Welcome to another episode of the Say Goodbye and Imagine Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re diving into a topic we don’t often explore: family dynamics and how they intersect with mental health and substance use. Our guest, Dr. Brian Licuanan, is a board-certified psychologist, family crisis strategist, and author with nearly 20 years of clinical experience. He’s here to share his expertise on understanding family dynamics, overcoming stigma, and helping loved ones get the support they need.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, don’t forget to like, follow, and share it with others. Your support helps us reach more people and spread valuable insights!
Our podcast episodes cover a wide variety of topics under the umbrellas of faith, so if you're just now listening for the first time, step back into our catalog when you get a moment. Say Goodbye and Imagine!
Rose Ann Forte is also the author of The Plans He Has For Me! This book and devotional helps anyone tackle their internal desire to remove alcohol's consistency in their lives and not replace it, but put yourself past the needs that drove you to a damaging habit, even if that wasn't alcohol.

About Dr. Brian Licuanan:
Dr. Brian Licuanan is a renowned psychologist practicing in Southern California, specializing in mental health and substance use disorders. With nearly two decades of experience, he has worked with highly acute clients and facilitated support groups for families in crisis. Dr. Laquanen is also a sought-after speaker and media personality, having appeared on The Doctor Show, Dr. Drew, Fox News, KTLA News, and more. He is the author of How to Get Your Resisting Loved One Into Treatment, a groundbreaking book that offers practical strategies for families navigating dysfunction and substance use.

0:00 Understanding Family Dynamics in Substance Use and Recovery
6:00 Destigmatizing Mental Health Through Awareness and Personal Stories
15:00 The Power of Hope in Recovery and Personal Growth
17:00 Family Healing Requires Unified Effort and Shared Responsibility
22:00 The Difference Between Willpower and True Sobriety
27:00 The Power and Limits of Neuroplasticity in Healing and Change
32:00 Understanding Disease and Language in Addiction Recovery
39:00 Balancing Assertive Love and Empowerment in Addiction Recovery
44:00 Balancing Love and Boundaries in Supporting Loved Ones
48:00 Navigating Substance Challenges and Adult Responsibilities
49:00 The Impact of Untreated Mental Health on Families
55:00 Respecting the Power and Choices in Addiction Management
58:00 Getting Resistant Loved Ones Into Treatment

Connect with Dr. Licuanan

1) Website: drbrianlicuanan.com
2) Instagram: @drlicuanan
TikTok: @drlicuanan
YouTube: @drbrianlicuanan
Amazon book link: https://www.amazon.com/Resisting-Loved-Treatment-Step-Step/dp/B0CY9W9S5W

Find Choose Freedom, The Plans He Has For Me, and Say Goodbye and Imagine across the web. Rose Ann Forte is working on even more support for anyone who finds themselves wanting to separate from unhealthy ways of life, including, but not limited to, sugar, food, drugs, alcohol, gambling, and other habits you yourself have deemed inconducive to your desired way of life. That's the core of Say Goodbye and Imagine. Imagine what your life will be like once you've said Goodbye to the habits that held you back.

Find accompanying content and free resources on our blog!

We've been deemed a top 10% podcast in January 2025 per iHeartRadio.

Thank you for joining us for Episode 47 where we discuss what happens to a family when alcohol becomes a significant problem?

Discussing alcohol and its impact on your family internally? Check out the rest of choosefreedom.today for more helpful content, books, or programs that have helped others.

This week's guest, Pastor Jack Hawkins returns to share his own personal story of his childhood and how alcohol impacted his family. He opens up about his past, the profound impact of his father's drinking, and how faith played a crucial role in his healing journey.

Together, they explore themes of forgiveness, healing from familial wounds, and the transformative power of faith. Jack also shares insights from his upcoming book, "Your Picture is on His Refrigerator," which delves into understanding a loving God amid past traumas. This episode offers hope and guidance for those navigating the complexities of family and faith.

