On this episode of Therapy is Dope with Alicia and Laura, we sit down with Lori Aitken, LMHC, and Mary-Eugenia Brizuela, LMHC, co-founders of Anxiety Center of Tampa. The two met while working in the Anxiety and OCD Intensive Outpatient Program at Rogers Behavioral Health and went on to build a practice devoted to treating anxiety, OCD, and related disorders with specialized, evidence-based care.

We start with anxiety itself: what it is, what it's trying to do for us, and how it quietly shrinks a life through avoidance. Lori and Mary explain why the goal isn't to make fear disappear but to stop letting it make the decisions.

The conversation turns to OCD, one of the most misunderstood diagnoses in popular culture. Far from being about tidiness or quirky preferences, OCD can mean intrusive, distressing thoughts and exhausting compulsions, many of them invisible. Lori and Mary walk us through Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard treatment, along with Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT), a newer evidence-based option for people who haven't responded to ERP. They also speak candidly about how many people arrive at their door after years with therapists who weren't trained to treat OCD, and how often those clients believe they're beyond help.

We also add in phobias, from fear of flying to more specific fears, and how gradual, structured exposure helps people reclaim the parts of life fear has taken from them.

A hopeful, practical conversation about fear, and about how much becomes possible when it no longer runs the show.

Topics Covered:
● What anxiety is and how avoidance keeps it going
● Why reassurance can feed anxiety and OCD
● Common myths and misconceptions about OCD
● Intrusive thoughts and invisible compulsions
● Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) explained
● Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) as an alternative to ERP
● Treating phobias with gradual exposure
● Why specialized training matters in anxiety and OCD treatment
● Finding hope after treatment that didn't work

Guest Links
Website: anxietycentertampa.com
Instagram: @anxietycentertampa
Facebook: facebook.com/anxietycentertampa
International OCD Foundation clinic listing: iocdf.org/clinics/anxiety-center-of-tampa

#therapyisdope #anxiety #OCD #phobias #ERP #ICBT #intrusivethoughts #anxietytreatment #mentalhealth #tampatherapist #mentalhealthpodcast

In this episode of Therapy is Dope with Alicia and Laura, Alicia sits down with Keith W. Fiveson — contemplative coach, founder of the Work Mindfulness Institute, and author of two books, The Mindfulness Experience and Return of the Exiled Child. Drawing on more than thirty years of inner work, Keith makes the case that breath is the foundation of everything: the one function of the nervous system we can consciously regulate, and the original bridge between what happens to us and what we can choose.

From there, the conversation moves into the heart of Keith's approach — IFS-informed parts work, and the idea that healing isn't about fixing or silencing the difficult parts of ourselves, but understanding the protective roles they've taken on and welcoming the exiled ones home. Keith and Alicia explore how mindfulness and somatic awareness build the safety the nervous system needs before that deeper work can begin.

The second half turns to Keith's work with psychedelics and plant medicine. He and Alicia dig into how low-dose cannabis and ketamine can be used in trauma work — not as a shortcut, but as doorways into the wordless interior, held inside careful preparation and integration. It's an honest look at what these plant medicines can, why the container matters as much as the substance, and how the breath stays the thread running through all of it.

This is a grounded, spacious conversation about presence, protection, and what it means to come home to yourself.

Topics Covered:
● Why breath is the foundation of nervous-system regulation and inner work
● Mindfulness and somatic awareness as the ground for deeper healing
● IFS-informed parts work: understanding protectors and welcoming exiled parts home
● The through-line between Keith's two books, The Mindfulness Experience and Return of the Exiled Child
● His work with psychedelics and plant medicine
● How low-dose cannabis and ketamine can support trauma work
● Why preparation and integration matter as much as the medicine itself

Guest Links
Website: fiveson.com
Instagram: @keithfiveson

#mindfulness #breathwork #partswork #IFS #internalfamilysystems #psychedelicintegration #plantmedicine #ketamine #traumahealing #nervoussystemhealing #somatichealing

What does it mean to be a body of light? In this episode of Therapy is Dope with Alicia and Laura, holistic healer and author Andrew Molnar joins the conversation to explore the meeting point of quantum physics, consciousness, and spiritual awakening — as well as how these ideas can support real healing in both the mind and the body. Drawing on his book Bodies of Light, Andrew unpacks the science and history behind embodiment and awareness, and looks at ascension and expanding consciousness as part of stepping into humanity's full potential. Whether you're drawn to consciousness studies, energy and healing, the awakening process, or simply curious about how spiritual growth connects to mental and physical health, this conversation offers a grounded, open-minded look at what it means to live — and evolve — as a body of light.

