My guest for this episode is Dr. Jason Roop! Dr. Roop is the founder and CEO of the Center for Trait-Based Transformation, and the primary developer of the Trait-Based Model of Recovery: an evidence-based, person-centered approach to addiction treatment and recovery that emphasizes enhancing the personal strengths of individuals in addiction to promote success in business and life while in recovery.

Dr. Roop has an absolutely amazing recovery journey of his own: he began his recovery in 2013 after 17 years in active addiction, and by 2022 he had completed a PhD in Business Management and Leadership. Now in 2025, his Trait-Based curriculum for treatment and prevention has partners nationwide.

It was fascinating learning about Dr. Roop’s model for addiction and recovery, and I think you’ll enjoy it, as well. Over the hour we discuss:

• How does the Trait-Based Model of Recovery differ from traditional addiction treatment models?
• Many people view suffering from addiction as being a vulnerability, but you see it as an indicator for latent strengths waited to be tapped. How is this the case, and what are those strengths?
• What are some key traits that your program emphasizes to help individuals entering recovery thrive?
• Developing, validating, and promoting a new model for treatment is ambitious. What have been some early successes and pain points?

And more!

Dr. Roop was also kind enough to share a diagram of the Tree of Traits, a foundational element of his treatment. To download a copy, please click here.

My guest for this episode of Let’s Talk is Dr. George Kolodner! Dr. Kolodner is an addiction psychiatrist and the Medical Director of the Triple Track Treatment program for smoking and vaping cessation. He is the Chair of the American Society of Addiction Medicine Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction Special Interest Group, and a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at both the Georgetown University and University of Maryland Schools of Medicine.

In our conversation we dive into the shortcomings of older models of of nicotine cessation treatment, including:

• If we’ve known how hazardous smoking is to health for decades, why is it still such a public health problem?
• Why does the medical and insurance system treat addiction to nicotine differently than other addictions? And more importantly…should it be treated differently?
• What are the three core tracks in your method, and why are each important for nicotine cessation?
• Which is tougher to quit: smoking or vaping?

And more!

My guest for this episode is Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher! Dr. Halpern-Felsher an endowed professor in the Pediatrics Department at Stanford University, the founder and Executive Director of the Stanford REACH Lab, and the President of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Dr. Halpern-Felsher is an absolute giant in the field of youth prevention, publishing over 200 manuscripts, and she and her lab have created vaping and THC prevention curricula that have positively impacted the lives of teens from coast to coast.

It was an absolute honor to have her on the show, and I think you'll definitely enjoy the conversation! We talk about:

• Why focus on prevention, particularly right now?
• Based on what we know right now, is it harder to quit vaping or smoking? And what resources are available to help with quit attempts?
• When the reality of how teen substance use impacts the developing brain is legitimately concerning (not to mention high fentanyl presence in the street market), how do you craft effective prevention messaging that doesn't feel like scare tactics?
• Is it possible we can address the youth mental health emergency and teen substance use at the same time?

And more!

If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Halpern-Felsher and her work with REACH Lab, visit her at https://med.stanford.edu/halpern-felsher-reach-lab.html.

My guest for this episode is Dr. Matt Rossheim! Dr. Rossheim is an Associate Professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and a leading researcher on the impact of drug policy on public health, particularly as it relates to teenagers and young adults. The past several years he's turned his attention to derived psychoactive cannabis products, the most common of which is Delta-8 THC, and the tactics that the industry has used to market to youth and evade effective regulation.

I talk with Dr. Rossheim about a range of topics from his recent research, including:

- How do derived psychoactive cannabis products differ from traditional cannabis products?

- What products are the most common semi-synthetics? And which are the most concerning from a health perspective?

- How are these products marketed to consumers, and are there particular groups that appear to be targeted?

- What tactics are commonly used in industry-funded studies to spread misinformation about intoxicating substances? And how can we keep industry honest?

- Given the lack of regulation, is there any way to purchase these types of products safely? And where can someone go for reliable information?

And more!

To get in touch and learn more about Dr. Rossheim, visit his website at https://www.unthsc.edu/college-of-public-health/dr-matthew-rossheim/

We talk a lot about turning the tide in the opioid epidemic – Dr. Eric Garland is actually out there doing something about it.

On the latest episode of Let’s Talk, Dr. Garland and I discuss the psychotherapy he’s developing called MORE – Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement. MORE is a psychotherapy specifically designed (and being validated) for treating opioid use disorder (OUD). This is more rare than you might think: most gold-standard addiction psychotherapies (like CBT) show far less efficacy for treating OUD than for other substance use disorders.

