In this episode Biet discuss’ her heroin addiction to reinvention, the ritual that saved her, how we all suck at life and that’s normal. She opens our conversation singing Amazing Grace and closes the conversation with a beautiful guided meditation.

Biet is the world-renowned Spiritual Teacher and Best-Selling Author, dubbed the “David Bowie of Meditation.” As a musician, Biet weaves the world of pop culture and spirituality, teaching practical applications of ancient spiritual wisdom. The teachings are featured in Biet’s best selling book, ‘Don’t Just Sit There!’ published by Simon & Schuster.

Raised by a Shaman in New York City, Biet signed to Sony Records at the age of 19 as a singer/songwriter. Diving into a Rock & Roll lifestyle, Biet became a high profile DJ in the fashion and art scene in Manhattan. However, following a string of life changing events, including the sudden loss of her daughter, Biet turned to her lifetime study of meditation and launched the Guided By Biet event series. The meditation experience reached a contemporary audience in cultural spaces, including museums, hotels, and fashion shows. These groundbreaking events were scored by her own music and were the first time meditation was mixed with pop culture, creating the revolutionary new trend.

Featured in Vogue, Forbes, ELLE, and TIME magazine, and as the resident meditation guru at The Sundance Film Festival, 1 Hotels, MoMA, and SoulCycle, Biet advises spiritual best practices for hotels and brands. Biet is best known for modernizing the spiritual path and has been called the “Meditation Guru for the next generation.”

Follow her on instagram @guidedbybiet

Work with Biet

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Joyce Marter is an internationally renowned mental health thought leader and financial mindset expert, who considers it her life’s purpose to spread the Mental Wealth; to remove the shame and stigma from both mental health and financial stress and provide a global audience with practical strategies and tools to heal, recover, thrive and prosper.

In this episode, Joyce shares her personal experience and professional expertise as a top mental health financial mindset expert. She went from 100’s of thousands of dollars in debt and almost facing financial bankruptcy to the sale of a 7 figure business. She breaks down the psychology behind financial success.

Marter also offers advice about why having kids pay for college builds confidence and success and suggests asking schools to match scholarships received before making a final decision on a university.

Joyce is a wealth (pun intended) of knowledge and offers practical tools to transition from a financial mindset of scarcity + panic to finding freedom + joy.

For more guidance on enhancing your financial mindset or to book Joyce Marter as a speaker, visit: https://www.joyce-marter.com/ and purchase her book, “The Financial Mindset Fix:” A mental fitness program for an abundant life.”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

In this episode, Scott and Kelley discuss how he’s redefining addiction and recovery as a person with 28 years of sobriety, why trauma is the #1 health crisis, how he built a marketplace for healing and designed an app to put our phones down and connect in community. He shares his experience, strength, and hope living with dyslexia, how lifting others lifts us, and rewriting your next chapter.

Scott is recognized as a CNN Hero and Mental Health America recipient.

Strode is the Founder of The Phoenix a sober active community that fuels resilience and harnesses the transformational power of connection.Co-Founder of NewForm Recovery the first recovery & mental well-being marketplace-connecting you to thousands of events, tools, and communities. Author of Rise. Recover. Thrive.: How I Got Strong, Got Sober, and Built a Movement of Hope-link to purchase book in stories.

Sober a Documentary about Scott’s journey to sobriety through fitness and connection into a nationwide movement of over one million people united by the power of community in recovery.

TEDx MileHigh : Finding Sobriety on a Mountain Top

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A prominent advocate, speaker, author, and media commentator, Ryan Hampton travels coast-to-coast to add solutions to our national addiction and drug overdose crisis. In recovery from a decade-long opioid addiction, Hampton is regarded as a forefront expert and thought leader in America’s rising addiction recovery advocacy movement. For nearly a decade, he’s worked with multiple non-profits and addiction recovery organizing campaigns. He’s now a prominent, leading face and voice of recovery advocacy and is working to change the longstanding negative narratives about those impacted by addiction, recovery, and overdose.

In this episode, Hampton describes his experience in the pill mills in Florida to heroin, how to break free form an anxiety spiral, rage, loss, and the birth of Mobilize Recovery, and why cutting off contact from a child struggling with addiction isn’t always the answer.

Purchase Ryan’s books on link in title.