About the guest :

Andrew Molnar is a holistic healer, guide, and author of Bodies of Light. Over nearly three decades of practice, he spent fourteen years as executive director of two retreat centers and trained in modalities including meditation, Reiki, Craniosacral healing, and past-life regression. His book draws on quantum physics — including physicist David Bohm's idea of humans as "frozen light" — alongside spiritual wisdom traditions to explore humanity's highest potential. Based in Destin, Florida, he works with clients remotely and in person.

Where to find Andrew:

Website: embodyourlight.com
Book: Bodies of Light on Amazon (print, Kindle, and audiobook)
Video course: the Bodies of Light course, based on the book

What does it actually take to come back from the edge? On this episode of Therapy is Dope with Alicia and Laura, we sit down with Austin Rampt—author of One Last Hit: The Remarkable True Story of an Addict's Journey to Find Himself—for an unflinching conversation about addiction, sobriety, and the long road to recovery. Austin's story starts right here in Tampa, and spans across decade of chasing drugs, multiple rehabs, fleeing the country, and hitting a bottom he barely survived. Today he's a father, entrepreneur, and an honest voice in the recovery community.

We go past the redemption-arc clichés and into the real work: mindset, the relapse recoveries, and the keys to the turning points that finally stuck. Austin opens up about what genuinely moved the needle for him, and together we highlight the keys to lasting healing—honesty, connection, accountability, authenticity, love, and helping others. Whether you're in recovery, sober-curious, loving someone through addiction, or simply drawn to stories of transformation, this conversation is a reminder that no matter how far gone you feel, there's a way back.

Grab Austin's book and learn more at onelasthitbook.com.

In this episode of Therapy is Dope, Alicia and Laura sit down with Dr. Katrina Ostmeyer — Licensed Psychologist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), and CEO of Beyond the Individual — for an honest conversation about emotional regulation, mindfulness, and letting go of the pressure to be a perfect parent.

Katrina shares how she blends applied behavior analysis (ABA), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and cognitive-behavioral approaches to help kids and adults build real emotional regulation skills. We talk about what mindfulness actually looks like in everyday life (not just on a meditation cushion), why "imperfect parenting" is often good parenting, and how modeling our own coping — messiness and all — teaches children more than getting it right ever could.

Whether you're a therapist, a BCBA, or a parent doing your best to keep it together, this conversation will help you breathe a little easier and parent with more self-compassion.

🎧 Listen now, and connect with Dr. Ostmeyer's work at beyondtheindividual.com.

#emotionalregulation #mindfulness #imperfectparenting #selfcompassion #acceptance #ACT #ABA #mentalhealth

What if consciousness isn't some abstract philosophical puzzle, but the thing quietly shaping your stress levels, your sense of identity, and how much meaning you find in a given day?

In this episode of Therapy is Dope with Alicia and Laura, we get into the layers of consciousness and why awareness matters on a very grounded, practical level. We talk about how our relationship with consciousness shows up in everyday life—from how we handle stress and use meditation, to how we gather and filter information, building identity, and stay connected to ourselves and each other.

We also dig into the spiritual side of the conversation: how consciousness ties into connection, and how it plays a role in one of the most human things we do—creating meaning. No scare tactics, no oversimplifying, just an honest look at something that touches every part of mental and emotional life.

Whether you're deep into consciousness studies or just curious about why awareness matters for your wellbeing, this one's for you. #consciousness #mentalhealth #meditation #stressmanagement #mindfulness #identity #spirituality, #meaningmaking #selfawareness #connection #consciousness #TherapyIsDope

What if human consciousness is a force in the cosmos — and our capacity to connect, communicate, and co-create with intelligences beyond ourselves is innate rather than fringe? In this episode of Therapy is Dope with Alicia and Laura, we sit down with Rebecca Hardcastle Wright, PhD — futurist, author, and the founder of the Institute for Exoconsciousness (IEXO) — who coined the term Exoconsciousness to describe the human ability to consciously engage with extraterrestrial, multidimensional, and spiritual realities.

Rebecca brings a rare blend of backgrounds to this conversation: trauma therapy, attachment theory, hypnotherapy, neuroscience, and parapsychic research. We explore what it means to develop psychic intelligence and discernment in an age of AI, algorithmic ethics, and synthetic reality — and why she believes moral sovereignty, individual dignity, and natural human consciousness matter more now than ever. We also dig into her work on "the digital pull," where attachment science meets our compulsive relationship with technology, and what it takes to reclaim a grounded, intentional sense of self.

