Shows
Outer Circle Inner StillnessParents, God, Recovery, and Viktor Frankl - with Ken OvitzWhat is recovery all about?What is the role of spirituality in recovery, and what is the role of our childhood experiences of our parents in our spirituality? In today’s episode, I interview Ken Ovitz, fellow counselor and spiritual pilgrim, about recovery, spirituality, how our parents shape our understanding of God, and how we need each other to really thrive. We talk about how recovery is about creating a sacred space that cultivates intimacy and vulnerability and enough authenticity to allow people to be themselves and come together. Along the way, we make references to...
2025-10-0249 min
Outer Circle Inner StillnessHow to Teach (and practice) Empathy, with Trevor Hill Today I interview Trevor Hill, a sex-addiction therapist, and student of clinical sexology, from Little Rock, Arkansas. We reflect on the lingering legacy of Purity Culture, and how that has contributed to sexual shame, and how shame drives addiction. Then we explore practices of empathy and acceptance and how these can help to overcome shame in early recovery. Along the way, we reflect on our experiences of being addiction counselors while being ourselves in recovery.The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from listeners, patrons...
2025-09-2458 min
Outer Circle Inner StillnessGood Will Hunting, the movie reviewHere we review our favorite ever counseling movie!"Good Will Hunting," is the story of Will, who is a brilliant and very angry under-achiever and Sean, his unconventional and relentlessly compassionate counselor, and the healing journey the undertake together. The story explores issues of trust, connection, trauma, humility, and the absolute vitality of human relationship.We watch this movie as lovers of film, commenting on the screenwriting, the acting, the Boston Accents, and much more, concluding that this is indeed a cinematic masterpiece.We also watch this movie as counselors and pore over...
2025-08-221h 18Outer Circle Inner StillnessA Kingdom of Conscience - Rhys and Caleb's MOVIE REVIEW OF Kingdom of HeavenWhat can we learn about the inner life from a 2005 epic film about the Crusades?Check out our discussion and find out!Rhys and Caleb delve deep into their loves of story, film, history, faith, and the journey towards inner peace to unpack the layers of meaning in this highly under-rated director's cut of a Ridley Scott film.The story is simple - follow the lowly blacksmith Balian as his long lost knight-of-a-father reclaims him and ushers him into the crusades. Travel to Jerusalem, supposedly the source of all healing and forgiveness, and...
2025-04-101h 12
Outer Circle Inner StillnessSpiritual Recovery meets Eastern Medicine, with Elizabeth PasimioHealing takes many forms, and many of those forms combine well to bring out their best parts! Elizabeth's healing journey has taken her through the 12 Steps, naturopathic healing, eastern medicine, and Christianity. Through her own journey of healing and learning to love herself, she has also learned much about healing others.In our conversation today, I add in my own experiences of Recovery, the 12 Steps, Orthodox Christianity, and we talk about the daily practices in all areas of our life that we need for good growth.Listen along for insightful and practical perspectives from a...
2025-04-071h 05Outer Circle Inner StillnessInside Out 2 | Movie REVIEW!Join us for our dive into Inside Out 2, Pixar’s latest exploration of emotions, identity, and mental health. In this discussion, we analyze the film’s portrayal of anxiety, self-concept, and emotional growth as Riley navigates the challenges of adolescence. With insights from professional counselors, we break down how the movie captures the complexity of the inner world, the transition from childhood to adolescence, and the role of emotions like anxiety, envy, and embarrassment.
We’ll also touch on whether Inside Out 2 is suitable for kids, how it compares to the first film, and what valuable takeaways it off...
2025-01-2544 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessRecovery Road Trip | Patti ClarkIn this special episode of Outer Circle Inner Stillness, we sit down with author and recovery advocate Patti Clark. Patti shares her deeply personal experiences, spanning decades, including relapses, reconnecting with herself, and building a fulfilling life in recovery. We delve into the challenges and nuances of recovery, particularly the unique experiences of women, and the creative tools and practices Patti has embraced along the way. From journaling to multi-addiction meetings, Patti offers hope, practical wisdom, and inspiration for anyone navigating the complexities of recovery. This is a conversation about resilience, growth, and the power of connection—perfect for an...
2025-01-0859 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessHow To Make Friends as a Man | Ahshuwah HawthorneWhen we were small, we could go out to the swings or share toy cars, and we were friends. Later, we could sit together for hours—maybe talking, playing games, or simply enjoying each other’s company in silence. We weren’t afraid to be ourselves or to open up to others. Or maybe we were, and the problem only grew worse. Now, as adults, we find ourselves freakishly busy, terribly lonely, desperately wanting to see and be seen, to love and be loved... but how?
Ahshuwah Hawthorne has spent his entire adult life building bridges—between people...
2024-11-261h 02Outer Circle Inner StillnessTrauma Made Me Funny | Toni HammerIn this heartfelt and humorous episode, Rhy’s sits down with his longtime friend Toni Hammer, to explore the unexpected intersection of trauma, humor, and mental health. Tony shares her journey of using humor as a coping mechanism for anxiety and depression, discussing the balance between self-deprecation and self-awareness. Together, they delve into the complexities of using humor in the healing process, the importance of connection, and finding hope amidst challenges. This episode offers a fresh perspective on finding light in dark times.
The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from li...
2024-11-2046 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessA Mindful Recovery | Darrin FordIn this conversation, licensed therapist Darrin Ford shares his journey from skeptic to advocate of mindfulness practices in recovery. Drawing from 20 years of clinical experience and his own recovery journey, Ford explores how mindfulness can help break destructive patterns and foster authentic self-discovery. He discusses the science behind meditation's effectiveness, dispels common misconceptions, and offers practical insights for integrating mindfulness into daily life. Whether you're in recovery, a helping professional, or simply curious about mindfulness, this episode provides valuable perspectives on using meditation as a tool for healing and personal growth.
The Outer Circle...
2024-11-1949 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessFrom Object to Icon BOOK STUDY | Week 4In week four of the Object To Icon Book Study , Rhys explores how we move from objectification to authentic human connection. This episode tackles the challenging journey of removing our protective masks and creating spaces for genuine vulnerability. Rhys shares insights from both Orthodox Christian tradition and contemporary counseling approaches, offering practical wisdom on:
Understanding our tendency to objectify others and ourselves
The delicate balance between vulnerability and boundaries
How to practice "levels of disclosure" in different relationships
Techniques for being present with others' pain without trying to fix it
2024-11-1542 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessThe Venerable Veterans | Conrad LipicRhys Pasimio welcomes Conrad Lipic, a combat veteran and therapist based in Fairbanks, Alaska. Together they explore the complex challenges faced by military personnel transitioning to civilian life, discussing healthy masculinity, addiction recovery, and the journey toward emotional wholeness. Conrad shares valuable insights on helping veterans reconnect with themselves and society, offering a unique perspective that bridges military experience with therapeutic practice.
The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from listeners, patrons, likes, and shares. To learn more about how to support the podcast, visit his patreon.
Rhys Pasimio can be...
