Every Brain Matters

Every Brain Matters Monthly Speakers Meeting
2024-01-05 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
In this new era of industrialized THC, families need support and hope. Please join us on the first Friday of every month for messages of healing from the impacts of marijuana and the drug culture expansion. There will be a Q & A at the end of each meeting. This meeting may be recorded at the presenter’s discretion.
This month, we feature Finn P.
I’m a 23-year-old recovering marijuana addict with a former smoking career that lasted from the ages of 14 to 22. I began to smoke more heavily when I left home for college, but my marijuana use turned into an uncontrolled spiral during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was during this time that I found a complete inability to pass up the next joint—a powerlessness over weed that permeated every facet of my life. Debilitating anxiety, agoraphobia, and bouts of paranoid psychosis became my everyday reality while jobs, relationships, and my prospects in school crumbled around me. I felt like nothing and nobody with no hope for a way out.
After two years of living with what I would consider late-stage addiction and particularly after becoming suicidal—when I had nowhere to turn, and nobody left to blame—I decided to surrender myself to recovery. To my surprise, it’s here that I found people just like me, with the only difference being that they were happy, and I wasn’t. I begged them for help, and they offered it without hesitation. Now, after a year and a half of dedicated work with a few relapses along the way, I’ve made it to my first-ever six-month sobriety milestone. I’m talking with my parents again. I’ve held a job for over a year (with a new one lined up soon), I have a healthy relationship with a woman whom I love and adore, and I’ve re-enrolled in college classes starting this winter. I have a life I’ve always wanted, and I navigate its difficulties knowing that I don’t have to smoke over them.
I struggle with feeling shame or regret about my past, but truthfully, I’m happy that I made it through all of that to be where I am now. I’m proud of the life I’ve been gifted; I’m proud of the personal growth I’ve made in a short time, and—even though I never thought I’d say this—I’m proud to be a marijuana addict.
Please join me as I tell my story on Friday, January 5th.
Register for this meeting at this link. Once you are registered, you will be sent a Zoom link to join the meeting that you can save to your calendar. You will not be required to register again if you have already registered for a previous Speakers Meeting. If you have any questions, please email us at info@everybrainmatters.org.
Link To Register
Meeting ID: 872 9417 0134
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Stages of Change: How to Respond to Loved Ones in the Addiction Cycle - Presented by Dr. Crystal Collier
2024-02-15 12:00 - 13:00
Stages of Change: How to Respond to Loved Ones in the Addiction Cycle
Presentation by Dr. Crystal Collier, PHD, LPC-S
Therapist, Researcher, Educator
Join us for this presentation that provides families with valuable information that relates specifically to using the Stages of Change concepts as a tool for assisting family members when approaching loved ones who are struggling with ambivalence toward goal achievement.
REGISTER HERE
Learning Objectives:

Describe the stages of change in health behavior change.
Describe unhealthy vs. healthy family interventions.
Describe the levels of use and appropriate interventions.
Learn how to utilize stages of change strategies from a family perspective.

The participant will have an understanding of the Stages of Change, including

How to identify each stage
Understanding addiction and how it relates to change
Which techniques are appropriate depending on stage of change
Dealing with resistance

Crystal Collier, PhD, herself a person in long-term recovery, is a therapist and educator whose comprehensive prevention model, which teaches the neurodevelopmental effects of risky behavior to students, school staff, and families, was selected for the Prevention and Education Commendation from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Dr. Collier received the Torch Bearer Award from the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals, Outstanding Research Award from the Association of Alternative Peer Groups, and voted Counselor of the Year by the Houston Counseling Association.
The Hope and Healing Center and Institute in Houston, TX, granted Dr. Collier a research fellowship to support the completion of The NeuroWhereAbouts Guide published in 2020. Her FOO Mapping workbook published in 2023, is designed for people who want to map the family-of-origin patterns that no longer serve them.
Since 1991, her clinical work focuses on adolescents and adults suffering from mental illness, behavioral problems and substance use disorders Her area of expertise includes adolescent neurodevelopment, prevention programming, parent coaching, addiction, family-of-origin work, and training new clinicians.
www.drcrystalcollier.com www.knowyourneuro.org