If you are enjoying the information and this show, make sure you like, follow it and you share it so more people find out about this important subject

Follow Jack: https://jackhawkins.net/

As we near 50 episodes, we'd like to welcome everyone to who has just discovered Say Goodbye and Imagine to head back and listen (or watch) our large and still growing collection of discussions surrounding the problems and consequences of alcohol use, as well as the benefits of alcohol freedom. Pastor Jack has been nothing short of a wonderful guest, and you'll find many more, including doctors, counselors, and professors.

Find the full library of our podcasts here on ChooseFreedom.Today by visiting our Say Goodbye And Imagine Podcast page. Thank you for joining us, we hope you'll stick around for our next intriguing episode.

#podcast #alcoholfreedom #faith #wellness #pastor #wellnessjourney #dryjanuary

Ep 46 - This week we have such a great topic, the neurobiology of alcohol use disorder and how it progresses, and what is going on in your brain and when it turns into something called addiction, We then get to where you need medical attention, and we have an expert to talk to us about it all, Dr. Holly Geyer.

She is an associate professor of medicine and consultant in the division of hospital internal internal medicine at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.

On this episode -

04:11 Understanding Substance and Alcohol Use Disorder
06:35 The Biology of Substance Use Disorder
07:30 The Evolution of Treatment
10:52 The Role of Faith and Science in Recovery
15:19 Pathways to Substance Use Disorder
20:17 The Brain's Rewiring Process
25:53 Understanding Opioids
26:55 The Hijacking of the Brain
28:58 The Persistence of Brain Changes
31:25 The Role of Spirituality in Recovery
33:01 Transfer of Addictions
37:40 Rewiring the Brain
39:07 The Importance of Community and Positivity
44:41 Navigating Treatment and Recovery

Substance Use Disorder Progression -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oNTC1N5IqRy19VykCIh9ygk-ZT5dy_4w/view?usp=drive_link

NIAAA Goals in Research -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wsVLN7HwvK_9JcCJvq6YGybZ8BNe7eW1/view?usp=drive_link

Dr. Geyer is dual board certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine and serves as chair of the opioid stewardship program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, as well as serving as the medical director of occupational health. She is the author of the newly published Ending the Crisis, Mayo Clinic's Guide to Opioid Addiction and Safe Opioid Use.

Dr. Geyer's research focuses on safe use of opioids and the impact of various treatment regimens on patient quality of life, particularly in cancer populations. She has given presentations both nationally and internationally and has authored more than 120 journal articles book chapters and abstracts.

She also serves as a reviewer for permanent scientific publications. She has experience serving on Arizona Medical Association Legislative Committee and has assisted with state law opioid policy development at both the Arizona Department of Health and state legislature.

Her clinical focus includes:

• Management of complex illnesses in hospitalized patients
• Safe opioid prescribing at an institutional and state level with emphasis on government interface and policymaking
• Addiction screening, evaluation and treatment in hospitalized patients with concern for Substance Use Disorder
• Quality of life assessment and optimization of non-pharmacological interventions for cancer and palliative care disease burden with a particular focus on Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs)
• Supervising AZ Division of Hospital Internal Medicine research and quality improvement projects to ensure high quality patient care, enhance treatment protocols and streamline institutional processes

In addition to her clinical activities, Dr. Geyer is active in research, patient advocacy and healthcare policy at an enterprise and state level. She is well published in high-impact scientific journals and book chapters, and maintains an active international lecture schedule. She additionally serves as a Physician Director of the Mayo Clinic Physician Assistant Fellowship program.

Whenever I have a medical professional on the show - the content of this podcast is is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of individual guests and do not constitute medical advice. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health care professional with any questions you may have regarding your health, medical conditions or treatments, never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you've heard on this podcast.

I also want to say that if you are enjoying the information make sure you like, follow it and you share it so more people find out about this important subject.

#podcast #alcoholfreedom #faith #wellness

Ep 45 - We have a special guest with us today: Dr. Aaron Weiner. Dr. Weiner is a board-certified psychologist and addiction specialist who works nationally on addiction, behavioral health, and the impact of drug policies on public health. His expertise comes from directing hospital addiction services, along with experience in private practice, combining clinical experience with current research.

Because we're interviewing a doctor today, I wanted to give you a quick disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.