2024-11-1145 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessFrom Combat to Counseling | Matt RensiRhys Pasimio sits down with Matt Rensi, a licensed clinical counselor and Marine Corps veteran, to explore the challenges faced by military personnel during their transition to civilian life. Matt shares his personal experiences of combat, the struggles of re-adjusting to a new reality, and the mental health challenges veterans often encounter. Together, they discuss the importance of structured support, community engagement, therapy, and the healing power of spirituality and a connection to God in the recovery process. Whether you are a veteran or someone interested in mental health, this episode offers profound insights into the journey from trauma...
2024-11-1158 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessDyad Responses to PornThe opposite of objectification is curiosity.
In this episode, I discuss how we can respond to pornography and the "pornified mind," in the context of relationships. In marriages, courtships, dating, friendships, and other encounters with people, we are susceptible to objectifying the other person, missing the Image of God, and deeply damaging ourselves and the other person. What should we do instead?
My suggestion is that curiosity, the discipline of seeking to truly see and wonder about the other, is central to preserving their humanity.
Further, any time I encounter...
2024-09-1820 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessFrom Object to Icon BOOK STUDY | Week 3In this week's discussion we tackle two main topics.
1 - we cover chapters 7-9 which explore the softening of masks into veils. These chapters are about how to open up to others safely, and how to see others gently. As in most things, we should be wary of extremes, and seek to be gentle and mutual in our opening up to each other. Here we talk about some of the ways the sacrament of Confession is especially powerful.
2 - How to talk to our kids about sex! This is a topic I've...
2024-09-1333 min
Outer Circle Inner StillnessIndividual Responses to a Pornified WorldRecently my community did a group study of the book From Object to Icon by Andrew Williams. In this study, we talked at length about iconography and veneration and how these phenomena should inform our relationships.
We also talked about objectification and pornification as the inverse of the holy seeing-the-humanity-of-the-other.
Recognizing that pornography, and a pornographic mindset, create myriad problems in the world, I created a parallel discussion about how to respond to pornography in practical ways.
In this episode, I discuss responses on an individual level.
Let me know your...
2024-09-1125 min
Outer Circle Inner StillnessFrom Object to Icon BOOK STUDY | Week 2First, apologies that there is no week 1.
Recently I hosted a study of the book From Object to Icon, by Andrew Williams.
Andrew Williams is an Orthodox Christian, and a graduate of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and Oxford University, and the host of the podcast "Finding the Freedom to Live in the Image of God."
Williams says, "The icon is central in our relationship with God; it is a source of healing and sanctification, and through it we can transcend the 'Things and facts of an objectivized and naturalized world...
2024-09-0632 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessHow to Talk to Your Kids About the Internet (and Pornography) | PART TWOWe started with the internet and a question about how to best prepare our kids to navigate the online world.
Now, we talk about pornography. Central to all of our concerns about our kids is the very present reality that kids get hurt, exploited, disconnected, and overwhelmed by digital and online content every day. It's not just about pornography...but we recognize that porn and sexual content has a particular prominence amongst the dangers to our kids found on the internet.
So then, we who are dads, and counselors, and most of us specifically trained...
2024-07-0846 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessHow to Talk to Your Kids about the Internet | PART ONEHow will you talk to your kids about the internet and devices? What kind of parameters will you set and why? What do you see are the benefits and risks of giving developing humans access to the maelstrom that is the online world?
In particular, how will you equip your kids in preparation for inevitable exposure to pornography?
I asked these questions of a group of dads who are also counselors, most of whom also specialize in sex and porn addiction. And thus, this conversation was born!
...
2024-07-0142 min
Outer Circle Inner StillnessHealing for High Conflict Couples | Jeremiah Peck All couples have problems, and sometimes they are problems the couple cannot solve on their own. How can a couple begin to thrive when they are feeling stagnant? How can a couple survive the very difficult times? How can a couple heal after lethal wounds such as infidelity and betrayal?
Some couples go to counseling because they are doing well adn want to go from good to better. Others go to counseling because they need(and are able to use) some good tools.
Then there are the couples who have deeply wounded each other, often m...
2024-06-1040 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessHow to Save Your Marriage | Matt Droguett
Matt Droguett is a Life Consultant and Self-Sabotage expert who is passionate about encouraging men in living whole and healthy lives, and who firmly believes in the importance of doing his own inner work.
Hailing from the Hawaiian islands, he brings his experience, expertise, and attention to men caught in patterns of sabotaging their marriage, particularly through use of pornography. His dream is to see emotionally healthy people go viral.
As is our custom, we talk about recovery - Matt’s passion is not about helping men quit using porn; what he wants is...
2024-05-2249 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessIn Support of Armed Forces | Conrad Lipic
Contains explicit content - language, brief descriptions of war
Sobriety is challenging, even in the best of times for well-resourced civilians. Some folks struggle more, among them, our armed forces.
Soldiers in all branches of the military face a kind of stress that can only truly be understood by another soldier. Returning veterans carry unique burdens that can seem frightening and mysterious to those observing. Imagine what they are like for the people carrying them!
We can observe that addiction, particularly compulsive sexual behavior, is common among the...
2024-04-1758 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessA Counselor's Perspective on How to Make the Spiritual Life Useful | Christian GonzalezChristian Gonzalez and Rhys Pasimio bring together clinical expertise, a shared love of Internal Family Systems, and the traditions of the Orthodox Church into one conversation about how to cultivate a healthy inner life.
Our center is on the person of Jesus Christ, but we talk about the difference between an intellectual understanding that may or may not make sense, and a tangible daily lived experience.
Orthodoxy offers a “Beautiful healing way to live, versus just a right way of thinking. When we consider Orthodox spiritual practice, combined with the best of reflection skills from the...
2024-04-0858 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessWe Need the Desert Seasons to Grow | Kevin Roberts Kevin Roberts is a husband, father, business owner, and a sub-deacon in the Orthodox Church.
In today’s conversation, Rhys and Kevin discuss the meaning of commitment in the spiritual life. We reflect on how a person is shaped by the commitments the make, the relationships they maintain, and the life-long vocations they undertake. We reflect on being drawn to monasticism, but learning to know the presence of God in the midst of hectic family life. We talk about how submitting to authority, and allowing our most important relationships to impact and shape us is life-giving and cen...
2024-04-011h 10Outer Circle Inner StillnessHow the Daily Pause Can Save Our Souls | Sister Lisa If Bible College was the crucible, then monasticism is daily crucifixion…and we’re glad to be here.
Sister Lisa’s journey has taken her from Protestant Bible College, to Roman Catholicism, to becoming a nun, to founding a new monastic order in the wilds of Arizona.
Here, she and Rhys discuss the spiritual life, the sobriety life, and what we can learn from the monastic traditions. We explore how silence, the inner life, mindfulness, the nous, and daily entering a silent pause are all concepts that offer us clues about how to anchor our lives t...
2024-03-2853 min
Outer Circle Inner StillnessMonastic Wisdom on Sobriety and the Inner Life | Abbot Tryphon Interview Part III
How should “Creatures of the senses” manage their appetites? Here I talk with Abbot Tryphon about sobriety. We talk about the relationship between a person and their drug, the dangers of too much free time, the influence of our family systems upon us, and why running is good for sobriety. We talk about the importance of beginning the day focused on the faith, why men need bond with each other, hugging redwoods, and the time Abbot Tryphon was mistaken for John Lennon.
