Episode 31: Families and Addiction with Dr. Brian Licuanan
Dr. Aaron Weiner, licensed clinical psychologist, recently sat down to do a podcast with Dr. Brian Licuanan, a friend and colleague to discuss families and addiction.
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 a 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.
In this podcast, Dr. Weiner and Dr. Licuanan talked 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?
Breaking down Dr. Licuanan’s very useful “H2O Model” for the essential ingredients in addiction recovery
Importance of Rules (boundaries) and Relationship. How not to “support,” addiction but recovery
Dr. Weiner will be joining PAL at the Power of Hope conference on October 5. He believes this is an excellent topic that may be helpful to those with a loved one resistant to seeking treatment. There are many healthy things parents and families can do to encourage their loved ones to seek help. The first thing discussed in this podcast is that there is hope for a loved one, and it is crucial not to lose hope because it is at that point we think there are no options. However, there are ways to love our loved ones differently to encourage them to grow and change in this journey.
Many may have a loved one resisting treatment, and it is hoped that this conversation with Dr. Licuanan will be helpful in their journey.
Dr. Aaron Weiner is a licensed clinical psychologist, past president of the Society of Addiction Psychology, board-Certified in Counseling Psychology and is a master addiction counselor. You can hear more from Dr. Weiner at the Power of Hope Conference on October 5, 2024. weinerphd.com