Motivational Interviewing: How to Respond to Loved Ones - Presentation by Dr. Crystal Collier, PHD, LPC-S
2024-02-22 12:00 - 13:00
Motivational Interviewing: How to Respond to Loved Ones
Presentation by Crystal Collier, PhD, LPC-S
Join us for this presentation that provides families with valuable information that relates specifically to using the Motivational Interviewing technique and concepts as a tool for assisting family members when approaching loved ones who are struggling with ambivalence toward goal achievement.
REGISTER HERE
Learning Objectives:

Describe the role of ambivalence in health behavior change.
Describe unhealthy vs. healthy family interventions.
Describe the fundamental spirit, guiding principles, and strategies of motivational interviewing.
Learn how to utilize motivational interviewing strategies from a family perspective.

Presentation Objectives: The participant will have an understanding of Motivational Interviewing including

What motivation is
The motivational interviewing concept
Using questioning and listening strategies
Using the MI concept to engage family members
Using the loved one’s motivation as a pathway for change
Understanding extrinsic and intrinsic motivation
Dealing with resistance

Crystal Collier, PhD, herself a person in long-term recovery, is a therapist and educator whose comprehensive prevention model, which teaches the neurodevelopmental effects of risky behavior to students, school staff, and families, was selected for the Prevention and Education Commendation from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Dr. Collier received the Torch Bearer Award from the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals, Outstanding Research Award from the Association of Alternative Peer Groups, and voted Counselor of the Year by the Houston Counseling Association.
The Hope and Healing Center and Institute in Houston, TX, granted Dr. Collier a research fellowship to support the completion of The NeuroWhereAbouts Guide published in 2020. Her FOO Mapping workbook published in 2023, is designed for people who want to map the family-of-origin patterns that no longer serve them.
Since 1991, her clinical work focuses on adolescents and adults suffering from mental illness, behavioral problems and substance use disorders Her area of expertise includes adolescent neurodevelopment, prevention programming, parent coaching, addiction, family-of-origin work, and training new clinicians.
www.drcrystalcollier.com www.knowyourneuro.org

Every Brain Matters Monthly Speakers Meeting -Doug Dolan
2024-03-01 18:00 - 19:00
In this new era of industrialized THC, families need support and hope. Please join us on the first Friday of every month for messages of healing from the impacts of marijuana and the expanding drug crisis. There will be a Q&A at the end of each meeting. This meeting may be recorded at the presenter’s discretion.
This month, we feature Doug Dolan.
Doug Dolan is co-owner and COO at Recovery in the Pines, a long-term, life transformational, substance abuse and mental health facility. He sits on various committees focused on suicide prevention, brain injuries as they relate to mental health and addiction, drug overdose fatalities, and families in crisis.
Doug conducts speaking engagements on substance abuse, mental health, trauma, and life skills to help educate schools, organizations, institutions, incarcerated populations, and conferences.
Doug personally struggled with addiction and mental health issues. He has been sober since April 19, 1997, lost a younger brother to an opioid overdose, and lost his best friend of 30 years to suicide, who was self-medicating with marijuana.
Organization
Recovery in the Pines, Prescott, AZ 86305
www.RecoveryInThePines.com
Register for this meeting at this link. Once registered, you will be sent a Zoom link to join the meeting that you can save to your calendar. You will not be required to register again if you have already registered for a previous Speakers Meeting. If you have any questions, please email us at info@everybrainmatters.org.
This meeting is free, but donations are welcome to increase our effort to support and advocate for families impacted by industrialized marijuana.
Link To Register
Meeting ID: 872 9417 0134
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Involuntary Commitment to Treatment Can Help your Loved Ones Recover from Cannabis-Induced Psychosis
2024-03-04 18:00 - 19:00
For at least the last 5 years, we have seen a significant increase in the number of young people experiencing psychotic-like features after using cannabis in its various forms. Psychosis makes it difficult for parents to rationalize with their young adult children about their need for treatment. That’s where the court system can help.
Joe Considine has practiced law in South Florida since 1983. His practice focuses on addiction-related law, including the Marchman Act and family law. He works extensively with families whose loved ones have substance abuse and mental health problems and has handled hundreds of Marchman Act cases in various circuits in Florida. Joe is committed to educating mental health professionals, the legal community, and the public about the efficacy of the Marchman Act. He has presented to conferences of mental health professionals, treatment centers, and civic organizations. He has also written many articles about the Marchman Act, which are easily accessible at JoeConsidineLaw.com.
In addition to leading a well-regarded law practice, Joe has served on the Board of Directors of The Fern House in West Palm Beach, a residential rehabilitation facility for indigent men with substance use disorders, for more than 25 years. He also enjoys assisting and participating with the Max Planck Institute for Neuroscience as a member of its Brain Trust. A native of Palm Beach County, Joe currently lives in West Palm Beach, has three adult children, and loves painting, mountain biking, and tending to his butterfly garden.
Register here.

