WEBINAR: Questioning Dr. Stanton Peele -- with Dr. Tom Horvath

10/13/14 • 62 min

Stanton Peele, Ph.D., J.D., is a seminal figure in the addiction field. Dr. Peele has been a pioneer in applying addiction beyond the area of drugs and alcohol, social-environmental causes of addiction, harm reduction, and self-cure of addiction. If you spend some time with Stanton Peele, it won’t take long to realize that he asks a lot of questions! Here we have taken the opportunity to turn the tables, and Dr. Horvath will be the one with the questions.

There are several areas in which SMART’s focus and opinions and those of Dr. Peele differ. For instance, according to W.R.Miller "The best predictors of relapse for people treated for alcohol problems are lack of coping skills and belief in the disease theory of alcoholism.” Tom focuses on the former, Stanton on the latter. Listen to these two colleagues and friends discuss this difference in their focus -- and watch the fur fly!

This is an unparalleled opportunity to hear a truly broad-based discussion on addiction in the context of the latest in research and treatment by two unsurpassed experts. We have no doubt that this will be a lively and intriguing discussion, and there will be plenty of time for questions from the audience as well. This is a don’t miss!

Dr. Peele has developed the online Life Process Addiction Program. His most recent book, with Ilse Thompson, is Recover!: Stop Thinking Like an Addict and Reclaim Your Life with The PERFECT Program, available at Amazon. Since the publication of Love and Addiction in 1975, He has presented these ideas and data in a series of twelve books and over 250 professional and popular articles. All Treatment awarded him the Best Academic Addiction Blog for 2012. Recognition for his academic achievements in addiction has included the Mark Keller Award from the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Drug Policy Alliance. Dr. Peele lectures internationally on the meaning, treatment, and future of addiction.

Tom Horvath, Ph.D., is a California licensed and board certified clinical psychologist (ABPP). He has been President of SMART Recovery® for over a decade and is the founder and president of Practical Recovery, a self-empowering addiction treatment system in San Diego. He is past president of the American Psychological Association’s Society on Addiction Psychology, the world’s largest organization of addiction psychologists. He is also the author of Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions (listed by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies as a “Self-Help Book of Merit”).

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Previous Episode

WEBINAR: Behavioral Addictions -- A Look at Gambling and Eating Disorders with Dr. Chris Tuell and Ms. Ann Hull

SMART Recovery's Tools can be applied to any maladaptive behavior. There are characteristics, however, that distinguish some addictive behaviors from others. Eating disorders and gambling addiction are examples that can involve cognitive, psychologic, and behavioral issues common to other disorders in the SMART community.

Chris Tuell, Ed.D., LPCC, LICDC has worked as a professional counselor in mental health and addictions for the past 30 years. He holds a doctorate from the University of Cincinnati, is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, and a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor. He currently serves as Clinical Director of Addiction Services at the Lindner Center of HOPE in Mason, Ohio, and is a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati.

Ann Hull, MSSW, MBA, LICSW is Founder and President of The Hull Institute. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with over 22 years of experience, specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, obesity and addictions. Ann received her Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, graduating cum laude. She also served for 4 years on the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board of Governors, chairing the Planning, Programs and Oversight Committee. She facilitates free groups in the community previously worked at the Cleveland Clinic's Eating Disorders Program.

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Next Episode

WEBINAR: “ACT SMART!” With Dr. Hank Robb

Dr. Hank Robb is an expert in both ACT and REBT, and in this podcast he shares ways in which some of the insight from ACT complements the tools of SMART Recovery.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, or ACT (pronounced as the word “act”) is one of several acceptance based, 3rd generation cognitive behavioral therapies. ACT has been helpful with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other psychological conditions, all of which can contribute to substance use behavior if not managed well. ACT is currently being studied directly in populations with addictive behavior. SMART Tools use the ABCs in REBT as well as Acceptance of Self, Life, and Others, and it is a natural step to incorporate deliberate self-awareness, and emphasize valued living and purpose in our daily lives. ACT is about moving along and doing what's important, even if it means being aware of, or tolerating uncomfortable thoughts or feelings. ACT is about maintaining our action focus as well as our perspective on what we value and where we are going.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy is a “psychological flexibility model” with 6 key concepts:

1) Self as Context
2) Acceptance
3) Defusion
4) Commitment
5) Values
6) Present Moment Awareness

These six can be captured in the question,

“Given the difference between you and the stuff you are struggling with (thoughts and feelings), are you willing to have that stuff as it is, rather than what it seems to be – monstrous; and right here, right now, act in the service of the Big Picture you choose for your life?”

SMART Recovery depends on your donations!

Please visit SMART Recovery or Click the Donate button below.