is a powerful teaching tool. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Molly Oshinski and Morgan Marquez. Molly and Morgan are the founders of Pickle System, a hands-off resource for BCBAs, special educators, and parents of individuals with disabilities providing animated video-models for a variety of living skills. Molly is the CEO of Pickle System and a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Analyst. She is currently pursuing her PhD at The University of Texas at Austin in the special education department. Her research has focused on teaching intimate hygiene skills using video-models. Morgan is the COO and the Data & Analytics Program Manager at Pickle System. Morgan received her M.S. in Data Analytics from Rockhurst University and her B.B.A. in Marketing and Economics from Kansas State University.

 

For more information about Pickle System, please visit: https://www.picklesystem.com
To contact Pickle System, please email at admin@picklesystem.com.

OCD, Anxiety, & Immersion Therapy with Dr. Sarah Olivo – Episode 268

Anxiety is a safety strategy, it’s an early warning system at best. There’s a perception of a threat and the perception is that I’m not going to be able to handle the threat. The key word being “perception”. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Dr. Sarah Olivo. Sarah is a licensed clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience. Sarah is the head of Lumate Academy, the training and education arm of Lumate Health, and co-hosts the "College Is Fine, Everything's Fine" podcast that aims to empower college students with essential CBT skills. Together Graham and Sarah discuss OCD, anxiety, exposure therapy, and tips for parents on what to look out for.

 

For more information about Lumate Health, please visit: https://lumatehealth.com
For more information about College Is Fine, Everything Is Fine Podcast, please visit: https://www.collegeisfinepodcast.com

BHT Special: Superpowers of Social Workers with Sharlee Dixon our Newest Host – Episode 267

Today marks a particularly special episode where we get to introduce our newest host to our show, Sharlee R. Dixon, LMSW. At Behavioral Health Today, our commitment is to present a diverse range of perspectives and voices, both from our guests and our dedicated hosts. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor has the privilege to welcome Sharlee Dixon and give you our listeners a unique opportunity to discover more about her and welcome our new member to the BHT team. Sharlee Dixon is an accomplished social worker with extensive experience in the field. As a licensed LMSW, she currently serves as a school social worker at a North Carolina high school. Sharlee received her Masters of Social Work from The University of South Carolina, and her expertise has been recognized on a national level as she has been invited to present at the prestigious National School Social Work Conference on multiple occasions. She also earned a second Masters degree in Education with an emphasis on Trauma-Informed Care.  Sharlee has worked as an Adjunct Professor in the Education Department at Benedict College and also develops social work courses and study material for Triad as a Content Creator. Together Graham and Sharlee discuss the challenges facing communities and the unique qualifications of Social Workers to meet those needs and help their clients grow. Social Workers have a superpower of helping without necessarily you having to ask for that help.

 

For more information about Sharlee R. Dixon, connect on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharlee-dixon-lmsw-med-328748123
For more information about the University of South Carolina College of Social Work, please visit: https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/socialwork/index.php

PeopleUSA & Peer-led Innovation in Mental Health with Steve Miccio – Episode 266

Our expectations should be that people can live a better life if they're given the right supports. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Steve Miccio. Steve is the Chief Executive Officer of PeopleUSA, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families and people with behavioral health challenges. Steve is an innovator in crisis response and mental health services. For over two decades, he has introduced groundbreaking models and approaches that reduce hospital utilization, incarceration rates, and healthcare spending. Steve was the first in the United States to embed peers in hospital psychiatric ERs. He also created the Rose House model of peer-operated crisis respites, the Transitional Care Wellness Team Model, and developed unique training programs for hospitals, local government units, and behavioral health organizations across the U.S. Recovery is an expectation. You will recover and you will thrive. And there will be ways that you're going to be able to reach your ceiling. Let's go see what it is.

 

For more information about PeopleUSA, please visit: https://people-usa.org/
Support PeopleUSA with a donation, please visit: https://people-usa.org/donate/
Connect with PeopleUSA on Instagram at peopleusanow, or visit: https://www.instagram.com/peopleusanow/
Connect with PeopleUSA on Facebook, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/peopleusanow
Connect with PeopleUSA on Linkedin, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/company/people-usa

Emotional Resolution & Visceral Somatic Quieting with Cedric Bertelli – Episode 265

The brain keeps the score, but the body is a score card. Every time we feel an emotional difficulty, we control either what we feel, or we control our environment. So, we shut down the emotion, and that’s the problem. We never let the prediction play out until the end, maintaining the loop or the belief that the situation we are in today holds some kind of danger. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Cedric Bertelli. Cedric is the founder of the Emotional Health Institute, a non-profit organization that aims to create communities where individuals, children, and families are thriving emotionally, free from the otherwise long-lasting effects of fear and trauma. Cedric is of French origin and has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over twenty years. He began his training in Emotional Resolution in 2009 in France and has continued this work in the United States since 2011. In addition to working with clients individually, Cedric trains mental health professionals and educators across the United States on Emotional Resolution. We’re excited to have Cedric with us today to discuss emotional resolution and his work with the Emotional Health Institute.