Climbers Family Support Group
2024-03-27 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-04-03 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-04-17 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-04-24 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-05-01 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-05-15 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-05-22 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-05-29 19:00 - 20:30 and 7 more dates
A professional counselor leads this weekly online support group for families affected by a loved one’s marijuana use. Participants learn recovery tools that empower them to take the next step while navigating through marijuana addiction, psychosis, hyperemesis, self-harm, or other destructive behaviors. Whether families decide to take small steps or hike the mountain, each step counts and can positively impact their families’ relationships and health.
In the world of recovery, families learn the 3 C’s about the disease of addiction.
We didn’t cause it.
We can’t control it.
And we can’t cure it.
In the Every Brain Matters Climbers meeting, we talk about a 4th C. How do we contribute to it positively or negatively? It’s difficult for families to know what that means, so by discussing these situations, we gain clarity on the best response for our families.
We encourage each family member to work on their own recovery program. We allow cross-talking to share ideas, experiences, strength, and hope. Every family makes their own decisions and heals at their own pace. We respect the feelings and privacy of those attending our meetings.
We ask for a donation to compensate for the professional expertise and time we provide, but this is not a requirement to attend. The suggested donation is $20.00 per person or $35.00 per family. Join us every Wednesday at 7 pm central time zone.

LINK TO REGISTER
Meeting ID: 827 4437 2483
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Climbers Family Support Group
2024-04-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Climbers with Joe Parker

Every Brain Matters Monthly Speakers Meeting
2024-04-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Online Zoom Meeting
In this new era of industrialized THC, families need support and hope. Please join us on the first Friday of every month for messages of healing from the impacts of marijuana and the expanding drug crisis. There will be a Q&A at the end of each meeting. This meeting may be recorded at the presenter’s discretion.
This month, we hear from Michael D’Onfro.
Hi, I’m Michael. I started using marijuana because I thought it was a safe alternative to alcohol. Unfortunately, marijuana became my crutch, and over time, I began to enter into a psychosis. I posted his entire life unfiltered on social media while having visual and audible hallucinations. I thought I was in the Illuminati and that I was running for president of the US. My life spiraled out of control. I’ve been to five detox centers and a psyche ward, and spent three months in an Adult Teen challenge program. Today, I am one year clean from marijuana and 90 days clean from alcohol. Medication is helping to a point, but I am struggling with depression and getting a job. I hope that with medication and God’s help, I can once again be a contributing member of society.
Register for this meeting at this link. Once registered, you will be sent a Zoom link to join the meeting that you can save to your calendar. You will not be required to register again if you have already registered for a previous Speakers Meeting. If you have any questions, please email us at info@everybrainmatters.org.
This meeting is free, but donations are welcome to increase our effort to support and advocate for families impacted by industrialized marijuana.
Link To Register
Meeting ID: 872 9417 0134
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Helping a Loved One with Cannabis-Induced Psychosis (CIP)
2024-04-16 19:00 - 20:00
In this presentation, Aubree Adams and Amber Moore will educate about cannabis-induced psychosis and provide personal stories, family resources, and practical tools to respond to a teen or loved one with CIP and pathways to recovery.
REGISTER HERE
Objectives: Participants will learn:
The signs and symptoms of cannabis-induced psychosis
How to provide a healthy environment.
Resources to take appropriate steps for support and recovery pathways.
Parenting tools to clearly and kindly respond to any negative or destructive behaviors.

