In this SMI Spotlight episode, Dr. Xavier Amador - clinical psychologist and author of I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help! - sits down with Dr. Aaron Brinen, author of Living Well With Psychosis and a leading expert in Recovery‑Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R).Together, they explore how CT-R helps people living with severe mental illness (SMI) build hope, strengthen personal agency, and move toward meaningful, self‑directed recovery.Dr. Brinen shares insights from his clinical work, the science behind CT-R, and the powerful role that goals and adaptive motivation play in helping individuals with psychosis move forward. He also offers practical guidance for clinicians, ACT teams, families, and anyone seeking effective recovery‑focused strategies.If you’re a family member seeking tools to support a loved one, a clinician wanting to learn more about CT-R, or someone with lived experience looking for hope-oriented approaches you’ll find this conversation invaluable.Video chapters:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:23) - Dr Brinen's background
• (04:17) - The connections between treatment of psychosis and anxiety disorders
• (05:07) - Recovery oriented cognitive therapy - meaningful recovery
• (07:59) - Tapping into personal, motivating dreams and goals to serve recovery.
• (09:02) - What's a typical opening question in this type of therapy?
• (10:44) - How does recovery oriented CBT help with symptoms of SMI?
• (14:49) - What's the time investment by a clinician to get this intervention to work?
• (15:50) - Training ACT teams in CT-R and how widespread is CT-R?
• (19:28) - CT-R with Anosognosia - lack of insight
• (21:23) - How CT-R bypasses the "need" to have insight into one's diagnosis
• (24:45) - Hope, identity, and personal agency
• (28:02) - Activating the adaptive mode in CT-R
• (30:33) - How to find a CT-R therapist
• (31:16) - 3 actionable steps for families to help a loved one with SMI
• (35:14) - A key priority for policymakers to help people with SMI