Thriving with Addiction with Dr. Jonathan Avery

Episoder

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  What We Get Wrong About Addiction with Dr. Carl Hart 11.08.2026 38min

  Dr. Carl Hart is the Chair of the Department of Psychology at Columbia University and the Mamie Phipps Clark Professor of Psychology (in Psychiatry). An internationally recognized neuroscientist and psychologist, Dr. Hart’s research focuses on the complex interactions between psychoactive drugs, human behavior, neurobiology, and environmental factors. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines psychology and neuropharmacology, his work examines how drugs affect the brain and behavior i...
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  From Child Star to Authentic Living: Rivkah Reyes on Trauma, Identity, and Healing 04.08.2026 41min

  Rivkah Reyes is a performer and creator whose career spans film, music, comedy, and writing. After rising to prominence in School of Rock, they went on to perform with The Second City and appear in projects like Easy, while developing a distinctive voice through storytelling and stand-up. In this episode, we talk about identity, creativity, recovery, and the long arc of building a meaningful life beyond early success. Follow Thriving with Addiction: www.thrivingwithaddiction.com www.ins...
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  Beyond Tough Love: Rethinking Addiction, Recovery, and Family Support with Dr. Carrie Wilkens 28.07.2026 36min

  In this episode of Thriving with Addiction, Dr. Carrie Wilkens—psychologist, co-founder of the Center for Motivation and Change, and co-author of Beyond Addiction—discusses why compassion and evidence-based strategies are more effective than tough love, and how families can support meaningful change while strengthening their relationships. Carrie Wilkens, PhD, is a psychologist with over 25 years of experience in the practice and dissemination of evidence-based treatments for substance use ...
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  From the NBA to Recovery: Growth, Purpose, and Giving Back with Chris Herren 21.07.2026 33min

  Chris Herren is a former NBA player, author, and nationally recognized recovery advocate who has become one of the leading voices on addiction, mental wellness, and prevention. Sober since 2008, Herren has shared his story with more than two million students, athletes, and community members through Herren Talks, encouraging honest conversations about substance use, self-esteem, and emotional health. His journey was featured in the memoir Basketball Junkie, the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Ungua...
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  Can Psychedelics Treat Addiction? with Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu 14.07.2026 40min

  Albert Garcia-Romeu, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His research examines the effects of psychedelics in humans, with a focus on psilocybin as an aid in the treatment of addiction. He earned his doctorate in psychology in 2012 from Sofia University in Palo Alto, CA where he studied self-transcendence, spiritual experiences, and their relationship to mental health. Dr. Garcia-Romeu has authored numerous peer-review...
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  Bullied, Addicted, Incarcerated — Then Rebuilt: Doug Bopst’s Story 07.07.2026 40min

  Doug Bopst is an award-winning personal trainer, author, and host of the Adversity Advantage Podcast. A former felon who struggled with substances, he was incarcerated for possession with intent to sell. Doug used his time in jail to rebuild his life through faith, family, and fitness. He is the author of From Felony to Fitness to Free, Faith Family Fitness, and The Heart of Recovery, and has helped hundreds of people transform their physical and mental health. Doug has been featured on...
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  July 4th Alcohol Series: Moderation with Medication with Jonathan Hunt-Glassman 30.06.2026 36min

  Jonathan Hunt-Glassman is the co-founder and CEO of Oar Health. Oar Health is a telehealth platform that helps people get started with medication to drink less or quit and provides ongoing support as they work toward their goals. Jonathan started the business after benefitting himself from treatment with medication for alcohol use disorder. Before founding Oar, Jonathan worked in healthcare as a product and strategy leader at Humana, Optum, and Bain & Company. Follow Thriving with Addicti...
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  July 4th Alcohol Series: The Latest Science and Changing Attitudes with Dr. Mashal Khan 30.06.2026 40min

  Mashal Khan, M.D. is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and Associate Program Director for the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship. As the psychiatrist on the Liver Transplant Team, he evaluates organ recipients and donors and provides them with transitionary care. He utilizes his expertise and understanding of addictions to improve outcomes for individuals with Alcohol Liver Disease. His area of interest and clinical focus include technology-assisted interven...
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  July 4th Alcohol Series: Reclaiming Joy Through Alcohol-Free Living with Maxine Linehan 30.06.2026 38min

  Maxine Linehan is an internationally acclaimed Irish singer, writer, and theatrical performer whose deeply personal work reimagines beloved songbooks to explore identity, healing, and emotional truth. Her recordings have earned praise from The New York Times, Billboard, and USA Today, and she has performed sold-out shows around the world. Now, Maxine is the co-host of the new podcast Happy AF: Joyfully Living Alcohol-Free, where she brings her signature honesty, humor, and storytelling ...
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  Carrying the Story Forward: Tom Farley on Addiction, Family, and Healing 23.06.2026 35min

  Tom Farley grew up in Madison, WI, and graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in Marketing. He began his career in banking and finance before running The Chris Farley Foundation (1999–2012), a nationally recognized nonprofit focused on substance abuse prevention. Through humor-based programs, he helped young people build communication skills and create supportive environments. In 2008, Tom co-authored The Chris Farley Show, a New York Times bestseller about his late brother, comed...
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  Chasing Perfection: Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Addiction with Dr. Katharine Phillips 16.06.2026 42min

