Behavioral Health Today

If 87% of profits come from 5% of gamblers, the game isn’t fair. It’s engineered. In this episode of BHT Bytes, hosts Sharlee Dixon and Peter Fenger take a compelling look at the rapid rise of sports betting and how it’s transforming our culture. Everywhere we turn, our phones, TVs, social feeds, even college campuses, gambling has become woven into the sports experience. But beneath the excitement and big-win promises lies a growing set of consequences that few are talking about. Sharlee and Peter trace how the 2018 repeal of PASPA opened the door to a multibillion-dollar industry powered by polished ads, real-time data, and instant-access betting apps. They discuss the psychological hooks, VIP tactics, and predatory strategies that keep people wagering, even when it’s no longer fun. With addiction rates climbing, athletes facing new risks, and young people being pulled into betting earlier than ever, this episode asks an urgent question: What happens when an entire generation grows up seeing gambling as just part of the game? This is a grounded, eye-opening conversation about the line between entertainment and harm, and why recognizing the darker side of sports betting has never been more important.

Healing isn’t a rescue moment, it’s a long, supported journey. Survivors deserve time, safety, and people who show up. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Erin Williamson, the Chief Programs & Strategy Officer at Love146, a leading organization dedicated to preventing child trafficking and providing holistic, trauma-informed care for survivors. Erin brings more than two decades of experience in social services and criminal justice, with deep expertise in human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and serves on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States. Through her leadership at Love146, Erin helps shape innovative prevention education and survivor-support programs across the country. In today’s conversation, we dive into how Love146 is working to stop trafficking before it starts, challenge common misconceptions, address the growing risks of the digital age, and support survivors with care that honors their voice, agency, and long-term healing.

For more information about Love146, please visit: https://love146.org

For additional resources about risk factors and protection, please visit: https://love146.org/resources/

For more information about bringing the Not A Number program to your community, please visit: https://love146.org/notanumber/

If you would like to make a donation to Love146, please visit: https://love146.org/ways-to-give/

Connect with Love146 on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/love146.org

Connect with Love146 on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/love146/

Connect with Love146 on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/love146/

Connect with Love146 on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/user/love146US

Safe communities scale care: when people feel protected, they finally feel seen. In this episode, Peter Fenger sits down with Tamar Blue, Founder and CEO of MentalHappy, a pioneering health tech platform that brings peer-led emotional support to people from all walks of life. Tamar began her career in staffing and co-founded a successful HR tech company before pivoting to health innovation, driven by a passion to make mental health care more accessible and community-based. Since founding MentalHappy in 2016, she has led the mission to empower both providers and individuals through expert-led support groups that combine technology with human connection. Based in San Francisco, Tamar continues to champion scalable solutions that reduce barriers, combat provider burnout, and promote healing. In this episode, we dive into how her early passion for peer support grew into MentalHappy, explore the challenges of building secure, human-centered communities, and discuss how technology and inclusive design are reimagining scalable, community-based mental health care.

For more information about Mental Health, please visit: https://www.mentalhappy.com

If you’re interested in creating a free account, please visit: https://community.mentalhappy.com/login

For Health Organizations, see how MentalHappy can provide support for your patients: https://www.mentalhappy.com/health-support

Connect with MentalHappy on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mentalhappy

Connect with MentalHappy on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/livementalhappy/

Connect with MentalHappy on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@mentalhappy1863

Teaching social skills isn’t just about steps, it’s about helping kids understand why connection matters and how to cope when things don’t go as planned. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Melissa Connor-Santos, MA, BCBA, Founder and CEO of Oceanview Behavior Solutions and a nationally recognized expert in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). With over 15 years of experience, Melissa works at the intersection of clinical excellence and compassionate care, consulting with schools, training professionals, and mentoring families. She’s also a full-time ABA faculty member at Felician University, a certified PFA/SBT Level 6 Supervisor, and a leading voice in school-based behavioral support. As a parent of a child with a behavioral disorder, Melissa brings a deeply personal perspective to her work, one grounded in empathy, ethics, and strengths-based practice. Together, Sharlee and Melissa explore how ACT can bridge the gaps in traditional social skills instruction for children with autism and behavioral differences, blending evidence-based practice, personal insight, and emerging research to reimagine how we support emotional regulation, self-narratives, and long-term well-being.