American Fix 2018: Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis - and How to End It

Unsettled 2021: How the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Failed the Victims of the American Overdose Crisis

Fentanyl Nation 2024: Toxic Politics and America’s Failed War on Drugs

Head to Ryan J Hampton website for more inspiring content and resources for addiction and recovery.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

October is Trans Empowerment Month and Kelley couldn’t think of anyone more empowering than Charlotte Clymer! Kitley and Clymer met at the inspiring Clinton Global Initiative as content creators a few weeks ago in NYC.

In 2017, Clymer came out as transgender after decades of a deep knowing and attempting self convergent therapy. She’s the former Director of Communications at Catholics for Choice-abortion rights advocacy, former Press Secretary for Human Rights Campaign, 2020 Fortune Magazine 40 under 40 most influential people in government and politics.

In this episode, Kelley was so moved by Charlotte’s courage as they discuss being a soprano in the All City Girls Choir, conservative allies and unexpected barriers, strength and struggle growing up in the closet and the worst insult: how gender policies shape us. Charlotte is a bright light and provides hope for trans people and our entire county!

Subscribe to Charlotte Clymer “Charlotte’s Web” on Substack and follow her on instagram for empowering content on politics, religion, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

Niro Feliciano graduated from Columbia University with a Masters of Science in Social Work and completed her internship at Beth Israel Medical Center. She also worked at Mount Sinai’s adolescent health center, one of the largest adolescent clinics in the country. She’s been in private practice in CT for nearly two decades as a certified cognitive therapist. She’s a co-founder of a multi-specialty mental health group Integrative Counseling and Wellness Group in Wilton, CT where she treat’s anxiety in adults and adolescents. She also helps clients with relationship issues and communication, self-esteem issues, personal goal development and stress management.

In this episode, Niro and Kelley discuss how every family faces mental health challenges, how faith and fate changed Niro’s family’s destiny, love, faith, and finding spiritual compatibility, and parenting through a child’s mental health crisis.

As a mom of 4, Niro knows first hand how stressful the holidays can be. In her 2nd book, ‘All is CALMish: How to Feel Less Frantic and More Festive During the Holidays’ releases TODAY, 10/14! It’s her love letter to women, a 31-day read to help you find peace and perspective through the holidays and into the new year. Purchase here.

Her first book, ‘This Book Won’t Make You Happy: Eight keys to finding true contentment’ A guide to moving away from anxiety and toward balance and calm can be purchased here.

Follow Niro_Feliciano on Instagram for regular TODAY Show segments, column links, and daily inspiration on mental health and parenting.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

Gabby is programmed in Kelley’s phone as “Queen Softball Mom.” Her partner is an assistant softball coach on their daughters team and gets sh*t done, at the softball fields and in daily life.

After a season of their daughters playing together, it wasn’t until nationals at the end of the season that they really got to know each other. Another parent mentioned they were both social workers and immediately, their relationship deepened and the flood gates opened. They connected professionally as well as on a personal level discussing how addiction ran in both of their families. How often do we see the same people in our communities that become routine interactions? One open ended question can bring two people together from totally different backgrounds. We are more alike than we are different.

When Chicago became a frequent news headline and neighborhoods were being brutally invaded by ICE, Kitley reached out to Gabby who works with patients in Latino communities to discuss the fear they were living in and what people with privilege can do to help.

Gabby is a proud Chicago (as her instagram bio says, south south south side!) native. At 17, Gabby’s teacher told her she just ruined her life when she found out she was pregnant as a senior in high school. Her internal response? “I’m a straight A student, I’m the top of my class, watch me!” 6 weeks after she gave birth, she started her freshman year of college at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a full ride and went on to earn her masters at The Jane Addams College of Social Work. Today she’s a Licensed Clinical Social Worker treating patients in immigrant communities in Chicago.

In this episode, Gabby shares her experience as a Chicago native, her journey as a teen mom, (her daughter is now 13!) who was raised by a teen mom, her resilience and perseverance, and her path to becoming a social worker. Gabby works in primarily Latino communities and sheds light on what it’s like for her clients, living in fear of ICE and how they can get the help they need.

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights: https://www.icirr.org/fsn

Health Services for pregnant teens: Rush Adolescent Family Center: https://www.rush.edu/locations/rush-adolescent-family-center

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“Top U.S. health officials urged pregnant women not to use acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, claiming it could cause autism, though studies have been inconclusive.” NYT

Dr. Cira shares passionate opinions, backed by scientific evidence, about last week’s dangerous and false headlines released by The Trump Administration. Not only is Dr. Cira an expert in the field, she identifies as Queer, Neurodivergent and a Trauma Survivor. In this episode, Dr. Cira educates listeners about ADHD & Autism: From Struggle to Superpower, Tylenol, Autism, and Evolutionary Myths, How the Education System is Archaic, and becomes emotional talking about, “We Are Not Broken”: Defending Autism Identity.

“Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Nationally Recognized Trauma Expert and the Founder and Executive Director of both Cira Center for Behavioral Health, PC (CCBH) and Cira Center Consulting, LLC (CCC). CCBH is a group practice with locations in Chicago and Oak Park that serves the age and gender spectrum and specializes in Trauma and Women’s Issues/Health. CCC is a Consulting Agency that strives to unburden women and therapists so that they are able to design the practice and/or life of their dreams.

Dr. Cira received both her Masters and Doctorate from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and has been practicing in the field since 2001. She is a highly sought after national trauma expert who has appeared in dozens of publications, podcasts, live news, and radio including NBC, ABC, US News and World Report, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Suntimes, Fast Company, Real Simple, Reader’s Digest, Yahoo! Lifestyle, Slate, and Bustle among others. Dr. Cira was also named one of the “Top 100 Women in Chicago Making a Difference” by Today’s Chicago Woman. Dr. Cira is a trauma and anxiety expert, clinical supervisor, writer, speaker, consultant, activist, wife and mommy.

Colleen identifies as Queer, Neurodivergent and a Trauma Survivor. The totality of these identities mean that she has felt different, broken and like an imposter most of her life. It is only when she created Cira Center for Behavioral Health did she begin to take back her power, learn to accept and love herself and fundamentally change the course of her life. Colleen’s intent in sharing this information is to provide hope. It is often easy to look at the facade of someone’s life and assume so many things: they are successful, have a perfect marriage, an easy life, etc. Colleen feels called to interrupt this cycle of comparison and shame by being more open and honest about the struggle that is often there, just behind the scenes. Colleen hopes you can see your own difficulties in her story and that you know that only when we wholeheartedly embrace who we truly are, can we get to the other side of our pain. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I hope we can help you start to see it for yourself.”

Local resource for therapy, medication, advocacy, and education: Cira Center for Behavioral Health: a group practice with locations in Chicago and Oak Park that serves the age and gender spectrum and specializes in Trauma and Women’s Issues/Health. https://ciracenter.org/about-ccbh/

Follow Dr. Colleen Cira on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Substack for more empowering and educational content.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

September is National Recovery Month and Deaf Awareness Month. Beth Leipholtz uses her platform (she’s an on-line sensation with millions of followers) as an advocate, educator, and hope dealer through her personal experience as a young woman in long-term recovery and raising a deaf child, Coop.

In this episode we discuss getting sober at the age of 20, how she uncovered her son’s rare diagnosis with full sensorineural hearing loss in both ears as a result of Waardenburg Syndrome, cochlear implants, the beloved “car chats” and Coop starting kindergarten!

Beth shared her story on The Kelly Clarkson Show with Coop, when he needed a break from his mom by taking off his cochlear implants.

Pre-order (Releases 9/30!) The ABC’s of Inclusion: A Disability Inclusion Book For Kids https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316586692?tag=hacboogrosit-20

Education, Resources, and Inspiration ‘Raising a Deaf Child Bilingually’ https://bethandcoop.com/

A blog about entering recovery at a young age, fitness, and relationships. https://lifetobecontinued.com/

Follow Beth +Coop on instagram @beth_and_coop

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

In this episode, Dr. John Duffy-renowned expert, specializing in treating boys and men and Kelley discuss raising kids in today’s landscape of social media, sex, drugs, and isolation. Duffy writes a weekly substack that will challenge your thinking and encourage you to take action. Subscribe Dr. John Duffy!

Kitley refers to Dr. D as the GOAT of therapists. He’s as real as they come, tells it like it is, while using an empathic and humorous approach with his clients and their parents. He listens deeply and feels a responsibility to educate parents by way of national speaking engagements and TV appearances about how we can better understand and help our kids.

You’ll walk away from this episode with practical tools you can start using TODAY, to develop a deeper connection with your kids and yourself! He’s a tremendous resource available NOW.

https://drjohnduffy.com/

Author of ‘Rescuing Our Sons’, ‘Parenting The New Teen In The Age of Anxiety’, ‘The Available Parent’

As seen as an expert on Steve Harvey, The Kelly Clarkson Show, TODAY, WGN, News Nation, TMJ4 The Morning Blend and hundreds more!

2016: Kelley and John after a taping on Duffy’s former podcast.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com