In this episode of the Advaita Health Podcast, Tripp Johnson sits down with Dr. Dewayne Book, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Advaita Health. With nearly four decades of experience, Dr. Book’s career spans from his early days as a substance abuse counselor to leading Duke University’s psychiatry residency training in addiction treatment, and now shaping clinical practice at Advaita Health.

Dr. Book shares his personal journey through recovery, the importance of bringing oneself into the therapeutic relationship, and the evolution of addiction treatment—from the early days of “one-size-fits-all” counseling to the integration of medications like buprenorphine and naltrexone. He also reflects on how psychiatry and social work shaped his philosophy: that healing begins not with protocols or prescriptions, but with genuine human connection.

The conversation covers medication-assisted treatment, co-occurring disorders, the shifting landscape of substance use in America, and why patient relationships remain the most powerful intervention. Whether you are a clinician, policymaker, or simply interested in the future of behavioral health, this episode offers both deep clinical insight and timeless wisdom about what it means to truly care for patients.

• 00:02 – Introduction to Dr. Dewayne Book and his career path
• 03:06 – Starting as a counselor with “10 months of sobriety and a psychology degree”
• 04:18 – The seed of a medical philosophy: showing up as oneself in the room
• 06:18 – From counselor to social worker: discovering the limits of training and the call for more education
• 08:23 – Choosing medical school: seeking knowledge and professional authority
• 12:03 – Nearly relapsing during the move to North Carolina and finding recovery support at Duke
• 13:22 – Joining Fellowship Hall and shaping residency training in addiction psychiatry
• 17:47 – Introducing buprenorphine to reduce AMA rates in detox
• 22:05 – The evolution of medication-assisted treatment: methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, and disulfiram
• 26:31 – Using every tool in the box: medication, therapy, relationships, and community
• 31:02 – Shifts in drug epidemics: crack, meth, opioids, cannabis
• 34:10 – Diagnosing comorbidities and substance-induced disorders
• 39:53 – TMS, depression, and why addressing substance use is non-negotiable
• 42:18 – Recovery capital, behavior change, and the role of relationships
• 50:18 – Advice for young psychiatrists entering addiction medicine
• 52:14 – Closing reflections on a career shaped by “just doing the next right thing”

Follow & Connect:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/advaitahealth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advaitahealth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advaitahealth
• Website: aimwellbeing.com

Tripp Johnson

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trippjohnson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trippjohnson
• Website: https://www.trippj.com/

What happens when your strategy, your soul, and your spreadsheet don’t align? 

In this episode of Open-Source Health, Tripp and Marcus unpack what it means to make conscious trade-offs—in business, in leadership, and in life. They reflect on a recent offsite, where the Advaita Health team wrestled with hard decisions about hiring, investment, and what to prioritize as the company matures. But this conversation isn’t just about money—it’s about meaning. 

They dive into the tensions between striving and contentment, personal growth and organizational demands, and why “doing what you’re inclined to do” may be the most sustainable strategy of all. Along the way, you’ll hear reflections on jiu-jitsu, nonduality, psychological safety, and how flourishing starts with the people delivering care—not just those receiving it. 

If you're a leader, clinician, or simply a human being wondering how to align your values with your work, this one's for you. 

Follow & Connect:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/advaitahealth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advaitahealth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advaitahealth
• Website: aimwellbeing.com

Tripp Johnson

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trippjohnson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trippjohnson
• Website: https://www.trippj.com/

In this episode of Open Source Health, Tripp shares personal reflections from his time in Spain—what it means to find rhythm, presence, and community while practicing Ashtanga yoga abroad, and how these anchors impact how we show up in life and work.