For more information about Melissa Connor-Santos and Oceanview Behavior Solutions, please visit: https://www.oceanviewbehaviorsolutions.com

For more information about supervision for aspiring BCBAs, please visit: https://www.oceanviewbehaviorsolutions.com/services

For more information about “The Happiness Trap” by Russ Harris, please visit: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Trap-Struggling-Start-Living/dp/1590305841

For more information about “Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life” by Steven C. Hayes, PhD., please visit: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/noresults/get-out-of-your-mind-and-into-your-life-steven-c-hayes-phd/1129445963

Connect with Melissa on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-connor-santos/

Comfort numbs us. Connection heals us. In this episode, Peter Fenger sits down with Mo Edjlali, founder and CEO of Mindful Leader, the world’s largest provider of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training. A former computer engineer with a career that began at NASA and in the tech world, Mo turned to mindfulness after a startup collapse forced him to confront life, loss, and what really matters. Since then, he has certified over 550 facilitators, launched the global Meditate Together community, and become both a leading voice for mindfulness and a critical voice about its modern pitfalls. Mo’s new book, “Open MBSR,” reimagines mindfulness for today, trauma-aware, inclusive, and community-driven. In this conversation, we dive into his journey and explore how modern mindfulness can sometimes retraumatize, commercialize, and exclude. More importantly, we uncover new approaches that reclaim mindfulness’s roots: healing, freedom, and agency for everyone.

For more information about Open MBSR: Reimaging the Future of Mindfulness” by Mo Edjlali, please visit: https://www.mindfulleader.org/ombsr

For more information about Meditate Togeether, the online meditation center, please visit: https://www.mindfulleader.org/meditate-together

For more information about the Free Introduction to MBSR eLearning Course, please visit: https://www.mindfulleader.org/free-online-mindfulness-meditation-course

For more information about the MBSR 8-Week Mindfulness Training Certification, please visit: https://www.mindfulleader.org/mbsr-training

Connect with Mindful Leader on X at: https://x.com/MindfulSummit

Connect with Mindful Leader on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/mindfulleader.org/

Grief doesn’t shrink, we grow around it. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Amy Pickett-Williams, LCSW, a seasoned psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience specializing in grief, trauma, and somatic therapy. She is the founder of LIGHT (Love In Grief, Held Together), a movement rooted in collective care, accessible healing, and the integration of mind, body, and spirit. In addition to her psychotherapy practice, Amy is a certified yoga teacher and educator, and she now leads grief- and trauma-informed trainings for professionals and the public alike. Her latest offerings include the 20-hour Somatic Integration of Grief and Trauma course and the LIGHT Path 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training, both of which reflect her deep commitment to nervous system-informed, socially conscious healing. Amy has worked across medical, school-based, and private settings, supporting clients of all ages through some of life’s most challenging moments. In this episode, we explore how somatic practices, nervous system science, and social justice intersect in Amy Pickett-Williams' trauma- and grief-informed trainings, including her upcoming courses centered around grief and trauma-informed yoga teacher training, designed to support both personal healing and professional development.

For more information about LIGHT, please visit: https://www.lightmvmt.com

To learn more about the 20-Hour Somatic Healing Training or other upcoming LIGHT trainings, please visit: https://www.lightmvmt.com/offerings/trainings

For more grief resources, please visit: https://www.lightmvmt.com/resources

In this episode of BHT Bytes, hosts Peter Fenger and Sharlee Dixon dive into the world of peer recovery specialists, the unsung heroes of addiction and mental health recovery. These are people who’ve lived through substance use challenges themselves or supported loved ones through them, and now use that experience to guide others toward healing and stability. With over 49 million Americans reporting substance use disorders and more than 100,000 overdose deaths in 2022, peer specialists are filling critical gaps across hospitals, courts, and communities. They offer what clinical care alone often can’t: empathy born from experience, mentorship grounded in shared struggle, and the kind of hope that comes from having walked the same path. Peter and Sharlee explore what makes peer recovery work unique, how certification and training shape the profession, and why funding cuts threaten a workforce that’s proven to save lives. From questions of quality and access to the broader cultural shift toward seeing recovery as a shared journey, this episode unpacks what’s at stake, and what the future of peer support could look like.