So then, what can we learn about sobriety from a monk? Healing and grow...
2024-03-061h 02
Outer Circle Inner StillnessHow to Always Learn. Interview with Abbot Tryphon, part II
More monastic wisdom, more stories, more Abbot Tryphon! In the 2nd of 3 interviews, I continue asking Abbot Tryphon about the Orthodox faith, the inner life, and what people in recovery can learn from people in monasteries. We talk about continual learning and why we need mentors, sponsors, and spiritual fathers. We talk about why we need to read and permeate our lives in spiritual wisdom. We talk about icon, but also by “being pushy” is the worst thing we can do as Orthodox Christians. Above all, we talk about how Christianity, like sobriety, cannot be an “add-on” to life...
2024-02-281h 05
Outer Circle Inner StillnessThe Monastic Approach to Life. Interview with Abbot Tryphon, part I
What can we learn about the inner life from Orthodox Christian Monasticism? I wanted to find out, so one beautiful day in November, I made my way up to All Merciful Savior Monastery on Vashon Island, Washington, there to speak with Abbot Tryphon.
From the Lutheran tradition, to secular universities, to the field of psychology, to chaplaincy, to Orthodox Christanity, and from Portland, Oregon to San Francisco to Southern Oregon to the Puget Sound, Abbot Tryphon has seen many things, learned many more, and has a story for all of them. In our series of...
2024-02-2159 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessHonesty, Self-Knowledge, and the Connections We Need - with Orlando RiveraIn recovery circles, we often hear that "Rigorous Honesty" is a good thing...but why is this?
Orlando Rivera has been in recovery for more than 30 years, and active in the addictions counseling field, both counseling and teaching, since the early 90's. In today's conversation, he shares insights and wisdom about honest, self-awareness, vulnerability, and accountability. We talk about how overcoming denial to achieve self-knowledge is essential to being able to fully and authentically encounter another person. We talk about techniques for pausing, reflecting, and making conscious choices about our reactions to stressful people. We talk about WHY we...
2024-01-3050 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessLove your Firefighters! - with Mary Kate Sowell and Beth Piazza-BoninWhat's a Firefighter Part?
In the language of Internal Family Systems, Firefighters are one of the 3 major categories of "Parts" that typically exist in a human system. They are protectors that are reactive, defensive, volatile, big energy, and often the ones that get us into trouble. Typical firefighters include the parts that drink too much, smoke too much, act out sexually, over or under eat, numb out and dissociate, rage, lie, and even self-harm.
Society's typical response to a Firefighter's action is to penalize and hate them. Similarly, individual people tend to be very antagonistic toward their firefighters.
But...
2024-01-011h 07Outer Circle Inner StillnessHonesty, Self-Knowledge, and the Connections We Need - with Orlando RiveraIn recovery circles, we often hear that "Rigorous Honesty" is a good thing...but why is this?
Orlando Rivera has been in recovery for more than 30 years, and active in the addictions counseling field, both counseling and teaching, since the early 90's. In today's conversation, he shares insights and wisdom about honest, self-awareness, vulnerability, and accountability. We talk about how overcoming denial to achieve self-knowledge is essential to being able to fully and authentically encounter another person. We talk about techniques for pausing, reflecting, and making conscious choices about our reactions to stressful people. We talk about WHY we...
2023-12-2850 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessLong Term Recovery Outcomes, and Spirituality, with Dan StephensHow is recovery like Barbecue Sauce, and what does this have to do with 9th century Church Fathers? And what’s the deal with the first 3-5 years of recovery anyway?
In today’s episode, Rhys Pasimio and Shea Layton team up to interview CSAT counselor Dan Stephens, the founder of Restored Life Counseling, and developer of the long term Recovery Outcomes research project.
A traditionally held understanding within addictions recovery work is that a good, solid, successful recovery process takes 3-5 years. While many can intuitively and anecdotally say this is true, empirical research is l...
2023-12-041h 09
Outer Circle Inner StillnessHow to Not be Bored, with Stephen Grant
So you got clean and sober - great! …Now what?
How does a person transition from the excitement and upheaval of early recovery into a more stable long-term recovery? What do you do in long term sobriety when the comfort of stability starts to feel like the tortures of boredom? How does a person find their most important values, and the community to support them?
Stephen Grant is a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, and a Relational Therapist, at Gracefall Counseling in Vancouver, Washington. He draws on his experiences as a counselor, and ma...
2023-10-1043 min
Outer Circle Inner StillnessHow Neurofeedback Offers Healing for our Minds and Communities, with Zach GuzmanWhat does a person need most in order to heal from addiction and trauma?
Do they need to act differently?
Think better thoughts?
Use a fancy technology to monitor brain waves?
All these things are good and useful, but they falter in the absence of love.
Love, in a clinical sense, is a secure attachment, marked by full attention, unconditional welcome, curiosity, courage and patience. In the presence of this kind of energy, a person finds belonging and safety. In that environment, they become able to do things like...
2023-08-091h 03Outer Circle Inner StillnessSobriety for Millennials and Gen Z in the Digital Age, with Sako BarbarianWhen a person is recovering from alcohol abuse, we generally advise them to avoid the beer and wine aisles in the markets. When a person is recovering from cocaine or meth use, or other drugs, we generally advise them to avoid that one street corner or back alley, or few blocks of downtown. When a person is in recovery from problem gambling, we’d find it wise for them to avoid casinos.
If the pattern holds, then when a person is in recovery from problematic pornography use, we should advise them to avoid the internet…
…but fo...
2023-06-281h 04Outer Circle Inner StillnessThe Dangers of Uniqueness and Normalcy, with Jeremy Jones People tend towards two errors. They think they have to be SO unique and special…or they think they have to conform to all the standards around them. Hyper-individualism, uniqueness taken to its extreme, will leave people feeling isolated, burdened, and vulnerable to relapse. Hyper-conformity, especially to unhealthy group and society expectations, can also steer a person towards all sorts of unhealthy, burdensome life narratives that can also leave them vulnerable to relapse.
Jeremy Jones is a therapist, community builder, and DND gamemaster in New Mexico, with years of experience facilitating recovery groups. He and I have a...
2023-05-161h 00Outer Circle Inner StillnessWhy We Need to Notice Our Bodies, with Jenny Hayo
We often talk about the “parts” of our individual systems, and today we talk about the “body part,” in particular. I caught up with Jenny Hayo, a practitioner and teacher in the wisdom traditions. She is certified in Hakomi, Internal Family Ssytems, and Yoga, and centers an ongoing, dynamic, and gentle awareness of the physical body at the core of any emotional and psychological work.
In this conversation, we start with our mutual love and appreciation for the IFS model of understanding a person, then I ask Jenny about why the body matters, what it means...
2023-05-0949 min
Outer Circle Inner StillnessSobriety, Stewardship, and Money - with Dino Biaggi
Why should we talk about money in
recovery? More specifically, how does it further a person's spiritual, mental, emotional,
relational development to bring awareness and insight to finances?