Switching gears into a deep dive on one of the most opaque corners of healthcare: pricing. Tripp and Marcus unpack machine-readable files—massive datasets that disclose what insurance companies actually pay providers. They explore why this matters, how Advaita is building a tool to make it usable, and why transparency is not just a technical challenge, but a values-based decision.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & Practicing Yoga in Spain
04:00 – Rhythm, Family, and Flourishing
06:50 – What Are Machine-Readable Files?
09:00 – Why This Data Matters in Healthcare
12:30 – Who Uses It Today?
15:00 – Complexity vs. Conspiracy
19:00 – Transparency as a Strategic & Moral Choice
24:30 – Building Advaita’s MVP
29:30 – The Power of Consistency: Brad Stulberg Quote

Follow & Connect:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/advaitahealth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advaitahealth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advaitahealth
• Website: aimwellbeing.com

Tripp Johnson

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trippjohnson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trippjohnson
• Website: https://www.trippj.com/

This week on Open-Source Health, we take you behind the curtain of our own brand evolution—where it’s worked, where we’ve failed, and what’s next. Tripp and Marcus open up about the messy, iterative process of defining who we are as an organization, especially as we’ve grown from Green Hill Recovery to AIM to Advaita Health.

We unpack how our identity has shifted alongside our services, values, and long-term vision. From conversations about mastery and failure to reflections on accessibility in healthcare, this is a raw and honest look at what it takes to grow an organization with integrity. Plus, we get personal with Marcus’s journey into health, fitness, and contemplative practice, shaped by his roots in Eastern North Carolina.

If you’ve ever wrestled with branding, scaling, or making values-driven decisions in healthcare, this one’s for you.

Takeaways:

• Why mastery is a slow, failure-filled process—and why that’s a good thing
• How our brand has evolved from Green Hill Recovery to Advaita Health
• Lessons learned from missteps in branding and communication
• The tension between who we are now and who we’re becoming
• Personal reflections on health, identity, and leadership growth

Chapters:
00:00 – Starting with Decaf Espresso and Catching Up
01:00 – The Long Road to Mastery (and Failing Along the Way)
05:00 – Marcus’s Health and Flourishing Journey: From Small-Town NC to Contemplative Practice
14:30 – Our Branding Missteps (and What We’re Learning)
28:00 – Clarifying Green Hill Recovery vs. Advaita Health vs. AIM
35:00 – Why Brand Clarity Matters for Healthcare Organizations
42:00 – Leadership Lessons: Holding Tension Between Present Reality and Future Vision
46:00 – Lessons Learned: The Value of Failing Repeatedly

Follow & Connect:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/advaitahealth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advaitahealth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advaitahealth
• Website: aimwellbeing.com

Tripp Johnson

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trippjohnson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trippjohnson
• Website: https://www.trippj.com/

This week on Open Source Health, Tripp checks in from Valencia, Spain, reflecting on what it means to lead with intentionality while managing complexity back home. Marcus and Tripp unpack the personal and organizational shifts that made this kind of work-from-anywhere leadership possible, from data infrastructure to performance management systems. They dive into how deliberate leadership transitions—like Dr. Book stepping into the Chief Medical Officer role—reflect a broader organizational commitment to aligning personal growth with company strategy.

They also announce a major next step for Advaita Health: launching a Mental Health PHP/IOP (Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Program). The conversation explores how building a closed-loop behavioral health system requires both patience and long-term vision, resisting the urge to chase short-term wins in favor of sustainable impact.

Key Topics:

• What slow productivity looks like for a CEO working abroad
• The leadership development philosophy behind Advaita’s recent medical leadership changes
• How data and management infrastructure support strategic decision-making
• Why Advaita is moving toward a true integrated outpatient behavioral health system
• The internal debate: When is the right time to launch new services?

Chapters:
00:00 – Checking in from Valencia
02:00 – Slow Productivity and CEO Mindset Shift
05:30 – Why Tripp Took the Trip: Professional Development and Leadership Evolution
07:45 – Building Internal Capacity: Data, Dashboards, and Leadership Systems
11:00 – The Infinite Game and Designing for Flourishing
15:00 – Mental Health PHP/IOP: The Next Strategic Move
20:00 – How Data-Driven Decision-Making is Changing the Way We Work
25:00 – Cultural Shifts: Clarity, Calm, and Team Development
30:00 – Organizational Announcements: New Roles and Career Pathing
35:00 – Wrapping Up: A Scalable, Developmentally Intentional Future

Follow & Connect:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/advaitahealth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advaitahealth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advaitahealth
• Website: aimwellbeing.com

Tripp Johnson

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trippjohnson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trippjohnson
• Website: https://www.trippj.com/

In this episode of Open Source Health, Tripp and Marcus unpack a different kind of leadership discipline—the kind that doesn’t show up on your calendar. They explore what it means to lead with intention rather than intensity, and how slowing down can actually be the most strategic move for a founder, parent, and partner. 

