Mental Health News Radio

We had the pleasure of meeting Randy and Lydia Grimes at the Navigating the World of Addiction conference in Littleton Colorado. Randy and Lydia were there with the treatment center they passionately serve Behavorial Health of the Palm Beaches. Sharing the stage to discuss their story as a family was inspiring for all of us.  Randy made sure to invite Lydia to join him to share her part of the journey as well.  Addiction is a family disease and hearing from both husband and wife was powerful. Randy was an American football player who played center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1983 to 1992. He also played for Baylor University during the early 1980's and was part of the 1980 Southwest Conference Champion Bears. He is now an interventionist, speaker, and part of the team at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches.  Our podcast is known for Keeping it Real and that is exactly what you get with Randy. This was very personal for the entire team at Mental Health News Radio and many of our listeners. A healing took place for all of us since meeting Randy and especially for our host Kristin Walker during this intimate and poignant interview. Our heartfelt thanks go out to him, his wife Lydia, his family and the staff of Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches.  Randy and Lydia continue to share their experience with addiction and recovery using their knowledge to help not only athletes but any family struggling with their road to recovery. We are honored to take part in working with Randy sharing the stories of the many lives saved because of USING YOUR VOICE. www.bhpalmbeach.com

We met Kevin Petersen, LMFT at the Navigating the World of Addiction conference put on by Rob Lohman. He came in at the last minute to take over as one of the keynote speakers. Kevin Petersen, LMFT is a dedicated, caring, and understanding professional who works with families in crisis. Kevin was born and raised in Palo Alto, CA and earned a bachelors from USC in 1994, and enjoyed a prosperous career in Sales and Marketing before he decided to return to school in 2008. Kevin has earned a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and has a Certificate in Child and Adolescent Counseling both from Regis University. He started his career working as a therapist for Arapahoe Douglas Mental Health Network in Child and Family Services in 2011. Kevin opened his private practice, Petersen Family Counseling, in 2014 and specializes in working with families and individuals struggling with addictions, codependency, and parenting. www.petersenfamilycounseling.com

Author and life coach Ora Nadrich discusses the link between the words we use to think and how that affects our mental health. Ora is an author, certified life coach, and certified mindfulness meditation teacher. With May being Mental Health Awareness Month it was important to tune in with Ora. She is one of those people that spreads so much well-being to everyone around her, we didn't want the show to end! Sit back and enjoy more of her wisdom around mindful thinking and how your thoughts can change your life! www.oranadrich.com Read her full blog article here.

Our guest is John Trautwein. His book My Living Will: A Father’s Story of Loss & Hope details the October 2010 tragic loss of his oldest child, 15-year-old Will. A strong, popular and successful young man, Will was a freshman at Northview High School, and his death devastated not only the Trautwein’s but the entire community. As a result, John and his wife Susie started a nonprofit called “The Will To Live Foundation” to work closely kids to not only help spread the message of teen suicide awareness in our community but also help these teens recognize the wonderful bonds of friendship we call “life teammate bonds” that help each other find the good in life! John is a Graduate of Northwestern University and former baseball player, playing 7 years in the Expos and Red Sox organizations.  Since the foundation started, John has been making well over 100 speeches and presentations annually to high school students, college students, teams of all kinds, parents, coaches, teachers across America. John has turned the tragedy of the loss of his son, into a positive message that improves the lives and the Will To Live of kids everywhere. The “kids of Will To Live” have raised over $1,000,000 in an effort to raise awareness, increase education and deliver hope to each other, and their efforts have funded the acclaimed “Signs of Suicide” Program in schools all over the country. The Will to Live Foundation has been recognized on CNN, Major League Baseball, The Big Ten Network, and Fox Sports, just to name a few. In 2012, John and his wife Susie were awarded the “Presidential Point of Light” award for their work with the Will To Live Foundation.

