Behavioral Health Today

Fear isn’t the enemy, it’s a messenger. And when we learn how to listen, we reclaim our power. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Dr. Vadim Dekhtyar, a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, and licensed NLP trainer with decades of experience helping individuals and organizations navigate fear, stress, and meaningful transformation. Dr. Vadim is the founder and director of the NLP Academy and has w...

Release is not recovery, unless we build a bridge. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon is joined by Dr. Joshua Hall, FAOAAM, to examine what it truly takes to rehabilitate substance use disorder at the moment people leave incarceration, when the risk of overdose and recidivism is highest. Dr. Hall is the Medical Director and Senior Quality Officer at Crossroads Treatment Center and Chief Medical Officer at T...

Child sexual abuse thrives in silence, but healing thrives in community. When survivors are seen, supported, and believed, resilience becomes possible. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Chris Yadon, Managing Director of Saprea, a nonprofit dedicated to liberating individuals and society from child sexual abuse and its lasting impacts through healing and prevention. As Saprea’s first employee...

Continuing education is required, but the way we earn it is evolving. In this episode of BHT Bytes, host Peter Fenger is joined by Sharlee Dixon to explore the growing shift toward podcast-based continuing education (CEs) for mental health professionals. If you’ve ever found yourself scrambling for credits, zoning out in long webinars, or wishing CE requirements fit better into real life, this conversat...

Stop chasing vague goals like “being healthier.” Real change starts when you discover your why, shift your mindset, and commit to progress, not perfection. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Dr. James Thompson, physician, author, and passionate advocate for transformational wellness. With more than 35 years of medical experience, Dr. Thompson’s own health journey took a powerful turn after a ...

Storytelling isn’t about explaining people, it’s about humanizing them so we can finally see each other. In this episode, Peter Fenger sits down with John Morgan, a filmmaker, social worker, and co-founder of Live Your Purpose Media, a storytelling platform rooted in healing, equality, and social justice. With more than a decade of experience in community mental health, including work in Akron’s public ...

SchoolPulse is reshaping student mental health by shifting from reactive crisis response to proactive, human-driven outreach. What began as a simple “check-in” text has evolved into an ongoing relationship, real people listening, supporting, and gently nudging students toward resilience long before challenges escalate. In this episode, Peter Fenger speaks with Iuri Melo, a licensed therapist with more t...

Infertility isn’t a failure, it’s a complex story your body is trying to tell, and you deserve someone who listens. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Dr. Gabriela Rosa. Gabriela is a renowned fertility specialist, reproductive health educator, and Harvard University awarded scholar, as well as a seasoned entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of The Rosa Institute, the world’s first fully ...

Change one person, change a community, that’s the quiet power behind resilience training. In this episode, Peter Fenger sits down with Andy Pierce, a Master Resilience Expert with a graduate degree in Performance Psychology and extensive experience helping people build mental strength and navigate adversity. Andy has trained elite Special Operations Soldiers, Army Rangers, adults in addiction recovery, ...

If 87% of profits come from 5% of gamblers, the game isn’t fair. It’s engineered. In this episode of BHT Bytes, hosts Sharlee Dixon and Peter Fenger take a compelling look at the rapid rise of sports betting and how it’s transforming our culture. Everywhere we turn, our phones, TVs, social feeds, even college campuses, gambling has become woven into the sports experience. But beneath the excitement and ...

Healing isn’t a rescue moment, it’s a long, supported journey. Survivors deserve time, safety, and people who show up. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Erin Williamson, the Chief Programs & Strategy Officer at Love146, a leading organization dedicated to preventing child trafficking and providing holistic, trauma-informed care for survivors. Erin brings more than two decades of experien...

Safe communities scale care: when people feel protected, they finally feel seen. In this episode, Peter Fenger sits down with Tamar Blue, Founder and CEO of MentalHappy, a pioneering health tech platform that brings peer-led emotional support to people from all walks of life. Tamar began her career in staffing and co-founded a successful HR tech company before pivoting to health innovation, driven by a ...

Teaching social skills isn’t just about steps, it’s about helping kids understand why connection matters and how to cope when things don’t go as planned. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Melissa Connor-Santos, MA, BCBA, Founder and CEO of Oceanview Behavior Solutions and a nationally recognized expert in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). With over ...

Comfort numbs us. Connection heals us. In this episode, Peter Fenger sits down with Mo Edjlali, founder and CEO of Mindful Leader, the world’s largest provider of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training. A former computer engineer with a career that began at NASA and in the tech world, Mo turned to mindfulness after a startup collapse forced him to confront life, loss, and what really matters...

Grief doesn’t shrink, we grow around it. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Amy Pickett-Williams, LCSW, a seasoned psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience specializing in grief, trauma, and somatic therapy. She is the founder of LIGHT (Love In Grief, Held Together), a movement rooted in collective care, accessible healing, and the integration of mind, body, and spirit. In addition to...

In this episode of BHT Bytes, hosts Peter Fenger and Sharlee Dixon dive into the world of peer recovery specialists, the unsung heroes of addiction and mental health recovery. These are people who’ve lived through substance use challenges themselves or supported loved ones through them, and now use that experience to guide others toward healing and stability. With over 49 million Americans reporting sub...

Wellness isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s about creating habits that feel good, fit your rhythm, and truly stick. In this episode, Peter Fenger sits down with Andrea Leigh Rogers, wellness entrepreneur, celebrity trainer, and creator of the global fitness phenomenon Xtend, a dynamic blend of Pilates, ballet, and cardio. Andrea’s uplifting approach and expertise have been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar,...

One coached moment can transform a lifetime of connection. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Dr. Alisa Bahl, a clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Virginia. Dr. Bahl specializes in child and adolescent psychology and works within UVA Children’s Hospital and UVA Medical Center, focusing on neurodevelopmental and behavioral pediatr...

In every neurofeedback session, the brain rediscovers its own intelligence. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Dr. Amy Albright, CEO and Head Facilitator at Holon, where science meets spirit to unlock the brain’s fullest potential. With over two decades of experience transforming lives and guiding organizations toward exponential growth, Amy brings a rare synthesis of executive strategy, cogn...