Tripp reflects on his upcoming month-long trip to Spain as a forcing function to step into a more strategic role, and what it means to run a values-driven company without falling into the hustle trap. From hyper-productivity and masculine-coded “grind culture” to the real emotional labor of leadership, this episode asks: how do we balance growth with flourishing? 

Takeaways 

Hustle isn't always helpful—clarity often beats effort. 

Asking for help is a superpower, but over-advising can derail you. 

Leadership means managing your inner state, not just your output. 

Leverage isn’t just capital—it’s time, trust, and media too. 

If you want to scale a values-driven company, start by living your values. 

Follow & Connect:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/advaitahealth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advaitahealth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advaitahealth
• Website: aimwellbeing.com

Tripp Johnson

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trippjohnson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trippjohnson
• Website: https://www.trippj.com/

In this urgent solo episode, Tripp Johnson, CEO of Advaita Health and a veteran himself, sounds the alarm on a major policy change from TRICARE that quietly went into effect in January 2025. While it hasn’t made national headlines, the consequences are real and devastating for psychiatric nurse practitioners, physician associates, and—most importantly—the military families they serve.

TRICARE has stopped reimbursing psychotherapy add-on codes for NPs and PAs, slashing pay by up to 50% for comprehensive mental health visits. This bureaucratic decision undermines integrated care, threatens patient-provider relationships, and risks pushing more veterans and service members out of treatment altogether.

Tripp breaks down:

What changed in TRICARE’s reimbursement policy

Why this decision makes access to care worse, not better

How it impacts providers, clinics, and most critically, patients

Why this isn’t just a billing issue—it’s a values issue

What providers, patients, and policymakers can do right now

This episode is a call to action. If you care about mental health access for those who’ve served, this is your moment to listen, share, and speak up.

Takeaways:
• TRICARE has eliminated reimbursement for psychotherapy codes for NPs and PAs
• Reimbursement drops by up to 50% per visit, making care unsustainable
• Providers are reconsidering TRICARE participation nationwide
• Veterans risk losing trusted relationships and access to care
• Action is needed—from clinicians, patients, and policymakers alike

Chapters:
00:00 – A change no one is talking about
01:12 – What this means for providers and patients
02:30 – The business model impact
03:33 – This is a values issue, not a billing issue
04:25 – What you can do about it

Listen. Share. Raise your voice. This isn’t just about policy. It’s about people.

Follow & Connect:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/advaitahealth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advaitahealth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advaitahealth
• Website: aimwellbeing.com

Tripp Johnson

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trippjohnson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trippjohnson
• Website: https://www.trippj.com/

In this episode of Open Source Health, Tripp and Marcus reflect on a pivotal leadership meeting that marked a shift in the company's culture, operations, and leadership mindset. What began as a review of utilization data turned into a celebration of people-driven progress—proof that investing in culture isn’t fluff, it’s infrastructure.

They explore what it means to transition from founder-led intensity to trust-based leadership, how true patient-centered care requires internal alignment, and why the best organizations hold the tension between business and care, metrics and meaning, structure and soul. Also: thoughts on AI, algorithmic silos, and why MCT oil might just ruin your day.

Key Takeaways:

• Culture isn’t just a vibe—it’s operational scaffolding for healthcare delivery.
• Real leadership means knowing when to let go and let your team lead.
• Patient retention must come from connection, not coercion.
• Organizational success stems from ontological alignment—being, not seeming.
• AI will transform healthcare, but human connection is our competitive edge.

