Political scientist, educator, and town meeting moderator, Dr. Meg Mott, converses with Geoff and Erin about listening well, recognizing strengths, and celebrating differences to make space, for example, for 12-Step recovery and harm reduction. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion approaches sometimes reinforce diversity in ways that actually reduce inclusion.

Respected clinician, administrator, and teacher, Kurt White, has a scientific side. For a recent talk he updated his own knowledge on the benefits and risks of cannabis consumption by reviewing meta-analyses of research results. Geoff and Erin explore what Kurt learned—and what surprised him—on issues such as mental health, driving, and sexuality.

Women’s strength and weight loss specialist Trisha Selbach converses with Geoff and Erin about her new book Uncomfortable. Trisha emphasizes that mindfulness—unlike efforts to “white knuckle yourself through change”— produces sustainable results for those seeking health and satisfaction.

Robin Rieske, a prevention specialist in Southern Vermont for over 30 years, converses with Geoff and Erin about efforts to help the public, especially adolescents, delay or avoid substance use, reduce and treat overdoses, and be wary of the uncertain contents and risks of street drugs. Reducing harmful social determinants of health is a complicated and ongoing challenge.

Dr. Talia Singer-Clark serves on teams at Boston Medical Center and at Behavioral Health Network in Springfield MA where she provides comprehensive, individualized, compassionate care to people with severe substance use disorders. She discusses her work with Geoff and answers why she finds it satisfying.

Geoff and Reggie go deep into respect in the community, autonomy, and personal risk tolerance, which all affect substance use, substance use disorders, and recovery. Are you playing Russian roulette with your life, liver, or driver’s license?

Geoff’s friend Bobby converses with Geoff and Reggie about how the expectation of harsh judgment make people addicted to substances reluctant to ask for the help that they desperately need. Bobby testifies that substances used “as a coping mechanism” eventually “will betray you.”

Everyone is different. Geoff and Reggie discuss how descriptions are often more helpful than labels and the importance of positive interpersonal relationships in the treatment and prevention of substance use disorders. Geoff answers, “What happened to ‘rehab’?”

Geoff and his friend and colleague Reggie discuss the experience—and the biology—of addiction and what a person or family needs to know in order to cope with it.