The views and opinions expressed are those of individual guests and do not constitute medical advice. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding your health, medical conditions, or treatments. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it based on something you heard on this podcast.

And if you enjoy the content in this episode, please help us spread the word by liking, sharing, and following the podcast. It really helps get the word out. Thanks!

Dr. Weiner is also a past president of the Society of Addiction Psychology and serves as an addiction policy advisor for the American Psychological Association. He’s on the Science Advisory Board for the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions, and his insights have been featured in Newsweek, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, The Guardian, Psychology Today, and The New York Times.

Welcome, Dr. Weiner! It’s so great to have you with us. Today, we’re going to discuss levels of care, we want people to understand when someone might need a different level of care and how to be aware of where they are on that spectrum. For example, some people may have a habit like drinking one or two drinks a day. Sometimes that requires a higher level of care, and sometimes it doesn’t. We’re all unique, and it’s important to know when something might need more attention.

Dr. Aaron Weiner's website
https://www.weinerphd.com/

Say Goodbye And Imagine shares the firsthand victories of those who have broken free from the psychological slavery of alcohol or other substances. Our greatest hope is to share these stories of triumph so you can draw inspiration and courage from their stories. But our podcast doesn't just offer hope—it showcases the real, tangible outcomes of lives transformed by faith and the collective strength of a community that believes in second chances.

Warning: our Say Goodbye And Imagine podcast is a little different. We don’t use words that create shame or a negative identity. So, in our podcast we don’t use vocabulary like alcoholic or alcoholism, alcohol addiction or alcohol recovery, recovery or recovering, sober or sobriety, addict or addiction, powerless or powerlessness, and other words that take away our identity in God. Since we are remade in the image of God, we seek an identity that is empowering through Him. Although we respect and honor groups like AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), Celebrate Recovery, and sober rehabilitation centers, our topics tend to be very individual, focusing on the unique journey of each participant. What is not unique is the common thread of the power of the Holy Spirit at work in each episode.

If you desire to quit drinking or have been searching for ways to reconnect with God, then please tune in. Hear the amazing success stories of Christians just like you who decided to choose freedom from alcohol or other substances. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Rose Ann Forte is the host of Say Goodbye and Imagine. Rose Ann had reached a point in her own life when she realized that alcohol was stealing from her and understood that God had a much better plan for her. Today she is the bestselling author of The Plans He has for Me Daily Devotional. Through her podcast, blog articles, books, public speaking, Choose Freedom Program, YouTube and TikTok videos, and Choose Freedom coaching and church mentor programs, Rose Ann loves to share her experience of transformation with others and discuss the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s foundational principles behind renewing your mind.

Ep 44 - Welcome to the Say Goodbye and Imagine Podcast. I am Rose Ann Forte, your host and the author of The Plans He Has For Me daily devotional and the creator of the Choose Freedom program that helps people change their relationships with alcohol and other toxic substances.

We are doing a special episode and releasing a week early this year, because we want to make sure that people are preparing for all their upcoming holiday events coming up.

We have Thanksgiving, we have Christmas parties, we have Christmas, we have New Year's Eve, so we're going to talk about mindset and getting ready for those events.

Christmas events or summer barbecues - everything we talk about is applicable to every event that you go to, but especially the upcoming holidays and the potential family challenges.

This season can be so challenging, but we are making it less challenging by giving you some very applicable tips and strategies.

Resources mentioned -
The alcohol free advent calendar & holiday tips
https://winning-producer-8663.kit.com/d9cc97707a

Ep 43 - Welcome to another episode of the Say Goodbye and Imagine podcast. I'm Rose Ann Forte, your host, and I'm the author of the daily devotional called Plans He Has for Me, and the creator of the Choose Freedom program, which is a program that helps people change their relationship with alcohol and other toxic substances.

Today I'm super excited about my guest Dr. Karl Benzio, He's got a pretty incredible story and background that I'm excited to have him share with you.

If you are someone who's following this podcast and enjoying the show, please let others know about it, and like and subscribe to the channel. This is how people get to find out about the work that we're doing - helping people and getting some hope around, and showing what life can be like when they remove a toxic substance from it.