 

For more information about Emotional Resolution and the Emotional Health Institute, please visit: https://www.emotionalhealthinstitute.org
For more information about Cedric Bertelli, please visit: https://www.cedricbertelli.com
Connect on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@emotionalresolution4843
Connect on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/theemotionalresolutioneffect
Connec on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emotionalresolution/

High-Performer Challenges, Sports Injury, & End of Career Transitions with Jon Steele, LMFT – Episode 264

In athletics, and high-performance positions, you are constantly critiqued. Outcomes are often measured by stats or performance based. But we can’t always control performance-based outcomes. We can, however, control our effort-based actions. By rightsizing our reality, and focusing on our effort-based goals, we get to control the direction in how to show up in those moments and can transition into something more resilient. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Jon Steele, LMFT. Jon is a licensed marriage and family therapist who has focused his private practice on treating high performance clients including athletes and professionals. With personal experience as a former collegiate athlete, Jon combines the complexities of the athlete experience with the performance of professional life. His specialties include treating anxiety, trauma, grief, addiction, and building mental fitness. Whether working with athletes or high-achieving professionals, he helps his clients combat shame, build healthy coping strategies, and increase self-compassion amidst high pressure environments. Together Graham and Jon discuss working with athletics injury, recovery trauma, and transition out of sports. There are many seasons of an athlete's life. And at some point, one's identity through the athletic lens must change. And we can grow through these moments if we choose to learn how and focus on that.

 

For more information about Jon Steele and his private practice, please visit: https://www.jonsteeletherapy.com
To learn more about sports, grief, and loss, please read Jon’s blog by visiting: https://www.jonsteeletherapy.com/blog
Connect with Jon Steele on LinkedIn, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-steele-169061a6
Or connect with Jon on Facebook at Jon Steele, LMFT ,or visit: https://www.facebook.com/jonsteelelmftsports/

Devotion & Strengthening Wellness Through Fitness with Ben Smith – Episode 263

Devotion is life giving. It creates momentum. Dedication to this practice, that by having focus of the things you want and by executing now, your ideal future self will be better off. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Ben Smith. Ben Smith is a fitness and nutrition coach, entrepreneur, Army Veteran, and mental health advocate based in Los Angeles. With more than a decade working in health and fitness, he has led programming at respected strength training gyms in LA, developed online training for high performing individuals all over the world, and currently travels the globe as performance coach for clients in the music industry. Ben leverages his platform to promote holistic mind body wellness by candidly sharing his own experience along the way. We’re excited to have Ben with us to discuss devotion, momentum, and strengthening wellness through fitness and movement. Movement begets momentum, and momentum beats motivation every time.

 

For more information about Ben Smith and his training app Train With Ben, please visit: https://trainwithben.app

To connect with Ben on Instagram @benveesmith, or visit: https://www.instagram.com/benveesmith/

For all other links, please visit Ben’s Linktree at: https://linktr.ee/benveesmith

The Challenges of Access & Effectiveness of Treatment with Linda Rosenberg, MSW – Episode 262

Currently, there is more opportunity for practitioners and more interest from the public. So now the question is, can we get care for the people that want it, and is the care delivered effective? In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Linda Rosenberg, MSW. Linda is on the faculty of Columbia University’s Department of Psychiatry where she focuses on public and private sector partnerships that elevate, expand, and refine mental health and addictions care. Prior to joining Columbia, Linda was President and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health from 2004 until 2019. Under her leadership the National Council became the nation’s largest mental health and addiction education and advocacy association with 3300 plus member organizations serving over 10 million Americans. Linda was New York State’s Senior Deputy Commission for Mental Health until 2004, and during her tenure, she opened New York’s first Mental Health Court. In addition to serving on Columbia’s faculty, Linda consults with nonprofits, foundations, and private sector companies on the design and delivery of mental health and addiction services. We’re excited to have Linda with us to discuss the challenges of access to services and effectiveness of treatment.

 

For more information about Certified Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), please visit: https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/our-work/ccbhc/

To learn more about the Columbia Psychiatry program ENGAGE, please visit: https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/education-and-training/engage

To contact Linda regarding the ENGAGE program, please email: lr2992@cumc.columbia.edu