  Katharine Phillips, MD, is internationally known for her expertise in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and related disorders, such as olfactory reference disorder (ORD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). For more than 30 years, Dr. Phillips has conducted ground-breaking scientific research on BDD and has provided expert evaluation and treatment with medication and therapy for people with these and other conditions. She is currently Professor of Psychiatry, DeWitt Wallace Senior Scho...
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  How Parents Discovered JUUL—and Launched a National Movement 09.06.2026 38min

  Meredith Berkman is a co-founder of Parents Against Vaping (PAVe), an advocacy and education nonprofit created in 2018 by three moms as a grassroots response to the youth vaping epidemic. Run and powered by volunteers around the country, PAVe is the first national parent voice in the fight against the tobacco industry’s predatory behavior. Working at the local, state, and federal levels, PAVe supports ending sales of all flavored tobacco products. PAVe’s educational training, materials and re...
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  When Screen Time Becomes Addiction with Kaitlyn Regehr 02.06.2026 40min

  Dr Kaitlyn Regehr is an Associate Professor of Digital Humanities at University College London, whose research is focused on digital and AI literacy. She has informed legislation on online safety, most recently feeding into the Online Safety Act and she has provided consultation in the House of Lords, and to Members of Parliament, the Metropolitan Police, The Children’s Commissioner, The Scottish Government and Prevent. Dr Regehr is committed to the public dissemination of algorithmic and AI ...
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  Rise, Recover, Thrive: How Scott Strode Is Redefining Addiction Recovery 25.05.2026 32min

  Scott Strode is the founder of The Phoenix, a national sober active community that helps people recover from addiction through fitness, connection, and purpose. After struggling with alcohol and cocaine use in early adulthood, Scott got sober in 1997 and discovered that physical challenge and community were essential to his recovery. In 2006, he founded The Phoenix in Boulder, Colorado, creating a space where people in recovery could rebuild their lives together through movement and belonging...
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  Can Ozempic Treat Addiction? GLP-1s and the Future of Medicine 19.05.2026 32min

  Dhruv Khullar, M.D., M.P.P., is a physician and associate professor of health policy and economics at Weill Cornell Medical College and a staff writer at The New Yorker, where he covers medicine, health care, and politics. He serves as Director of the Physicians Foundation Center for the Study of Physician Practice and Leadership and Associate Director of the Cornell Health Policy Center. His research on value-based care, health care consolidation, and medical innovation has been published in...
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  Ambien Addiction Almost Destroyed Her Life: Laura Cathcart Robbins 12.05.2026 41min

  Laura Cathcart Robbins is the best-selling author of the Atria/Simon & Schuster memoir Stash, My Life In Hiding, and host of the popular podcast Only One In The Room. Laura has been featured on MSNBC, The Tameron Hall Show, C-SPAN, and Dr. Phil, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, Oprah Daily, Good Housekeeping, Today.com, Huffpo, and more. In 2024, Laura’s New York Times Modern Love essay was turned into an episode of the Modern Love Podcast, and she was named the SDWF Memoi...
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  The Rapid Rise of Gambling Addiction with Tim Fong 05.05.2026 38min

  Dr. Timothy Fong is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. Dr. Fong completed his undergraduate and medical school at Northwestern University in Chicago. He then came to UCLA and finished his residency in adult general psychiatry in 2002 and was the first accredited addiction psychiatry fellow at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute (2002-2004). He is the co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program (UGSP). The ...
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  When the Parent Drinks: One Therapist’s Journey From Childhood Chaos to Family Healing 28.04.2026 35min

  Dr. Kibby McMahon is a clinical psychologist, CEO of KulaMind, and host of "A Little Help For Our Friends" podcast, specializing in helping people who have loved ones struggling with mental health or addiction. With training from Columbia, Duke, and Weill Cornell, she combines her clinical expertise in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and other evidence-based CBT's with personal experience to support families affected by behavioral health issues. Follow Thriving with Addiction: www.thriving...
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  What We Get Wrong About Cannabis with Yasmin Hurd 21.04.2026 38min

  Dr. Yasmin Hurd is the Ward-Coleman Chair of Translational Neuroscience and the Director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai. Dr. Hurd's multidisciplinary research investigates the neurobiology underlying substance use disorders and related psychiatric illnesses. A translational approach is used to examine molecular and neurochemical events in the human brain and comparable animal models in order to ascertain neurobiological correlates of behavior. A major focus of the rese...
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  Sobriety That Lasts: The 9 Essential Truths with Laura McKowen 14.04.2026 33min

  Laura is the author of the bestselling memoir We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life and Push Off From Here: Nine Essential Truths to Get You Through Life (and Everything Else). Her work explores the intersection of addiction, recovery, emotional sobriety, and the complexities of relationships. She has written for The New York Times and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The TODAY Show, and more. In 2020, she founded The Luckiest Club,...