Dr. Karl is a board certified Christian psychiatrist whose expertise in decision making science has helped many patients transform their minds by practically integrating cutting edge psychiatric science with Jesus centered biblical truths.

With 35 years in the field, Karl has developed key insights and curriculum to empower people to renew their mind by becoming consistent, godly decision makers. His God given mission is to reignite the behavioral health revolution Jesus started to combat the behavioral health pandemic of anxiety, depression, addiction, and suicide.

When he's not treating, teaching, speaking, writing, performing, media interviews, he serves many churches and ministries, including the Children's Medical and Dental Association, Focus on the Family, Mental Health Collective, Liberty University, as well as many others.

Karl and I met a little over a year ago at the American Association of Christian Counselors. And with 7,000 people there I meet Dr. Karl Benzio, which has been a gift and a blessing as we got to know each other and our loves for marrying scripture and science for me in the world of addiction for you and the world of many other things.

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes, only the views and opinions expressed are those of individual guests and do not constitute medical advice. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding your health, medical conditions, or treatments. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

Connect with Dr. Karl here -

https://www.honeylake.clinic/

Ep 42 - This is the Say Goodbye and Imagine podcast! I’m Rose Ann Forte, the author of the daily devotional The Plans He Has for Me and the creator of the Choose Freedom course, designed to help people change their relationship with alcohol and other substances.

Welcome to part two of my interview with Dr.Parsons from Amen Clinics – Today we are going through the results of my brain scan. I want to share openly about what my history was and where I am. I wish I had the before scan because I know itwould have would have looked different.

before we start, I just want to tell you a little about Dr. Parsons. She graduated from medical school from Wayne State University in Michigan. She practiced in various settings including, um, consult liaison and medical floors and emergency departments, inpatient psychiatry, Uh, medical director for the largest community mental health center in Northern Arizona.

She is an addiction. She does addiction and recovery work, including detox, residential, and outpatient. She also runs a private practice with a primary focus on holistic care. And I said it last time, I'll say it again. I love it. And you're going to see some of that in action in this, uh, in this podcast. Um, Dr.

Parsons is passionate about helping to end the stigma of mental illness. Oh my goodness. Amen. Bless you for doing this work. Um, and again, before we start the content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individual guests and do not constitute medical advice.

Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding your health, medical conditions, or treatments. Never disregard professional medical advice. Or delay and seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast. And, uh, one last thing, if you are enjoying this podcast, make sure to like it, follow it and recommend it to other people because that's how people will find out about

Say Goodbye And Imagine shares the firsthand victories of those who have broken free from the psychological slavery of alcohol or other substances. Our greatest hope is to share these stories of triumph so you can draw inspiration and courage from their stories. But our podcast doesn't just offer hope—it showcases the real, tangible outcomes of lives transformed by faith and the collective strength of a community that believes in second chances.

Warning: our Say Goodbye And Imagine podcast is a little different. We don’t use words that create shame or a negative identity. So, in our podcast we don’t use vocabulary like alcoholic or alcoholism, alcohol addiction or alcohol recovery, recovery or recovering, sober or sobriety, addict or addiction, powerless or powerlessness, and other words that take away our identity in God. Since we are remade in the image of God, we seek an identity that is empowering through Him. Although we respect and honor groups like AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), Celebrate Recovery, and sober rehabilitation centers, our topics tend to be very individual, focusing on the unique journey of each participant. What is not unique is the common thread of the power of the Holy Spirit at work in each episode.

If you desire to quit drinking or have been searching for ways to reconnect with God, then please tune in. Hear the amazing success stories of Christians just like you who decided to choose freedom from alcohol or other substances. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Rose Ann Forte is the host of Say Goodbye and Imagine. Rose Ann had reached a point in her own life when she realized that alcohol was stealing from her and understood that God had a much better plan for her. Today she is the bestselling author of The Plans He has for Me Daily Devotional. Through her podcast, blog articles, books, public speaking, Choose Freedom Program, YouTube and TikTok videos, and Choose Freedom coaching and church mentor programs, Rose Ann loves to share her experience of transformation with others and discuss the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s foundational principles behind renewing your mind.