Further, what is Stewardship? And
what can we learn about it from Lord of the Rings?
Dino Biaggi is a self-identified fan
about being deliberate about life. He is a husband, father, Christian man, and
the Financial Literacy Manager at Birch Community Services, a Sustainable
Families Program, in Portland, OR. He supports families pursuing fiscal and financial
health. Paired with donated household items and food, his team at Birch aims to
"Teach...
2023-03-3050 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessSometimes You're the Pharisee - Spiritualizer Parts, with Mary Kate SowellWhen you notice that you tend to end up as the Pharisee in one of the Gospel parables…what do you do about that?
Welcome to our most ecumenical episode ever!
Mary-Kate grew up Catholic, then married a Baptist, and now is being interviewed by Moses-Rhys who is Orthodox.
We start off talking about Orthodox Christian weddings, and go from there to reflect on our spiritual heritages, our journeys towards greater closeness with God, what do we do with the Bible, and finally - the difference between healthy spirituality, and spiritualizer parts.
...
2023-03-1556 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessSometimes Sobriety Isn't Cool AnymoreIn this episode, I share personal reflections on my Lenten Rigor for this year(Going to Matins every morning that I can, which is something like going to a meeting every day). I reflect on the intrusiveness of a sobriety built on adding something into my life as the inverse of focusing on subtracting something. In week one, I was excited. By week two, I'm tired, and questioning the worth of it.
But I suspect that, with both the sober life and the spiritual life, the points of early fatigue are just when I need to push f...
2023-03-1314 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessThe Most Vital Sobriety Essentials Are...Forgiveness and ConfessionWhat's the most important component of good, healthy, long-term sobriety?
Hint - it's not abstinence.
It's also not self-care, boundaries, or good communication.
It has something to do with self-reflection, self-awareness, and community.
In this episode, I say that forgiveness and confession are the most vital components of sobriety.
This tends to be true of the spiritual life as well.
If I can forgive, and move on from bitterness, and let go of resentments, then I am free from how others burden me.
If I...
2023-03-0126 minOuter Circle Inner Stillness100 Percent Healing, through Love - with Beth Piazza-BoninRhys and Beth won the lottery...to an Internal Family Systems Level one training! From there they became friends and colleagues that talk about the Self, the Soul, and the Nature of Healing.
In today's conversation, Beth shares part of her story of being healthy, then becoming sick, then learning to find an inner spiritual health that leads to outer healing. She and Rhys(also known as Moses) reflect on how their spiritual practices and the IFS framework have revolutionized their approaches to healing and to recovery.
As part of our discussion, we offer a...
2023-02-241h 02Outer Circle Inner StillnessSobriety Tip - Always Be A LearnerAlways be a learner.
Always be a beginner.
Go back to Basics.
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit.
Be like the Publican, not the Pharisee.
All these ideas are variations on the theme of remaining humble and bravely acknowledging what you don't know and where you fall short. If you can do this, you can always learn, always grow, and always work towards repairing damage you may have caused.
Today's reflection is drawn from the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, commemorated in the Orthodox Christian...
2023-02-1019 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessWhat We Learn from ZacchaeusI'm releasing this about a week late, but this is a reflection inspired by Zacchaeus Sunday, commemorated this year on January 29. In preparation for Great Lent, we talk a lot about repentance, and Zacchaeus certainly is a brilliant example of radical and healing life change.
The story of Zacchaeus also offers some metaphors and other insights useful to both spiritual growth and the sober way of life. In this little story, we can consider how we cope with insecurity, facing up to harm we've caused others, healing and welcoming back our exiled parts, forgiveness, amends, and finding...
2023-02-0913 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessSeasons of Sobriety and Spiritual GrowthAs we approach Great Lent, Rhys reflects on seasons of sobriety and the spiritual life. He contemplates the daily, weekly, annual, and crisis rhythms of heightened clarity and profound struggle, especially as outlined in the liturgical year of the Orthodox Christian Church. When we know that at point in the future we will struggle or encounter crisis, how should we best prepare for these times? What is the best use of the insights gained in the peaceful times?
Rhys talks about the impermanence of struggle...and of prosperity, and how in order to navigate periods of crisis...
2023-02-0425 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessAvatar: The Way of Water, and Why We Need Our OutcastsOn the surface, James Cameron's film Avatar: The Way of Water is about blue people guarding their planet from humans, told in a spectacular way.
Embedded in the spectacle, though, are some very powerful depictions of themes very relevant to healing, sobriety, family, and identity. In this story, we get to explore how to relate to outcasts/exiles, how to integrate outsiders, how to rely on gentle strength, how to find identity, and how to make families.
All that to say, my friend and colleague Aaron Kelsay and I are both counselors and we both...
2023-02-021h 11Outer Circle Inner StillnessThe Integrated Self - with Hart DasteelWhat does it mean to be an integrated Self? What does it mean to be a whole person?
In today's episode, I interview Hart Dasteel - local to Portland, OR, a husband, father, healer, IFS enthusiast, and psychedelic integration coach. We talk about the healing relationship that is possible between a person's core Self and their Parts, and explore how this changes our parenting styles, hopefully helping us become more compassionate dads.
Talking parts and burdens leads to talking about trauma, and the way trauma transmits through generations. This also means that healing transmits through...
2023-01-2730 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessSobriety Tip - Define Your SobrietyWhat does it mean to be sober?
I just have to stop drinking or smoking or looking at porn or gambling or raging, then I'm good...right?
This counselor says abstinence alone is not enough. A good sobriety process, like a good spiritual practice, is not about what you're avoiding, but rather about what you are gaining. What are you seeking? Adding to your life? Creating with your energies? What values are you upholding? Relationships you are forging?
In this episode, I reflect on different concepts of sobriety that go beyond merely stopping...
2023-01-1621 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessMaking and Keeping Friends as Adults - with Stephen Black(the late show edition!)Welcome to the Outer Circle Inner Stillness LATE SHOW edition! Here is where you get unfiltered counselor brain as Rhys Pasimio and Stephen Black share honest thoughts and current musings, under the influence of the post-9:00 pm-fatigue, and the thrill of being two friends in the same room together!
With no particular agenda, we find ourselves compelled to talk about friendship, about feelings, about trying to define "being a man," and the wide range of challenges that face men in their 30's and 40's who want to have deeper friendships.
We notice the way that c...
2023-01-0342 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessSobriety Tip - Visioning(Happy New Year!)Life is hard, and the sober life is harder! Why do we push ourselves to say resist the urges that seem so strong? Why do we work hard to be emotionally and mentally present in a world that is so stressful?
The answer is that we do the work for the prize at the end of the journey. If we don't know why we do what we do, then no amount of clever how will get us through the hard times. The why comes out of our core values. The why is our vision.
In...
2023-01-0226 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessLives of the Sober - Balance and Harmony, with Michele MannixIn today’s interview, I get to interview Michele Mannix about her recovery journey.