Aubree Adams is the director of Every Brain Matters. She lived at ground zero of the marijuana expansion movement. Still, she found refuge in Houston, Texas, where she and her two sons joined a dynamic, enthusiastic recovery community where she became a host parent for youth in recovery. Aubree states that families and communities are unprepared for this era of industrialized marijuana that targets youth with flavored candies and vapes that provide a rapid and potent chemical assault to the brain. She is passionate about providing families with resources to prevent, manage, or recover from a child or young adult addicted or psychotic from cannabis.
Amber Moore is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and assistant director of Every Brain Matters. After experiencing first-hand the harmful mental and physical effects of cannabis, Amber became passionate about sharing scientific-based education with teens and families. She believes everyone has the right to be informed and know the truth about the harmful side effects of marijuana and industrialized THC products.
Amber’s mission is to spread both education and hope to individuals and families affected by marijuana.

REGISTER HERE

Vaping: Is History Repeating Itself? - Dr. Crystal Collier
2024-04-18 19:00
In this presentation, Dr. Crystal Collier will discuss capitalistic patterns of public health problems, why nicotine is so addictive, how vaping marijuana exacerbates the problem, and what parents and clinicians can do if young people start vaping.

REGISTER HERE

Objectives:
Participants will learn the historical patterns that influence public health disasters.
Participants will learn the effect of nicotine and marijuana on the brain.
Participants will learn coping mechanisms and behavior modification techniques to use with youth who vape.

Crystal Collier, PhD, herself a person in long-term recovery, is a therapist and educator whose comprehensive prevention model, which teaches the neurodevelopmental effects of risky behavior to students, school staff, and families, was selected for the Prevention and Education Commendation from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Dr. Collier received the Torch Bearer Award from the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals, Outstanding Research Award from the Association of Alternative Peer Groups, and voted Counselor of the Year by the Houston Counseling Association.
The Hope and Healing Center and Institute in Houston, TX, granted Dr. Collier a research fellowship to support the completion of The NeuroWhereAbouts Guide published in 2020. Her FOO Mapping workbook published in 2023, is designed for people who want to map the family-of-origin patterns that no longer serve them.
Since 1991, her clinical work focuses on adolescents and adults suffering from mental illness, behavioral problems and substance use disorders Her area of expertise includes adolescent neurodevelopment, prevention programming, parent coaching, addiction, family-of-origin work, and training new clinicians.
www.drcrystalcollier.com www.knowyourneuro.org

REGISTER HERE

Every Brain Matters Speakers Meeting - Pamela
2024-05-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Online Zoom Meeting
In this new era of industrialized THC, families need support and hope. Please join us on the first Friday of every month for messages of healing from the impacts of marijuana and the expanding drug crisis. There will be a Q&A at the end of each meeting. This meeting may be recorded at the presenter’s discretion.
This month, we feature Pamela.
Pamela will share how THC impacted her son’s health and changed her son into someone she no longer recognized. Learn how she responded to her son’s cannabis use disorder which led to cannabis-induced psychosis that led to unmotived and violent behaviors and extreme paranoia where he thought Nazis were all over Colorado. Pamela says it was a difficult journey, but “There is hope on the other side.”
Register for this meeting at this link. Once registered, you will be sent a Zoom link to join the meeting that you can save to your calendar. You will not be required to register again if you have already registered for a previous Speakers Meeting. If you have any questions, please email us at info@everybrainmatters.org.
This meeting is free, but donations are welcome to increase our effort to support and advocate for families impacted by industrialized marijuana.
Link To Register
Meeting ID: 872 9417 0134
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Every Brain Matters Monthly Speakers Meeting - We Have Our Son Back From Cannabis Psychosis
2024-06-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Online Zoom Meeting
In this new era of industrialized cannabis, families need support and hope.
This month, we learned from Mom and Dad O.
We are 60-something parents who came of age during the 1970s when cannabis use was no big deal. When our son began to use cannabis in his late teens during his early college years, we weren’t particularly concerned. But then we witnessed our kind-hearted, bright, outgoing, athletic son begin to develop odd behaviors that ultimately escalated into full-blown psychosis. This was around 2017, and there was very little information or support available for families struggling with a loved one suffering from Cannabis-Induced Psychosis (CIP). Frankly, we weren’t really sure if his psychotic behavior was entirely from cannabis, another drug use, or some organic disorder.
Over the years, our son has been involuntarily hospitalized twice and admitted to multiple rehab facilities. Every facility claimed to have a means to treat CIP but really, they were at a loss as to what to do with him, especially the earlier ones. We witnessed our son spiral further and further into his delusional mindset. We mourned for him as we watched him turn into someone we didn’t recognize.
During this time, we became involved with a 12-step support group, Families Anonymous (FA). Our involvement with FA provided us with the tools and mindset to cope with this unpredictable emotional roller coaster. It also connected us with wonderful resources and even more wonderful people, many of whom are now dear friends. We still attend our meetings.
It has been two years since our son returned home from his last inpatient treatment program. At that time, he was the most clear-headed we had seen in years. His mental clarity has continued, and he is once again thoroughly engaged in society, our family, and his future. He is on no medication. His clarity is from simply NOT USING CANNABIS. We have our son back.
This meeting will be recorded but not available to the public. The family will share this recording at their discretion for educational purposes and to maintain anonymity.
Register for this meeting at this link. Once registered, you will be sent a Zoom link to join the meeting that you can save to your calendar. You will not be required to register again if you have already registered for a previous Speakers Meeting. There will be a Q&A at the end of each meeting. If you have any questions, please email us at info@everybrainmatters.org.
This meeting is free, but donations are welcome to increase our effort to support and advocate for families impacted by industrialized marijuana.
Link To Register Brain
Meeting ID: 872 9417 0134
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Please join us on the second Wednesday of every month for messages of healing from the impacts of cannabis and the expanding drug crisis.