Dr. Cali Estes joins us again on Mental Health News Radio LIVE from The Navigating the World of Addiction conference put on by Rob Lohman. As always, Cali is frank and controversial. She says it like it is and wowed the audience with her knowledge of the addiction world. Tune in as we sit down for a quick chat to discuss the venue and what it is like being a disrupter in the addiction treatment world. www.caliestes.com www.theaddictionscoach.com

Dr. Cali Estes joins us again on Mental Health News Radio LIVE from The Navigating the World of Addiction conference put on by Rob Lohman. As always, Cali is frank and controversial. She says it like it is and wowed the audience with her knowledge of the addiction world. Tune in as we sit down for a quick chat to discuss the venue and what it is like being a disrupter in the addiction treatment world. www.caliestes.com www.theaddictionscoach.com

Dawson Church, PhD, is an award-winning author whose best-selling book, The Genie in Your Genes, (www.YourGeniusGene.com) has been hailed by reviewers as a breakthrough in our understanding of the link between emotions and genetics. He founded the National Institute for Integrative Healthcare to study and implement promising evidence-based psychological and medical techniques. His groundbreaking research has been published in prestigious scientific journals. He is the editor of Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, & Treatment, a peer-reviewed professional journal The Energy Psychology Journal and a blogger for the Huffington Post. He shares how to apply the breakthroughs of energy psychology to health and athletic performance through EFT Universe (www.EFTUniverse.com), one of the largest alternative medicine sites on the web. www.dawsonchurch.com

Trisha Grose, author, public speaker,  and real estate agent at Spirit Bear Realty in Colorado. Ms. Grose is currently completing this book with the support and love of her family, friends, and co-workers.  Her book, Beauty From His Ashes, is about being a parent of a teen addicted to Heroin, the struggles associated with Brendan’s recovery, the holes in our system for caring for these children, and the grief of losing God’s most precious gift – a child. Trisha joins us LIVE at the Navigating the World of Addiction conference in Littleton, Colorado. She was one of the keynote presenters for this intimate and incredible FREE conference put on by Mr. Rob Lohman. www.beautyfromhisashes.com

Join Counselors Melissa Richards and Melanie Vann with host Kristin Sunanta Walker as they discuss Emotional Responsibility. Touchy subject but we've had a lot of emails lately about flirting, dating, relationships, and emotional maturity. Keeping it real as always! www.mhnrnetwork.com www.mentalhealthnewsradio.com  

Joe Fusaro joins us to talk about the incredible initiative he is a part of with McLean Hospital: Deconstructing Stigma. Since elementary school, Joe has had trouble with something that comes so naturally to most people—sleep. Despite his sleep patterns, good grades always came easily to Joe. He played music and was good at sports. Yet Joe frequently felt anxious. Just days after he started college, the 9/11 attacks happened and placed a cloud over daily life. One night, Joe felt unmotivated to do schoolwork, and a friend introduced him to the drug Adderall. It was the start of a decade-long love/hate relationship with medication. The drugs would help for a year or so, then the upper and downers would impact Joe’s sleep. He’d have major depressive episodes and wind up in detox and the hospital. The cycle would repeat again and again. Making matters worse, Joe began having  psychotic episodes, talking to himself about spaceships and someone trying to kill him. Doctors prescribed more medication. It was 2013 when Joe decided there must be another way. He found a new doctor who taught him meditation techniques and proper nutrition and referred him to an herbalist to help manage his symptoms. Joe repaired relationships with friends and family. He wanted to give back and looked to the diary entries he made over the years as a possible way to help others. Joe has published three books of insight and poetry about his illness, with part of the proceeds going to mental health organizations. He still sees a psychiatrist regularly. Someday, he wants to work with kids with learning disabilities or mental health issues. www.unreadletters.com

Grant Hanson joins our host Kristin Walker LIVE at the Navigating the World of Addicition conference in Colorado.  Grant first began to seek recovery while still a teenager. After experiencing all the things that he thought would never happen to him, like eventually living on the street, using needles, and a couple of prison stints, he found a desperation unlike any he had ever known. There was not a thing he wouldn't do if it meant staying sober. He is passionate about recovery and driven by a sense of purpose and dedication to helping families as well as individuals that are struggling with substance use disorders.  He came to Recovery Unplugged with a few years experience in the treatment industry, which started out with a job washing dishes. Thanks to some amazing people along the way any and his willingness to follow suggestion, he is now an Outreach Manager at their Texas location. Recovery Unplugged uses the power of music to help our patients heal from drug and alcohol addiction. Their staff is made up of experienced and qualified addiction care professionals and acclaimed songwriters and musicians. These professionals have come together to lend their expertise to a truly unique and effective recovery program. If you or a loved one is battling addiction or substance abuse, Recovery Unplugged is ready to help you heal through music-based treatment and recovery. granth@recoveryunplugged.com www.recoveryunplugged.com www.rutexas.com