Michelle recently celebrated 38 years of sobriety! She is a clinical professional, teacher, trainer, and avid runner! She’s worked for years in the mental health community, with houseless folks, people with long term mental illness, and supporting peers and other professionals in their sobriety.
She is in recovery from alcohol and stimulants…and from nicotine! Michelle sees smoking as very connected to alcohol and drug use. Further, she also lives with and manages a Depressive Disorder! Turns out that substance use and ot...
2022-11-0759 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessThe Busy Person's Inner Life, with Cole Vandervort, from the Canceled Apprentice PodcastWe’ve all heard we need to slow down. But how do busy people really slow down? How do you know when you’ve slowed down enough?
Rhys Pasimio joins up with Cole Vandervort from the Canceled Apprentice podcast in the Outer Circle Inner Stillness’s first collaboration!
Rhys and Cole talk about juggling marriage and family, work and productivity, sobriety, and spiritual growth, and all the challenges we face in this ambitious task.
Rhys owns up to not using drugs or alcohol, but “compulsively projecting” instead.
Cole brings up the notion of...
2022-10-141h 05
Outer Circle Inner StillnessPraxis - A Journey of Christian Wellness, with Cornelius SwartWhere can one go to find Orthodoxy spiritual practice, mindfulness, physical fitness, and vegan cuisine, all in the same group? Does such a place exist? The answer is, Yes! At the Praxis Wellness Center, in New Jersey, hosted by Cornelius and Jaimie Swart, you can embark on a wellness journey that tends to your body, mind and, soul. In this episode, I interview Cornelius about the Praxis group, its origins, its vision for health, and the values that form. the daily practices. We discuss our respective journeys into Orthodox Christian thought and practice and reflect on how our faiths g...
2022-09-2656 min
Outer Circle Inner StillnessHow to Teach Sobriety and the Christian Faith in a Web of Community, with Ben KlimekHow do you teach someone how to be sober? Do you teach theory? Behavior? Practical skills? Or should you invite them into an entirely different way of life, and a web of relationships?
This challenge faced by addictions counselors and recovery specialists overlaps heavily with the priestly task of catechizing people on their journey into the Orthodox Christian church.
Moses-Rhys Pasimio is an Orthodox Addictions Counselor from Portland, OR. Ben Klimek is an Orthodox residential counselor at a homeless shelter in Northeast Indiana. They met through the Lord of Spirits podcast, and bonded over the...
2022-09-141h 04Outer Circle Inner StillnessLives of the Sober - The Expanding Center Circle"Getting into gratitude is the treatment for sobriety fatigue."
What do the 3 Circles look like when practiced over time? 25+ years into sobriety, do the circles look the same as when you started? Do they change? Do they expand?
In this episode, I interview an individual who has been clean and sober since 1989. He shares his Circle Plan as it was in early recovery, and how his circle plan has developed over the last three decades. Turns out that as one gains experience in sobriety, one can also gain awareness of yet more and more avenues...
2022-08-0946 min
Canceled ApprenticeRhys Pasimio Collab: The inner lifeMy good friend Rhys - host of the Outer Circle Inner Stillness Podcast - and I discuss our journey toward cultivating a rewarding inner life and maturity.
2022-08-041h 05Outer Circle Inner StillnessWhy Sobriety Demands Community. Lives of the Sober, with Orlando Rivera“In recovery, I now have the gift of choice.”
Meet Orlando Rivera, addictions counselor, teacher, mentor, sponsor, and in recovery from drugs and alcohol for more than 30 years.
In this conversation, I ask Orlando about his life as a sober person, what has changed since beginning recovery, and what needs to be in place to continue in a sober way of life.
He says, “I don’t make space for relapse,” and highly emphasizes not entertaining relapse oriented thoughts.
He says, “Recovery is about working the Inside,” to emphasize that behavior change is a by...
2022-08-0455 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessEvery Pastor has a Secret Struggle: Musings on Addiction, Sex, and Scandal in the ChurchIt happened again. A pastor in the prime of his ministry years was caught up in sexual scandal. Pornography. Secrecy. Affairs. Multiple partners. Drama. Everything we've seen before. And it's bad; we could even say reprehensible.
How did this happen? And what does it have to do with recovery work?
Once again, addiction is not about sex, and it's not about drugs; it's about the compulsive patterns we fall into to protect ourselves from pain. It's about the relationships we form with heightened experiences and risky behaviors. It's about what we do in the present...
2022-07-2018 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessLives of the Sober with Dr. Tracy ZemanskiHow do you recover from something you can’t quit?” Sobriety from alcohol and drugs is easy in once sense because you don’t need them to live. But what does sobriety look like from food? From sex and relationships? From money?
After 34 years of recovery from process addictions, Dr. Tracy Zemansky has discovered that successful recovery hinges on continuous self-evaluation. All of our life experiences can be seen as an ongoing feedback loop. If we pay attention to the impacts of our actions, thoughts, feelings, and relationships and how these change day to day, week to week...
2022-07-1147 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessLives of the Sober, with Jim Pender“A seeker is never finished seeking.”
Welcome to another Lives of the Sober conversation! Today we meet Jim Pender, from Calgary, Alberta. Jim has been in recovery from alcohol abuse for 38 years. As he shares he story, he shares many things he’s read and written, especially around spirituality. In our conversation, we explore what spirituality is, and why it is an essential feature of a recovery process.
Along with spirituality, we also explore the role of community. Jim reflects that, “None of us do very much on our own; we don’t do a good recov...
2022-07-1155 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessLives of the Sober, with Paul Panza“Recovery is an inside job.”
Welcome to a new series within the series - Lives of the Sober. In this series, I interview individuals who have achieved 25 or more years of sobriety. I ask them what they have done for nearly three decades to stay clean and sober, and live a healthy life. We talk about the daily practices, basic beliefs and assumptions, values, conflicts, and cautions. We talk about the role of community, contribution to the lives of others, and the ever present self-inventory. In all this, my hope is to help each recovery elder to arti...
2022-07-1141 min
Outer Circle Inner StillnessWhat is Healthy Sexuality? with Gregg WebbWhat is healthy sexuality? Hint - it’s not always abstinence!
Rhys approaches the conversation from the world of therapy, compulsive sexual behavior, sex/porn addiction. A major task in recovery from compulsive sexual behavior is figuring out healthy sexuality. Does this mean abstinence? Does this mean monogamy? Does this mean heteronormative sex? Or does it mean more mindfully engaging in what ever sexual behavior pattern you do?
Gregg Webb approaches the conversation from the ongoing conversation between Side A and Side B same-sex attracted Christians. In this world, we encounter individuals weighing the balance be...
2022-07-0851 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessWhat is Accountability? and How to find a good Accountability Partner, with Dan Stephens and Orlando RiveraIn recovery work, we often hear this idea of the Accountability Partner, and we generally hear it’s a good idea to have this person in our lives.
But what is an Accountability Partner? Who should this person be(or not be)? What should they do or not do? And if you are seeking the accountability, what is your responsibility in the relationship?
All of this conversation demands that we first define what accountability is in the first place! Is it just a check in? A report of bad behavior? Is it more like the sa...
