Food is Medicine. What we regularly eat has a massive effect on the health of both our body and our mind. In this episode we'll be sitting down with Executive Chef, Author, and Nourishment Coach Maria Cooper to talk about how nutrition influences mental health. Maria was diagnosed with Bipolar I at an early age and has used that struggle to prioritize her wellbeing. She strives for balance through a combination of a nourishing diet, mindfulness practice, and embodied movement. Be sure to listen in to hear an inspiring story about the power of holistic health.

For many women, sexuality is a place of shame, oppression, and confusion. Our society does an awful job of educating and supporting sexual growth and empowerment in young women which leaves many of them to act out or be put into dangerous situations. This week's guest, Melissa Sladin will share some of her own experiences of female empowerment and sexual development. She'll also share how her pursue of Native American spiritual arts includes sweat lodges, vision quests, and peyote ceremonies helped her to reconnect and reclaim her sexual self.

Melissa Raddatz, our resident relationship and marriage expert, returns for another episode to talk about making friends. I can't tell you how many of my clients struggle with making adult friends. With the decline of community groups and organized activities we are becoming increasingly more and more disconnected. Finding friends requires work, confidence, and emotional openness. Tune in to hear about Melissa's experiences and tips on making friends as an adult.

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is a rapidly growing field that aims to treat stubborn symptoms that are inaccessible through simply talk therapy. MDMA specifically is being studied to treat early childhood trauma and PTSD. In this episode, we'll talk with Tamra Sattler a psychotherapist who has undergone her own course of MDMA therapy. She'll share her experience as a client and her opinion as a professional on this divisive topic.

Imagine keeping a secret so big that you couldn't even admit it to yourself. Something so scary that if it was even hinted at it could destroy the fabric of your life. Secrets like that can control your life, secrets like that can make you act out in self-destructive ways. Our guest, Rick Tivers, kept his sexuality a secret due to significant losses early in life which led him to believe he would be punished for being gay. This distortion caused him to be in an inauthentic marriage for 18yrs to a woman, which then triggered a severe sex addition. After some traumas, he tackled his closeted fears and sex addiction. Now, Rick Tivers is a highly sought after therapist and speaker based in Chicago and Palm Springs California. He is married to the man of his dreams. In this powerful interview, we will be unravelling the impulse control, shame and addiction recovery that is the fabric of Rick's journey.

All good therapists are in therapy. But were you ever curious about what treatment looks like for us? In this episode of From the Ashes we bring back Jeff Grossman to talk about how we stay on top of our own mental health. We'll share some stories from the American Group Psychotherapy Association and the Center for Group Studies that highlight the work that we do to stay on top of our game. From fighting with famous group leaders to having air sex Jeff and I will be pulling back the curtain on some of the weird and wonderful experiences we've had in the pursuit of excellence.

Back by popular demand is Randy Bonnom continuing his conversation from episode 9 - Relapse: When it All Comes Crashing Down. In that episode, Randy was presenting a pathway for our listeners to develop their own personal Spiritual practices as he was inspired to do after his relapse on alcohol. Tune in to learn how to connect to nature, create rituals, and develop a moral and ethic code from which to live your life by. Randy pulls from a wide variety of spiritual traditions to craft a framework that supports and expands his life.

For many, chronic illness is an invisible illness. It's nearly impossible to tell if someone is struggling and our culture doesn't talk about them openly. Christina Dixon has lived with an autoimmune disorder her entire life. Flare ups can humble her and knock her down for a few days. In this episode we'll hear how Christina manages her illness, how it's informed her relationship with her body, and how she rises from the ashes every day.

Meditation isn't what you think it is. In this episode we'll sit down with Corey Flanders, psychotherapist, poet, and ex-monk to talk about his experiences in a Buddhist community. Be prepared to dive into the depths of the mind as we point a microscope at the nuances of existence. This conversation with Corey will challenge your preconceived notions about meditation and present an unfiltered look at spirituality from the ground up.

As a child of Holocaust survivors, Françoise E Netter endured emotional and sexual abuse as a result of intergenerational trauma. This horrific experience led her down a path of exploring the body/mind connection and a life of creative service. She both learned, and experienced, how toxic and negative patterns of behavior and beliefs can be locked in the body. Through movement, the arts, meditation, yoga and dance Françoise was able to unwind these patterns, release her trauma, and free herself. Everything was going well until the COVID-19 Pandemic hit and Françoise was knocked on her back again. Tune in this week to hear how she used her creativity, spirituality, and focus on personal growth and wisdom to get back up again and again.