All Things Substance

Why is marijuana illegal anyway? What's the difference between legalization and decriminalization? What implication does this have for therapists?

The debate over legalization of marijuana is all around us. It's a complex issue and there are a lot of terms used that we should know and understand. This podcast explores the origins of the ban on marijuana and talks about the reasons for and against legalization.

What are common things people say about marijuana? What are the facts about those common claims? What implication does this have in therapy?

Marijuana conversations give rise to really interesting information being shared. Much of it isn't based on science or fact. It can be really hard to know what the real truth is, even if you know where to look. This week we'll be discussing the common things people say when they talk about marijuana.

What is marijuana and how is it used? Why is THC potency important? What does this have to do with therapy?

Marijuana is here to stay and it looks like we're heading towards legalization. The use of marijuana comes up often in therapy circles and we need to know about it. Join me for an up-front conversation about weed.

The holidays are here, no matter what your faith tradition or country, there's a holiday in here for everyone. For some the holidays are a joyful time where they look forward to seeing family and friends. For others, the holidays can be a difficult time. For people who struggle with substances, it tends to be a difficult time to navigate. There's an expectation that we will "indulge" ourselves with food and alcohol. If someone chooses NOT to drink, they would get questioned on a normal day. During a holiday though, it feels almost anti-holiday to not partake.

Today we're talking about managing the holidays without using substances. Our clients have all sorts of opinions about the holidays, family and the expectation of spending money. They often talk with us about these challenges. It's a great time to review skills that they can use to manage stress. Your client won't think its odd if you bring up stress, drinking and skills. So, listen in on the discussion today about using skills over the holidays.

I don't believe we can rely on our agencies or employers to take care of our development or help us with safe care. I believe we need to make sure we are being proactive to make sure we have what we need to help us keep developing as therapists and that we are doing what we can to prevent burnout so we can continue to do the work we love. This is why I LOVE THERABUNDLE. Today I want to introduce you to my friend and colleague, Tamara Howell who created it.

Trauma and substance use have a bidirectional relationship. According to my guest, Eric Sullivan, growing up gay is a form of complex trauma. The LGBTQ+ community faces a lot of factors that put them at risk for higher rates of problematic substance use. Today I'll talk with Eric, a therapist and member of the LGBTQ+ community about what contributes to this risk, his professional and personal experiences.

How do we not just survive, but thrive in our work? How do we get to keep being our badass therapist selves and still enjoy what we do? There really are things we can do to help ourselves.

Our workplaces, agencies or bosses aren't going to take care of us the way we need. Today, I continue my conversation about how we can help protect ourselves and even walk-back from burnout. I'm joined by two friends and colleagues who share their experiences with us.

Being a therapist is badass. We are depicted as cardigan-wearing, somewhat nerdy, mild-mannered intellectuals or touchy-feely, overly sensitive, preschool teacher-esque guides for people. The reality of our jobs is far grittier and messier than people expect. We choose to go into the storms with people. We have to stay grounded and help them find the way out. We not only do it everyday, we do it for decades. Is it any wonder we burn out? Ours is sacred work and it puts us at risk for compassion fatigue, burnout and secondary traumatic stress. In this episode, I talk with Vicarious Trauma Expert Dr. Jenny Hughes about what is so hard about our jobs and what research tells us we need to protect ourselves.

Many therapists shy away from asking about substance use. There are some very common and very valid reasons for this. Today, I want to share the top 5 most common reasons I've heard for avoiding talking about substance use. Then I want to share my top 5 reasons why I really believe we all should be assessing for substance use. If you resonate with any of the reasons why folks don't assess, you are not alone! My hope is that you will end the podcast feeling encouraged to give screening a try. I'm going to be showing you some great assessment questions in our live event Braving the Course on Monday September 18th at 6pmCST.

Bidirectional means "moving or taking place in two usually opposite directions." This concept is super important to understanding how trauma and substance use connect. They don't just intersect, they interact and drive the other. Let's talk about the research that is out there about this connection.