Chapters:
00:00 Leadership highs & coalescing culture
01:40 Values-driven strategy meets utilization data
06:00 Building vs maintaining tension
08:20 Honest feedback, trust, and evolving leadership
10:38 Letting go: the CEO's job after startup mode
13:00 Local knowledge and decentralized expertise
15:00 A case study in mentorship, data, and retention
19:00 Alignment between values, outcomes, and sustainability
25:00 The future of healthcare: AI vs human connection
27:30 Culture at scale + unexpected hiring wins
30:00 Keto, self-awareness, and digestive caution

Follow & Connect:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/advaitahealth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advaitahealth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advaitahealth
• Website: aimwellbeing.com

Tripp Johnson

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trippjohnson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trippjohnson
• Website: https://www.trippj.com/

AI’s most popular use case in 2025 isn’t coding or writing—it’s therapy and companionship.

In this episode, Tripp Johnson and Marcus Shumate dive into the implications of that surprising stat. What does it mean for behavioral health providers? How do we prove our value when AI is already winning on access and affordability?

They explore:

• The growing use of AI for therapy, companionship, and even finding purpose
• Why “people are the point” still matters—if we make it matter
• How behavioral health might shift toward community-building and real-world relationships
• What flourishing looks like in a world of curated isolation and algorithmic comfort
• Why the future of therapy might look more like a YMCA than a clinic

Whether you're a provider, a patient, or just AI-curious, this episode asks the questions we all need to wrestle with—before the market makes the decisions for us.

Want to share your thoughts or join the conversation? Email us or comment below. [email protected]

More from us at aimwellbeing.com 

Chapters
00:00 – Intro & Ketosis Check-In
05:40 – AI’s Most Common Use Case: Therapy
08:15 – Can AI Replace Human Connection?
12:00 – Why Behavioral Health Is Ripe for Disruption
17:00 – “People Are the Point” vs. AI Utility
22:00 – Reframing the Future of Therapy
29:00 – Flourishing, Loneliness & the Role of Healthcare
33:00 – Final Thoughts & Listener Callout

 #AIinHealthcare #MentalHealthTech #BehavioralHealth #ChatGPT #OpenSourceHealth 

Follow & Connect:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/advaitahealth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advaitahealth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advaitahealth
• Website: aimwellbeing.com

Tripp Johnson

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trippjohnson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trippjohnson
• Website: https://www.trippj.com/

In this episode, Tripp and Marcus unpack a core question: can the modern mental health system actually help people flourish? They explore how today’s therapy and medication models often focus on managing symptoms, not building lives worth living. From AI therapy and TikTok diagnoses to loneliness, resilience, and whether healthcare should even try to promote flourishing—this is a deep, candid conversation grounded in real experience.

If you’ve ever wondered whether therapy is enough—or what comes after surviving—this one’s for you.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & life updates
01:20 – A new psychiatrist joins the team
03:00 – Spain trip & vegan jokes
05:20 – Pajamas: the philosophical debate
06:30 – What is human flourishing?
08:20 – Modernity vs eudaimonia
10:45 – Technology and pseudo-connection
13:00 – Is healthcare even built for flourishing?
17:00 – Why loneliness is the new epidemic
19:00 – Meta's “AI friends” & simulated relationships
22:00 – Is therapy just another simulation?
24:00 – Coaching vs therapy
29:00 – When therapy pathologizes normal life
32:30 – Jiu-jitsu, community, and real mental health
36:00 – Why the biological layer still matters
39:00 – Can healthcare actually guide flourishing?

Links & Mentions:
🔗 Blog: aimwellbeing.com/blog
🔗 Tripp’s writing: trippj.com/blog
🔗 More from Tripp: Tripp Johnson on LinkedIn
📖 Scott Galloway quote – “Paleolithic brains, medieval institutions, godlike technology”
📚 Concepts: Eudaimonia, Biopsychosocial model, Non-dualism, Simulacrum

Follow & Connect:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/advaitahealth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advaitahealth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advaitahealth
• Website: aimwellbeing.com

Tripp Johnson

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trippjohnson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trippjohnson
• Website: https://www.trippj.com/