Dr. Eric Garland is the inaugural Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion Endowed Professor in Health Sciences and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California-San Diego. Previously, he served as Distinguished Endowed Chair in Research, Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Utah College of Social Work.

On the podcast we dive into…

• The central tenets of how MORE works, and why thus far it’s proven more effective than other psychotherapies for treating OUD
• The role of mindfulness and reward restructuring and changing addictive behaviors
• How to overcome the challenges that come with attempting to increase adoption of a new therapeutic approach

And more! And MORE? …and we cover other topics, too!

If you’d like to look deeper into MORE and Dr. Garland’s work, please see below:

New Book / Treatment Manual for MORE

MORE Overview and Information

Professional Training and Certification in MORE

Open-Access Academic Journal Articles:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2789279

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2812818

https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20230272

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aax1569

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abo4455

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235215462100067X

Today marks the first solo episode of my podcast, which I'm calling "Let's Muse!"

Let's Muse episodes will cover a current topic that I'm finding interesting at the moment, and I'd love to hear your musings about it on my corresponding posts on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Today I'll cover two recent developments in the nicotine and vaping world: my take on how to interpret a recent Cochrane Review (see link below) that found that vaping is an effective method for quitting smoking, as well as Phillip Morris announcing the construction of a new $600 million manufacturing plant in Colorado to up production of Zyn nicotine pouches.

Have an opinion? Let's talk about it!

Vaping for Smoking Cessation Review: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub8/full

New Zyn Manufacturing Plant: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/zyn-maker-increases-production-capacity-new-600-million-facility-color-rcna162072

My guests for this episode on alcohol myths are Dr. Laura Kwako and Dr. Thekla Brumder Ross from the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA)!

Dr. Laura Kwako, PhD, is chief of the Treatment, Health Services, & Recovery Branch (THSRB) in the Division of Treatment and Recovery at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Dr. Thekla Brumder Ross, PsyD, is a Clinical Psychologist and a Strategic Advisor to NIH-NIAAA.

I chat with Drs. Kwako and Brumder Ross about a range of topics during today's conversation, including:

- Is any amount of alcohol actively good for your health? Or at least not harmful?

- Why don't alcohol-related public health issues receive the same amount of attention as other drugs of concern, like opioids and THC? How can we better raise awareness?

- A recent study found that only 2% of patients who were admitted to a hospital for an alcohol-related concern received an FDA-approved medication for alcoholism. Why do you think this is, and how do we change it?

- Data indicate that both patients and providers don't feel entirely comfortable talking about alcohol-related problems during medical visits. Why do you think this is? And how can we improve the situation?

- If someone is concerned and wants to change their relationship with alcohol, where can they begin?

And more!

My NIAAA guests referenced a *bunch* of resources during the podcast, including:

- Rethinking Drinking (self-evaluation): https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/
- Written self-evaluation guide: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/sites/default/files/Options-People-Thinking-About-Drinking.pdf
- Alcohol Treatment Navigator: https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/
- Healthcare Professional’s Core Resource on Alcohol (Free CME/CEU Hub): https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol
- Alcohol Policy Hub: https://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/

To get in touch and learn more about Dr. Kwako, visit her NIAAA profile page at https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/about-niaaa/our-staff/laura-e-kwako-phd. Dr. Brumder Ross is available at her website at https://www.theklabr.com/

My guest for this episode is Dr. Brian Licuanan! Dr. Licuanan is an author, speaker, and board-certified psychologist practicing in Southern California, and specializes in working with highly acute clients struggling with substance abuse disorders and mental health conditions. He recently published a new book, "How to Get Your Resisting Loved One into Treatment: A Step-by-Step Guide for Mental Health and/or Addiction Crisis," which is an absolute treasure-trove of information about how to understand and interpret a loved one's addictive behaviors and how to leverage the family system to help move them towards a path of healing and recovery.

I talk with Dr. Licuanan about a range of topics related to his book, including:

- How can you inspire hope in families who have been struggling with a loved one's addiction for a long period of time?

- What is "assertive love," and how does it differ from the less-useful paradigm of "tough love"?

- Why is experiencing discomfort important for motivating behavioral change?

- Dr. Licuanan's very useful "H2O Model" for the essential ingredients in addiction recovery.

And more!

To get in touch and learn more about Dr. Licuanan, visit his website at https://drbrianlicuanan.com/