2022-07-071h 05Outer Circle Inner StillnessAcceptance as a Sobriety Strength, with Jeremy JonesWhen is acceptance a strength, and when is it merely deferment as a version of avoidance?
Acceptance is a complex concept that often gets casually thrown around in recovery circles. Many of us memorize the Serenity Prayer early on in our process, and this drills into our minds the idea of “Accepting the things we cannot change.”
This conversation brings up questions like, What is and is not my responsibility to change or take on? What am I reasonably expected to just tolerate? When is discomfort(or even suffering) a mechanism of my growth and heali...
2022-07-071h 08Outer Circle Inner StillnessMeasuring Progress in Recovery, Part 3. Assorted Signs of GrowthIn this episode, I conclude a mini-series asking the questions, How does one measure progress in recovery? How does one tell if they are growing in sobriety work?
My take is that there are a few specific measurement rubrics, but the truly good indications that actual growth is happening become more and more elusive as the growth goes more and more internal. Once again, sobriety, like its counter part spiritual growth, is not a behavior change, nor a short-term intervention. It is a whole person transformation, a way of life, and a pursuit meant to organize your...
2022-07-0653 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessMeasuring Progress in Recovery Part 2, How to Define Sobriety and Update a Partner on Recovery Process, with Ian Nelson and Dan StephensWe continue exploring this question of how to define sobriety, and progress in recovery. In particularly, we address concerns of partners watching their loved one in recovery and wondering how to tell if any progress is being made.
Ian and his wife are currently working to redefine sobriety from pornography abuse, incopororating a harm reduciton approach.
Dan is completing his CSAT credential and helping others to look for more than just behavior change as a sign of growth. From a clinical and spiritual perspective, he draws attention to the “Root desire” issue that is, “A whole...
2022-06-251h 01Outer Circle Inner StillnessMeasuring Progress in Recovery Part 1, with Ian NelsonHere's a scenario. One partner is in active addiction. They he or she gets into recovery. But that person has a partner who's been hurt, deceived, betrayed, and really confused, and now that partner is asking...how do I know my partner is making ANY progress in sobriety at all?
For that matter, the person in recovery may be asking of themselves, “How do I know I’m getting any better?”
Rhys and Ian reflect on shared experiences of acting out, recovery, laboring for greater healing, and working to define, and sometimes re-define, what is sobrie...
2022-06-1846 min
Outer Circle Inner StillnessIn Defense of Group Work, with Ben Poling and Jeremy JonesThe counseling field has long recognized group counseling as consistently being one of the most effective treatment modalities, and contexts for healing and growth. We counselors often talk about the idea that our deepest wounds come from relationships, and are best healed…in other relationships.
We believe this, but recognize that many people are uncertain about group. We could say skeptical, resistant, or at least very concerned about what would happen to them if they joined a group. Some people are shy and intimidated. Others are concerned about being triggered. There’s always questions about confidentiality. More than...
2022-06-141h 06Outer Circle Inner StillnessThe Opposite of Sexualization is VenerationWhen sexualizing others is a problem, what do you do?
In Orthodox Christian thought and practice, we recognize the Image of God in everyone. This becomes the key to an inner transformative process that can heal our desire for sexual gratification at any cost. When we can see each person as an Icon of Christ, and venerate them, strive to see the fullness of who they are and who they can be, glorified in Christ, then our own inner orientation begins to change. We begin to be healed, and we begin to be able to truly connect.
2022-04-2831 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessHow to Stop Sexualizing Others, with Drew BoaIn the course of recovery from patterns of compulsive sexual behavior, many people recognize a need to take the work beyond merely avoiding erotic imagery, but also work to master erotic thoughts. We experience urges, at times very intrusive urges to sexualize other humans, and we have a desire to stop doing this.
It’s a monumental task! How do we do it?
Attack! Avoid! Ignore the urges! That will make them go away….right?
WRONG!
In this, most personal interview yet, Rhys interviews Drew Boa, fellow counselor, podcaster, and Christian in r...
2022-04-2852 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessI Have A #4 Part, with Christian GonzalezWhat is the human person, and how shall we best understand him or her? Why do we react to others the way we do? Why do we fall into the patterns we do? Most importantly, how can gaining a greater understanding of our interior worlds help is to grow in health, in sobriety, in presence and connectedness, and grow closer to Christ?
Rhys Pasimio and counselor colleague, Orthodox friend, and fellow podcaster Christian Gonzales take a surface level look at the Enneagram and the Internal Family Systems counselor modality. Literature abounds to describe both of these powerful...
2022-04-011h 16Outer Circle Inner StillnessEmbracing Suffering, with Ian NelsonHow are you struggling today?
Rhys and Ian muse over the struggles inherent to life, to work, to recovery, to marriage and family, to spirituality. We talk about the weight of life, and the importance of margins. Being present with our families and important people is vitally important, but the whole world seems bent on keeping us away from presence. What do we do about the ongoing struggle before us?
Do we try to escape or alleviate it? Maybe. And there are healthy and connective ways of doing this…and destructive and chaotic ways of do...
2022-03-2147 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessRadically Accepting an Imperfect Process, with Ian NelsonMeet Ian Nelson, recovery peer, spiritual explorer, questioner, ponderer, and one able to learn from the least of these.
Rhys and Ian reflect on their experiences growing up in the church, developing careers in the mental and behavioral health field, and working through their own recovery processes to explore the concept of Radical Acceptance, and why we should practice it in recovery and in the spiritual life. We talk about learning as an ongoing process, and about arriving as…something that never quite happens. We talk about how shame and self-criticism slow down our growth and how so...
2022-03-171h 04Outer Circle Inner StillnessSISU, and non-religious spirituality in recovery, with Taralynn RayburnWhat does a spiritual recovery process look like for someone who is non-religious? Why should the recovery journey have a spiritual base in the first place? What are some practical ways that a person can begin to implement a spiritual practice if they have never done it before?
Rhys talks recovery and spirituality with Taralynn Rayburn, an addictions counselor, and the founder of Sisu Healing Partners an agency that provides coaching, counseling, transportation services and intervention for individuals with substance use & other mental health disorders.
Taralynn is a mental health professional who specializes in treating...
2022-03-0744 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessThe Four Questions, with Ben Poling.Once upon a time, Rhys hosted a podcast called SMART Counsel ("Perspectives and resources on Spirituality, Mental health, Addictions, Relationships, and Trauma.") Today's episode is a nugget from the archives of SMART Counsel, featuring one of Rhys' favorite colleagues, Ben Poling.
Ben is Licensed Professional Counselor in Oregon, as well as a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist. In this episode, he presents a tool he often uses with his clients called The Four Questions. This is yet another useful tool for helping individuals pay more attention to their thought lives, and by doing so, gain further insight into...
2022-02-2844 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessNeurofeedback For All, with Joshua MooreWhat is this neurofeedback and how does it support sobriety? How does it support presence? What is the value of technologically assisted self-reflection in achieving and maintaining an inner calm?