Follow Behavioral Health Today on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/behavioralhealthtoday/

Follow us on TikTok at: https://www.tiktok.com/@behavioralhealthtoday

Wellness isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s about creating habits that feel good, fit your rhythm, and truly stick. In this episode, Peter Fenger sits down with Andrea Leigh Rogers, wellness entrepreneur, celebrity trainer, and creator of the global fitness phenomenon Xtend, a dynamic blend of Pilates, ballet, and cardio. Andrea’s uplifting approach and expertise have been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and on major networks including NBC, ABC, and CNN. As a motivational coach and trainer on BODi, she helps women find energy, balance, and joy through approachable daily practices. Together, we dive into Andrea’s new book, Small Moves, Big Life, a powerful guide to reclaiming your energy, productivity, and happiness through simple, science-backed rituals. From breathwork and desk-friendly movement to mindset shifts and letting go of guilt, Andrea shows how small, intentional actions can lead to lasting transformation and a truly big life.

For more information about “Small Moves Big Life” by Andrea Leigh Roberts, please visit: https://www.smallmovesbiglife.com

Connect with Andrea on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/andrealeighrogers/

Connect with Andrea on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16YbEr75L5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Connect with Andrea on TikTok at: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrealeighrogers

One coached moment can transform a lifetime of connection. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Dr. Alisa Bahl, a clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Virginia. Dr. Bahl specializes in child and adolescent psychology and works within UVA Children’s Hospital and UVA Medical Center, focusing on neurodevelopmental and behavioral pediatrics. Recently awarded an $80,000 Jefferson Trust grant, Dr. Bahl is expanding access to Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an evidence-based approach that helps young children with behavioral challenges while empowering parents as active partners in change. Through her work, she’s training the next generation of therapists and helping families strengthen their bonds through empathy, play, and connection. Join us as we explore how PCIT is transforming the way we understand and support children and their families, through live parent coaching, greater access to care, and a renewed sense of hope in every interaction.

For more information about Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, please visit: https://www.pcit.org

To become a PCIT provider, learn more at: https://www.pcit.org/become-a-pcit-provider

If you’d like to find a PCIT provider, please visit: https://www.pcit.org/find-a-provider

For more information about Dr. Alisa Bahl, please visit: https://childrens.uvahealth.com/findadoctor/Alisa-Bahl-1578814653

For more information about UVA Health Children’s, please visit: https://childrens.uvahealth.com

In every neurofeedback session, the brain rediscovers its own intelligence. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Dr. Amy Albright, CEO and Head Facilitator at Holon, where science meets spirit to unlock the brain’s fullest potential. With over two decades of experience transforming lives and guiding organizations toward exponential growth, Amy brings a rare synthesis of executive strategy, cognitive psychology, and ancient energetic wisdom. Through her pioneering work, Amy helps leaders, visionaries, and seekers release deep-rooted blocks, access expanded states of consciousness and create lasting transformation. Together, we explore how Holon is redefining brain optimization through a powerful fusion of advanced neurofeedback, intuitive insight, and timeless energetic principles, helping people heal, awaken, and embody the highest expression of their human potential.

For more information about Holon, please visit: https://www.holonexperience.com

For more information about Neurofeedback, please visit: https://www.holonexperience.com/about-neurofeedback

To apply for Holon’s programs, please fill their program application: https://www.holonexperience.com/program-application

For more information about Holon, please join their newsletter: https://www.holonexperience.com/home/#join_us

Connect with Holon on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/holon-evolution