Wayfinders - A Empowering Workshop for Friends and Families Who Love Someone Living with Addiction
2024-06-15 10:00 - 13:00
Join us for an empowering workshop designed for friends and family who love someone living with addiction.
Gain valuable insights into the disease of addiction and equip yourself with practical skills for support and self-care. This workshop will delve into topics such as empathy, setting healthy boundaries, and fostering effective communication. Discover the power of emotional regulation and mindfulness, and explore how these practices can be integrated into daily life. Walk away with a deeper understanding, newfound knowledge, and tangible skills to navigate the challenges of loving someone with addiction.
Instructor:
Rachel Evans is a licensed clinical social worker and family therapist at the Center for Recovering Families at The Council on Recovery. Rachel supports people with substance use disorders and their families as they walk the road of recovery together. Varieties of services are used on this journey, including family sessions, groups, and workshops. Connection and security are two of her top values, and Rachel aims to bring that to her work. Rachel graduated with her Masters in Social Work from the University of Houston and continues to call Houston home.
REGISTER HERE

Wayfinders – A Empowering Workshop For Friends and Families Who Love someone Living with Addiction
2024-06-22 10:00 - 13:00

Every Brain Matters Monthly Speakers Meeting -Raquel Watkins-Jones-Rockstar Parenting
2024-07-10 19:00 - 20:00 | Online Zoom Meeting
In this new era of industrialized THC, families need support and hope.
Raquel Watkins-Jones is a dedicated professional coach specializing in family dynamics, parental support, adolescent development, and addiction recovery. She founded Rockstar Parenting™, Rockstar Teens™, and the “Lovin’ The Skin You’re In” Youth Empowerment Workshop™.
Raquel is devoted to equipping parents with the essential tools and strategies needed to serve as effective role models. She aims to cultivate a family legacy that will be honored by future generations. She is also passionate about aiding teens in their self-discovery and personal development, enhancing their self-esteem and self-worth. Raquel draws inspiration from her three remarkably resilient daughters and her beloved role as ‘Mama Roc’ to five grandchildren.
For additional information, please visit: www.rockstarparenting.com
Please join us on the second Wednesday of every month for messages of healing from the impacts of marijuana and the expanding drug crisis. There will be a Q&A at the end of each meeting. This meeting may be recorded at the presenter’s discretion.
Register for this meeting at this link. Once registered, you will be sent a Zoom link to join the meeting that you can save to your calendar. You will not be required to register again if you have already registered for a previous Speakers Meeting. If you have any questions, please email us at info@everybrainmatters.org.
This meeting is free, but donations are welcome to increase our effort to support and advocate for families impacted by industrialized marijuana.
Link To Register
Meeting ID: 872 9417 0134
Passcode: [REDACTED]
