Origins: Something More

In this episode, we are talking with interventionist and author Jeff Jay. Jeff Jay, CIP, is a renowned clinical interventionist and addiction specialist. He has been guiding families into recovery for over 30 years. His work has appeared on CNN, PBS, the Jane Pauley Show, Forbes Online, and in many professional journals. Jeff is the co-author (with Debra Jay) of the best-selling book Love First: A Family’s Guide to Intervention. His latest book is Navigating Grace, a solo voyage of survival and redemption. He is also the co-author of At Wit’s End: What You Need to Know When a Loved One Is Diagnosed with Addiction and Mental Illness, (with Jerry Boriskin Ph.D., Hazelden). He heads a national private practice that provides intervention and recovery mentoring services.

In this episode, Jeff shares the journey of his own addiction, recovery, and how he became an interventionist. We are talking about the dynamics of what it means to bring love and concern to somebody in order to help and encourage them to get well.  Jeff also shares the importance of handling tough situations with love.  

• [00:41] We are excited to welcome interventionist and author Jeff Jay. 
• [01:22] Jeff is a clinical interventionist and works with families all over the country. 
• [01:43] Jeff got into this industry because of his own addiction and recovery as a young man. Jeff shares his story.  
• [03:09] After he had been sober for five years, he decided he wanted to do something different and he got his first full-time job as a counselor in a rehabilitation center.  
• [05:11] When they started Love First, intervention was not a household word and the methods were ill-formed.  
• [05:45] The more we understand addiction as a disease and not just somebody being bad, the more that the approach makes sense because it is all about dealing with people with a sense of dignity and respect.  
• [06:06] We really want to call people back to their authentic selves and reach for the heart. 
• [06:32]  Addiction is a very different disease because there is a lot of complexity to it.  
• [08:07] If we have to wait until they want help, what is going to make them want it?
• [08:34] If they refuse help, then we need to make sure we are not doing anything that makes it worse like lending money.  
• [10:30] There is a specific methodology that they have developed over the years that is more likely to break through to the authentic self of the addictive person and get them to the point of willingness.   
• [12:33] Families go on a trip to the bottom with the alcoholic too.  
• [12:46] We are not only calling the addictive person back to their authentic self, but we’re also bringing the family back to their own integrity and their own core beliefs.  
• [13:48] No one thinks they’re going to go on this journey.  
• [14:26] There are some situations where some separation may be necessary, but it is always done with love. 
• [15:21] The brain is hijacked by alcoholism.  
• [17:16] We all make mistakes and we can move on from here.  
• [18:05] Recovery is a team sport.  How are we going to get organized as a family? 
• [20:16] Jeff is a very technically minded person and built their website. 

• Something More Podcast
• Origins Website
• Origins on Facebook
• Origins on Instagram
• Love First
• Navigating Grace

What is health? Is it just the absence of being sick or is there something more? What is freedom? Is it the absence of being locked up or is there something more?  What is peace? Is it simply the absence of conflict or is there something more? Welcome to the Something More hosted by Origins Behavioral Healthcare. 

In this episode, we are so excited and lucky to talk with Deborah Kuzmin, LCSW. Deb is the Vice President of Clinical Services at Origins Behavioral Healthcare.  She is a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed psychotherapist.  Deb is married and their blended family includes 8 children ranging in ages from five to eighteen. Her mother lives with her family and they also have 3 dogs. She grew up in Cleveland, Ohio.  Deb is such an inspiration to us all. She has a true heart of gold. She is always looking for the very best in people and loving and serving them from her fullness.

In this episode, Deb shares the journey of how she became a social worker, her love for helping others, and how her mom knew about a very young age she was meant to be a social worker.  We talk about giving from fullness, inspired change, and the importance of a healthy community.  Find yourself in a healthy community, it is the best way to grow.  We really are meant to be together.  