Joshua Moore is a renowned neurofeedback practitioner, counselor, and teacher in Vancouver, WA. He has worked extensively to be able to provide the highest quality neurofeedback services at the lowest possible price. Today, he joins me to give an introduction to neurofeedback. We talk in detail about the parts of the brain, and about training and orienting this marvelous organ to function at more optimal frequencies.
2022-01-0442 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessThe Three CirclesThe “Outer Circle” comes from a common recovery exercise called the “Three Circles.” In today’s episode, I explain what the exercise is, what each circle entails, and how to use this particular tool. I talk about how to define relapse, the downward spiral, and how to develop a concept for sobriety that is made up of the daily practices that support sobriety, presence, balance, connection, insight, healing, and resilience.
This one is hands-on and practical. Feel free to get out pencil and paper(or stylus and tablet) and draw out your own three circles as you listen alo...
2021-12-0140 minOuter Circle Inner StillnessWhat is Inner Stillness? An interview with Fr. Michael Gillis.What is inner stillness, and what does it have to do with recovery? Why do we need stillness to master the passions? How do we practice stillness? What is the usefulness of inner stillness when the outer world has so many problems and demands so much attention?
In I am joined by Fr. Michael Gillis, who is an Orthodox priest at Holy Nativity Orthodox Church in Langley, British Columbia. Fr. Michael shares about inner stillness, “hesychasm”, spiritual growth, and social justice as understood in the Orthodox Christian Church.
Fr. Michael’s other reflections on the inner...
2021-11-1652 min
The CommentariansFight Club w/Rhys PasimioWe welcome podcaster and professional counselor Rhys Pasimio from the Smart Counsel podcast to discuss the 1999 David Fincher film Fight Club. In this episode we discuss what we’re told Christian manhood is, what Christian manhood actually is, mental illness and therapy, the dangers of cults, and the need for community. Find Us Online:RavenCreekSC.com/TheCommentariansFacebook.com/TheCommentariansTwitter.com/CommentariansInstagram.com/CommentariansFind Rhys:NewPatternCounseling.comhttps://soundcloud.com/smart-counsel
2021-07-1700 min
SMART CounselHealing the Political Divide, with Shea LaytonI can make you believe what I want you to believe by angrily telling you how you’re wrong.
Right?
Wait…that’s not how people change?
In the midst of a very…interesting…couple of years of politics, societal shifts, crises, biases and very polarized opinions, Rhys Pasimio and Shea Layton got together one day to talk about how people come to believe what they believe. Turns out our beliefs and decisions are not quite as logical as we thought. Also turns out that when a person faces a perspective different from their core worldview, they experience Cognitive Dissonance, which can...
2021-04-281h 04SMART CounselPastor or Counselor: Youth Edition, with Jared BennettCounselors, social workers, psychiatrists and other providers frequently have the opportunity(and dare we say, obligation) to collaborate with other individuals and systems that are important to our clients. One of the most notable for many, is their faith community. How should a counselor go about coordinating care with a person’s spiritual director?
Similarly, pastors, priests, and other spiritual directors frequently encounter mental health and behavioral challenges that seem to exceed their specific focus of soul care. How should a spiritual care provider go about coordinating care with a person’s mental health, behavioral, or psychiatric provider?
And just to c...
2021-03-311h 01SMART CounselAddiction Interaction Part 2 - Neuropathways of AddictionRhys Pasimio concludes his lecture series by discussing Addiction Interaction and Addictive Neuropathways. Individuals engage in different acting out behaviors for different reasons to achieve different effects, and when the behaviors and substances begin to be combined, there are nearly endless variations of pattern that follow!
Along the way, he re-emphasizes that the specific behavior is secondary to the reason the person does it. Furthermore, if we want to be a helpful presence for a person caught in addiction, we must be able to suspend our own judgments.
This episodes concludes a series of lectures delivered at a Masters in...
2020-09-1646 minSMART CounselAddiction Interaction Part I - The Acting Out & Acting In CycleAddictions happen in clusters, and all the substances and behaviors drive the same Acting Out and Acting In cycle. Even when you get clean from one drug, there is likely a handful of other substances of behaviors. And even when you’re no longer acting out in destructive ways, you might still be Acting IN in socially acceptable ways.
Rhys Pasimio outlines the concept of Addiction Interaction, as well as several ways of understanding the Acting Out/Acting In Cycle.
This episodes continues a series of lectures delivered at a Masters in Counseling Program at a Protestant University in an Ov...
2020-09-0959 minSMART CounselTheories of Addictions Part III Biopsychosocial model and othersRhys Pasimio continues asking the question “What is Addiction?” in a lecture series in an Overview of Addictions class in a Master in Counseling program. In this lecture, he discusses what addiction is through the lenses of Family Systems Theory, the Diathesis Stress Theory, and the BioPsychoSocial Model. Throughout, he advocates for holistic approaches that treat the whole person.
This episode of SMART Counsel features the following professionals:
Rhys Pasimio – rhys@newpatterncounseling.com
Please visit www.patreon.com/smartcounsel to learn how you can support the podcast. Thanks!
The Master’s in Counseling program at Multnomah University and New Pattern Counseli...
2020-08-2458 minSMART CounselTheories of Addiction Part II - Disease Model, Evolutionary Model, Psychological Model, and others.Rhys Pasimio continues his lecture series in an Overview of Addictions class in a Master in Counseling program. In this lecture, he discusses a variety of theories that answer the question of What is Addiction? These include the Enlightenment Model, Genetic Model, Disease Model, Evolutionary Model, Educational Model, Psychological Model, Developmental Model, and Socio-cultural model. He spends the most time on the Disease Model, examining implications of regarding addicted people as “Sick” rather than merely “Deviant.”
This episode of SMART Counsel features the following professionals:
Rhys Pasimio – rhys@newpatterncounseling.com
Please visit www.patreon.com/smartcounsel to learn how you can suppor...
2020-08-111h 02SMART CounselAttachment And Theology With Krispin MayfieldJesus loves me, this I know…if my parents were attuned to my feelings…and if my church presented God as a secure attachment figure. Easy. Right? Well…
Rhys Pasimio and Krispin Mayfield tackle the intersections, tensions, and sometimes contradictions between Attachment Science and Theological beliefs and practices typical of many American Protestant Evangelical Churches. We compare and contrast Protestant concepts of God, Sin, Love and Relationship with the same concepts viewed from perspectives of Attachment Science, and Eastern Orthodoxy. We look at how healthy attachment is formed, how healthy attachment is confused, and what counselors and churches can do differ...
2020-07-0158 minSMART CounselEmpathy and Privilege, Betrayal and Rage, and Protesting the Murder of George FloydRhys Pasimio explores a parallel between the experiences of betrayal trauma and systemic racism, and issues a challenge to those who have inflicted harm to consider and own the impact of their actions, and practice a deeper form of empathy.
This episode of SMART Counsel features the following professionals:
Rhys Pasimio – rhys@newpatterncounseling.com
Please visit www.patreon.com/smartcounsel to learn how you can support the podcast. Thanks!
The Master’s in Counseling program at Multnomah University and New Pattern Counseling present this podcast as a resource for aspiring and current professionals, as well as members of the greater comm...