Join hosts Johnnie Calloway and Kristin Sunanta Walker LIVE at the 2017 Navigating the World of Addiction conference as they interview Co-founder and President Aaron Huey of Fire Mountain Programs. Aaron was a presenter at this  year's event.  He was as fired up in our interview as he was on stage! So much empowerment and wisdom to share.  Aaron has been working with children, teens and parents for over 18 years. After ten years directing camps and empowerment programs around the world, Aaron opened Fire Mountain because he wanted to work with kids and families on a deeper level. Over the first few years of running programs like Teen Rites of Passage The Warrior Phoenix Challenge, and numerous cries for help from parents, Aaron realized the need to turn his efforts towards teens struggling with drugs, alcohol and the behaviors and issues related to addiction. An addict in recovery since 2000, he felt a calling to put together an expert team and open Fire Mountain. His mission is to awaken confidence and leadership. “It‘s not about being better, it‘s about giving up the struggle to be different from who you are.” Aaron’s formal educational background is in acting. He graduated from the top acting school in the US, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1990. His skills in comedy and drama make him an  influential speaker and presenter, and a favorite among the kids. His confidence, compassion and humor set the tone for deep healing, and fun. Aaron is also trained as an EMT, a Wilderness Survival Instructor and Martial Arts teacher, all of which he weaves into the Fire Mountain RTC curriculum. www.firemountainprograms.com

Nanette V. Larson, BA, CRSS, serves as the Deputy Director/Ambassador for Wellness & Recovery for the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Mental Health. Since 1999, Ms. Larson has worked with the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Mental Health, providing leadership and consultation to further the development of recovery-oriented services within the mental health system. In her more than 15 years as a state employee, Ms. Larson has served in a variety of positions within the Division. In her role as Ambassador, Ms. Larson will continue to forward many of DMH’s successful recovery initiatives, such as Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP®), Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) training and development & monthly Recovery & Empowerment Statewide Calls. Additionally, she and her team will develop and expand proactive, outcome-focused wellness strategies organized around the eight dimensions of wellness identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Ms. Larson is a nationally recognized leader in the mental health recovery movement and has provided numerous presentations to diverse audiences on recovery, spirituality, and related topics. Her passion for this work comes from her personal experience of recovery from mental illness, and her message is one of hope for all whose lives are affected by these conditions. For more information about Nanette please visit www.illinois.gov.  www.thenationalcouncil.org

Ross Rosenberg joins host Kristin Sunanta Walker for a very respectful discussion about the treatment of Narcissistic Abuse. Ross is the author of  The Human Magnet Syndrome and the soon to be released Self-Love Deficit Disorder.   So much attention is finally being paid to the prevalance of Narcissistic Abuse. Ross and Kristin dive into conversation about treatment from the clinical perspective. Ross is the owner of a thriving counseling practice, and Advanced Clinical Trainers. He is an authority on personality disorders and codependency AKA Self-Love Deficit Disorder. No script, just off the cuff wisdom with Ross. For more information about Ross visit his website at www.humanmagnetsyndrome.com and www.advancedclinicaltrainers.com.  To listen to all of Ross Rosenberg's shows on Mental Health News Radio go to: www.mentalhealthnewsradio.com. Visit his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/clinicalcareconsult.

Dr. Paul Meier joins us again on Mental Health News Radio discussing one of his best selling books and his knowledge of anti-social personality disorder. We discuss 21 traits of Psychopathy as well as the entire spectrum from Narcissistic Personality Disorder to Sociopathy to Psychopathy. Counselor Melanie Vann joins Paul to discuss these widely misunderstood character disorders, their negative and tragic impact on society, and how we can heal from toxic people.  www.meierclinics.com www.mhnrnetwork.com