• [00:41] We are excited to welcome Deborah Kuzmin, LCSW, Vice President of Clinical Services
• [01:51] Deb is a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed psychotherapist. 
• [02:12] Deb is married and their blended family includes 8 children that live with them most of the time. 
• [03:30] Deb shares her journey of how she got where she is today. 
• [03:51] Her mother believed she was born to be a social worker because every night at bedtime she wanted to read Shel Silverstein’s book The Giving Tree.  
• [06:44] The reality is that you can have two people doing the same thing.  One is coming from a healthy place and the other is coming from a very unhealthy place.  When we are giving out of fullness that is good and right.
• [07:43] There is something so special about giving when you’re not expecting.  
• [09:07]  Service is a way we helped people stay in a recovered state.   
• [09:32] Deb has a desire and passion to really see the good and love for every patient.  
• [11:21] Two people, one experiencing the healthy and one experiencing the other can look exactly alike from the outside.
• [13:39] It doesn’t matter how many years, what our background is, how many letters we have behind our name, or that it is our first day.  We all need the support and guidance of continually learning and supervision.  
• [15:07] If we decide one day that we know what we know then we might not be doing the best treatment for the person sitting in front of us.   
• [15:53] Deb grew up with this belief that you meet people where they are and you really use different techniques and styles of engagement to join them in that space and move them along the continuum of change.   
• [17:23] Inspired change is working with people who believe in you so deeply and believe you can accomplish so much and then you want to live up to that.  
• [17:42] Deb deeply believes in peoples’ ability to be well, productive, joyous, and happy no matter what is happening right now. If I have that belief, how much can I share that, express that and how many ways can I develop that so that person begins to share that same hope. If you catch fire to that hope you will see people make the most amazing kind of change.  
• [18:53] The root of it all is that you have something special and unique to you, a purpose and meaning here, let me join you in that journey of figuring out what it is so we can work together to get there.  
• [19:15] You create an environment where people are drawn to grow.   
• [21:01] No matter who you are or what you do, we still need other people to help us grow. None of us can truly be our best selves on our own.  
• [22:36] If you are feeling stuck in your life, being part of a healthy community is huge.  You are who you hang out with.  
• [23:28] We really are meant to be connected.

• Something More Podcast
• Origins Website
• Origins on Facebook
• Origins on Instagram
• The Giving Tree
• Love is Letting Go of Fear

What is health? Is it just the absence of being sick or is there something more? What is freedom? Is it the absence of being locked up or is there something more?  What is peace? Is it simply the absence of conflict or is there something more? Welcome to the Something More hosted by Origins Behavioral Healthcare. 

In this episode, we are so excited and lucky to talk with Deborah Kuzmin, LCSW. Deb is the Vice President of Clinical Services at Origins Behavioral Healthcare.  She is a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed psychotherapist.  Deb is married and their blended family includes 8 children ranging in ages from five to eighteen. Her mother lives with her family and they also have 3 dogs. She grew up in Cleveland, Ohio.  Deb is such an inspiration to us all. She has a true heart of gold. She is always looking for the very best in people and loving and serving them from her fullness.

In this episode, Deb shares the journey of how she became a social worker, her love for helping others, and how her mom knew about a very young age she was meant to be a social worker.  We talk about giving from fullness, inspired change, and the importance of a healthy community.  Find yourself in a healthy community, it is the best way to grow.  We really are meant to be together.  

This week Heather Hayes (www.heatherhayes.com) joins Megan, Cara, and John.  Each person in a remote location, the group learns about Heather's journey through adolescence, addiction, and recovery to become a highly respected clinician and interventionist.  

Brad talks with Meghan, Cara, and John about the power of investing in peoples' lives.  From those who invested and invest in us to those who we can invest in, service is key to being truly spiritually healthy.  

Chad Lentscher joins Meghan, Cara and John remotely to share his experience of moving into a way of life where humility and discipline lead to a life of true freedom that goes deeper than just momentary relief.

John, Meghan, and Cara talk with psychologist Dr. Stacy Grossman from the Center for Brain Recovery about healthy habits for healthy brains and also learn about her journey to becoming a psychologist and all around awesome human being.  

Chef Tim Pearce joins John, Meghan, and Cara to discuss his journey from being passionate about food to being passionate about food's relationship to healing the body.  

John, Meghan, and Cara join guest George Hannan and discuss restoration in relationships as George beautifully shares his own experience and healing.