Whether you're deep into consciousness studies, curious about disclosure and ufology, or simply drawn to spirituality as a non-linear journey, this conversation will stretch how you think about being human.

Topics we cover: exoconsciousness and cosmic consciousness • psychic intelligence and discernment • attachment theory and the psychology of technology • AI, and staying human • trauma-informed approaches to integrating extraordinary experiences • disclosure as opportunity rather than threat.

🔗 Learn more about Rebecca's work at exoconsciousness.com

Can psychic abilities be trained, tested, and measured? This week on Therapy is Dope with Alicia and Laura, we break down PSI Games International — the "psychic Olympics" — after Alicia attended live this past weekend.

Founded by Hakim Isler, PSI Games International is a first-of-its-kind competition where participants go head-to-head in remote viewing, precognition, psychokinesis, mind sight, and dowsing. We share what it was actually like in the room — the demonstrations, the culture, the people — and then do what we always do: hold it up to the light.

As a licensed therapist and addictions professional, Alicia looks at the event through her perspective. What does the research on parapsychology and extrasensory perception really say? Where does intuition end and nervous system regulation begin? And why are so many people — including clinicians — drawn to questions about consciousness that mainstream science hasn't answered? List while staying curious without abandoning critical thinking, as both are important.

Whether you're a skeptic, a believer, or somewhere in the messy middle, this one's a conversation about perception, the mind, and how all humans are much more capable than they are aware.

🎧 Listen now, and tell us where you land.

#therapyisdope

Can children access their own inner knowing — and can we teach them to trust it? In this episode of Therapy is Dope with Alicia and Laura, Alicia sits down with Veronica Moya, internationally recognized children's wellness & mindfulness expert, author, and founder of Mindful V™, for a conversation on mindfulness, consciousness, and helping kids develop intuition and self-trust from an early age.

Veronica has spent over a decade redefining mindfulness for the next generation — not as sitting still, but as an energizing, intuitive practice. Through her Mindful V™ Method, she uses visualization, storytelling, affirmations, gratitude, singing, and emotional-awareness tools to help children move through anxiety, overstimulation, rejection, and self-doubt with more resilience and clarity. Together, we explore what "inner knowing" really means, how consciousness and awareness show up in kids long before adults think to nurture them, and why teaching intuition early may be one of the most protective mental-health gifts we can give a child.

In this episode:

• What childhood intuition looks like — and how adults accidentally teach kids to ignore it
• Practical tools parents and educators can use with children today
• How consciousness and self-awareness connect to confidence
• Reframing mindfulness as essential mental hygiene for the next generation

Learn more about Veronica's work at veronicamoya.com or @VeronicaMoyaMindfulness on YouTube.

🎧 New to the show? Therapy is Dope with Alicia and Laura takes an honest, no-BS look at mental health, consciousness, and what it really means to heal. Follow so you never miss an episode.

#TherapyIsDope #ChildrensMindfulness #Intuition #Consciousness #MindfulParenting #MeditationForKids #EmotionalIntelligence #InnerKnowing #ConsciousParenting #MentalHealthPodcast

In this episode of Therapy is Dope with Alicia and Laura, Alicia sits down with Thayne Martin, founder of Itspurelove.com and creator of the Equation of Life and Abundant Happiness (ELAH). Thayne shares his story with striking candor — surviving childhood sexual trauma, the psychological aftermath thatfollowed him into adulthood, and the near-death experience that ultimately became the turning point of his life.

Thayne opens up about what that experience showed him, and how it reshaped the way he understands healing, identity, and human connection. From there, the conversation turns to the framework he built in its wake: a programgrounded in love and gratitude, designed not just to inspire but to create measurable, lasting behavioral change.

Alicia and Thayne dig into what actually makes change stick — why insight alone often isn't enough, how the nervous system learns through experience rather than information, and what it looks like to rebuild a life on a foundation of gratitude after profound trauma. This is a raw, hopeful conversation about pain, purpose, and the possibility of transformation on theother side of survival.

Topics Covered:

●     Thayne's story of childhood sexual trauma and its lasting psychological impact

●     His near-death experience and what it revealed to him

●     Turning survival into purpose: the origin of the ELAH framework

●     Why lasting change requires more than information or motivation

●     Gratitude and love as the foundation of sustainable healing

●     How experiential learning creates measurable, lasting behavioral change

Guest Links

Website: itspurelove.com

Instagram: @thaynemartin

#sexualtraumarecovery #childhoodtraumahealing #neardeathexperience #NDE #trauma #gratitude #nervoussystemhealing