Behavioral Health Today

Resilience isn’t about never falling. It’s about learning, adapting, and choosing hope, every time. In this episode, host Peter Fenger speaks with Andy Pierce, Resilience Expert and founder of iBounceUp, a Honolulu-based nonprofit transforming lives in at-risk communities. Andy brings a Master's degree in Performance Psychology and extensive experience working with elite Special Operations Soldiers, Arm...

Psychedelics offer a fresh snowfall over old patterns, but only you can decide how to sled down the mountain. Education and community are essential guides for that journey. In this episode, host Sharlee Dixon speaks with Linden Schaffer, an award-winning wellness entrepreneur, bestselling author, and expert with over 20 years of experience in the wellness and psychedelic spaces. Linden is the founder of...

Coaches don’t pave the road to recovery; they walk beside you, helping you rediscover purpose, strength, and resilience. In this episode, host Peter Fenger speaks with Dr. Traci Sweet and Emilee Beck of Holon Health. Traci, Co-Founder and COO, brings over 30 years of experience pioneering innovative approaches in behavioral health and substance use treatment. She has been a leader in breaking down barri...

Community Health Partners bridge the gap between the healthcare system and the people it too often leaves behind. In this episode, host Sharlee Dixon speaks with Ruby Mehta, Head of Behavioral Health at Cityblock. Ruby’s journey from investment banker to clinical social worker gives her a rare blend of financial acumen and clinical expertise. She brings years of experience in strategy, operations, and d...

Helping people help people has always been at the heart of what we do, and reaching 400 episodes is only possible because of you, our listeners. In this milestone episode of BHT Bytes, host Peter Fenger and co-host Sharlee Dixon pause to reflect on the journey so far: where we began, how the show has evolved, and the memories that have shaped us along the way. From producing to hosting, from weekly conv...

Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy gives the inner child a chance to finally be heard and healed. In this episode, host Sharlee Dixon sits down with Judi Vitale, a writer, speaker, and empowerment coach with more than 30 years of experience helping people discover their inner strength and live authentically. Judi’s horoscopes have been featured in Marie Claire, Redbook, Seventeen.com, and Tarot.com. She is cer...

Healing babies begins with healing families. In this episode, host Sharlee Dixon welcomes Tara Sundem, Co-Founder of Hushabye Nursery and a nationally recognized advocate for neonatal wellness. With over 27 years in neonatal nursing—18 as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner—Tara has devoted her career to transforming care for substance-exposed infants and their parents. Specializing in Neonatal Abstinence Syn...

True abundance begins when we stop chasing and start embracing who we already are. In this episode, host Peter Fenger sits down with Dr. Bob Rosen, a world-renowned psychologist, bestselling author, and expert in personal and organizational transformation. Bob holds a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and teaches at George Washington University’s School of Medicine. As founder...

Wellness is more than weight, and health is more than numbers. In this episode of BHT Bytes, host Sharlee Dixon is joined by Peter Fenger to unpack the complex intersections of diet culture, body image, and mental health. From the rise of weight-loss fads in the ’80s and ’90s to the emergence of body positivity and fat visibility movements, we trace how cultural messages about size and health have shape...

How much influence does your body really have on your happiness? More than you might think. Small, science-backed shifts in the way we move, sit, or shape our environment can unlock profound changes in mood, creativity, and wellbeing. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Janice Kaplan, New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and former Editor-in-Chief of Parade. Janice has devoted her ca...

Most people have experienced what Mallary Tenore Tarpley calls “the middle place,” even if they never had a name for it. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon talks with Mallary, author of “SLIP: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery”. In her deeply personal and powerfully researched debut, Mallary blends her own story of anorexia and grief, beginning with the loss of her mother, with interviews from ...

When mental health is integrated into primary care, patients are less likely to fall through the cracks. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon speaks with Erik Osland, co-founder and CEO of evolvedMD, a company redefining how behavioral health is delivered. With a background as a corporate leader turned serial entrepreneur, Erik has built and led multiple successful healthcare ventures, including a clinical la...

When we treat minds, bodies, and communities together, we don’t just reduce harm, we build hope. In this episode, Peter Fenger sits down with Dr. Traci Sweet, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Holon Health. With more than 30 years of experience driving innovation in behavioral health and substance use treatment, Traci has been a leading force behind integrated care models that truly serve unders...

Belonging, feedback, and trust aren’t soft skills. They’re the foundation of strong, high-performing teams. In this episode, Peter Fenger talks with Vanessa Druskat, associate professor of Organizational Behavior and Management at the University of New Hampshire and a leading expert on team performance and leadership. Vanessa is the author of The Emotionally Intelligent Team: Building Collaborative Grou...

Mental wellness is no longer just a plot twist—it’s the story itself. In this episode of BHT Bytes, hosts Peter Fenger and Sharlee Dixon explore how our work overlaps with the films, TV shows, and music we consume, especially when it comes to mental health. We’ve both seen it move from punchline or surprise reveal to something central, human, even heroic. Think back to horror-movie “madness” in the 1970...

Technology should serve the mission rather than take the lead. When guided by compassion, strategy, and inclusion, AI becomes a teammate instead of a threat. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon welcomes Sheetal Shah, founder and CEO of MettaHealth Partners, a consulting firm dedicated to helping public health and social service organizations navigate digital transformation with both compassion and efficiency...

Ketamine creates the space to see your truth, but its integration that transforms that truth into lasting change. In this episode, host Peter Fenger is joined by Christi Myers, Founder and CEO of Flow Integrative®, a pioneering Ketamine Infusion center focused on expanding access to psychedelic-assisted therapy. With nearly 20 years of experience as a paramedic, Christi has served in high-impact roles, ...

Float therapy isn’t an escape—it’s a return: to your body, your breath, and your baseline. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon speaks with Dr. Katelyn Lehman, a pioneering psychologist and founder of Quantum Clinic, a Los Angeles-based wellness center at the forefront of heart-brain coherence and nervous system healing. Recognized by Goop, the LA Times, NBC, and Beverly Hills Times, Dr. Lehman is leading a m...

Overdose prevention starts before the crisis, with compassion, planning, and real-world tools that save lives upstream. In this episode, Sharlee Dixon sits down with Dr. Jorge Petit and Leah Harris from Zero Overdose, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing overdose deaths through education, empowerment, and harm reduction. Dr. Jorge Petit, Strategy and Development Officer at Zero Overdose, brings ...