2020-06-0920 minSMART CounselLimitations Of Online Relationships With Aaron Kelsay“We have to attend to what’s lost when we make changes, even when the changes are good.”
At the onset of the Corona Virus, the counseling community migrated en masse to providing primarily, and sometimes exclusively, telehealth services. Rhys Pasimio and Aaron Kelsay reflect on this transition, what our therapeutic relationships have gained, and what we have lost.
This episode of SMART Counsel features the following professionals:
Rhys Pasimio – rhys@newpatterncounseling.com
Aaron Kelsay – akelsay@voaor.org
Please visit www.patreon.com/smartcounsel to learn how you can support the podcast. Thanks!
The Master’s in Counseling program at Multnomah Un...
2020-05-2637 minSMART CounselMaking Lasting Change And Accelerated Resolution Therapy With Stephen GrantWhat are the barriers to lasting change? Turns out some of the biggest are internal, and have to do with relationships.
Rhys Pasimio and Ben Poling have a conversation with CSAT colleague Stephen Grant and discuss how change happens. We talk about First and Second Order Change, (changing behaviors, then changing motivations and internal values) and Grant introduces the concept of Third Order Change - Changing relationships to self, others, the world, and God. Along the way, we give nods to Internal Family Systems Theory.
Grant also gives a brief introduction to ART – Accelerated Resolution Therapy, and changing the way we...
2020-04-2959 minSMART CounselResponsible and Irresponsible Uses of Social Media with Stephen Black from TCK CareIt’s here! SMART Counsel’s first ever CROSSOVER EPISODE!!!
Rhys Pasimio from SMART Counsel and Stephen Black from TCK Care have teamed up to bring you a most fabulous and thought provoking discussion about social media!
What is a responsible use of Social Media? Contrarily, what is irresponsible use of Social Media? Rhys and Stephen tackle the topic. We talk about the benefits of networking and connecting, learning and research, advocating and raising awareness of marginalized and vulnerable people, and DIY self-promotion for artists, business owners, and people with opinions. We also talk about how the social media world lend...
2020-04-2147 min
TCK Care"Social Media" with Rhys PasimioThe world has never been as small as it is with social media. And accessing information has never been so easy. Connecting with loved ones with images and messages from our lives feels amazing. But what is the cost? Addictions counselor Rhys Pasimio joins me on the show once again to talk about how social media affects our lives and relationships.
(Photo by ROBIN WORRALL on Unsplash)
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tck-care/support
2020-04-2147 minSMART CounselCorona Commentaries: Panic and Peace, Chaos and Shalom, with Aaron EsparzaHow do we respond to crisis? How do we maintain a peaceful center and making meaningful contributions to our community in the midst of our own fears? One answer may be impartiality toward the outcome.
Rhys Pasimio caught up with Aaron Esparza back on March 20, 2020 and they had a lively conversation about the current health situation and how our global community is reacting. They talked about peace making and peace keeping, mediation, compassion, and hopefully finding our best selves when all is said and done.
This episode of SMART Counsel features the following professionals:
Rhys Pasimio - newpatterncounseling.com
Aaron...
2020-03-3133 min
TCK Care"TCK's and Addiction" (Part 2) with Rhys PasimioToday we continue the discussion of addictive patterns of behavior with Rhys Pasimio. We will be talking about what addictions are and how to heal from addictive behavior. If you feel like you would like to talk more about addiction, whether it’s to gain a better understanding of this issue or for personal growth, feel free to reach out to Rhys on his website, www.newpatterncounseling.com.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tck-care/support
2019-07-3026 min
TCK Care"TCK's and Addiction" (Part 1) with Rhys PasimioRhys Pasimio from New Pattern Counseling joins me to talk about the overlap between addictions and TCK’s. In this episode we focus on gaining an understanding of what addictions are and how they work, which will set us up to talk about how healing happens in the next episode. To get in touch with Rhys, check out his website at www.newpatterncounseling.com.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tck-care/support
2019-07-2329 min
SMART CounselTelehealth with Robin ClarkeCan effective counseling be done online? Should counseling be done online? A growing number of highly qualified clinicians believe Yes and Yes, for a certain range of presenting problems. There are of course concerns and considerations, but for each there is a reasonable contingency.
Still skeptical? Rhys Pasimio and Joshua Moore sat down with Robin Clarke to learn all the basics of ethics, HIPPA, safety, technology, inter-state licensure concerns, and even aesthetic considerations in providing Telehealth counseling. Rhys started the conversation very openly skeptical, with Joshua starting out much more comfortable with the idea. Together with Robin, they went on...
2019-01-1652 min
SMART CounselSex Adjudication and Advocacy, with Zach GuzmanWelcome to the world of Offense Specific clinical work! Individuals who have been convicted of a sex offense face some unique challenges and stigmas-perhaps some of the most brutal stigmas of any convict person! What is at stake for them, particularly if they are minors? What role does gender play in increasing the stigma and risk? How is the system set up for them to succeed...or fail? What can we clinicians and lay people do to help? And where do we as a culture need to mature in our understanding of sex, gender, sex education, stigma and prejudice?
Rhys...
2019-01-0244 min
SMART CounselIn Search of Safety: Trauma Informed Therapy with Hillary RenoWhat is trauma informed care? What is safety and why does it matter in a therapeutic space? How can professionals move beyond using trauma-informed as a trendy marketing term and sustain a living practice that understands, respects addresses the acute and ongoing traumas in the lives of our clients? Beyond that, what is integrative care and why does it matter? Rhys Pasimio and Hillary Reno explore these and more questions while also highlighting the work and culture of Portland, Oregon's very own Quest Center for Integrative Health.
This episode features the following professionals:
Rhys Pasimio - www.newpatterncounseling.com
Hillary...
2018-04-2644 min
SMART CounselChildhood Factors that Impact Adult Relationships with Rhys Pasimio and Josh MooreChildhood Factors that Impact Adult Relationships with Rhys Pasimio and Josh Moore by SMART Counsel
2018-03-0745 min
SMART CounselIntroduction to Transition with Emma NicholsRhys and Josh interview Emma Nichols from Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare about the Transgender experience. What does it mean to be Transgender? What is at stake for a Trans* person seeking counseling? How can a cisgender clinician create a safe and helpful therapeutic environment for the Trans* client? Emma draws on her clinical expertise and her own story of transition to provide a personal and vulnerable perspective on this issue. We remember that, while the issue of Trans* health is very often stigmatized, politicized, and hotly debated, at the center of the conflict is a human seeking wholeness.
This episode features:
...
2017-12-2753 min
SMART CounselAddictions Q&A with Bob Rapp and Mike SavaraRhys and Josh are joined by Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor III's Bob Rapp and Mike Savara to answer a series of questions about Addictions. Are all addictions problematic? What are effective spirituality based interventions in addictions therapy, if any? What are some of the cultural or religious barriers to progress in addiction science and treatment? Why are some addictions stigmatized more than others? How does a client know when they have moved through abstinence into recovery? We answer all of these questions and more!
Stay in touch with this episode's hosts and guests!
Rhys Pasimio - www.newpatterncounseling.com
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2017-12-0653 min