Psychoeducation is often treated as secondary to “real” clinical work—but what if it’s actually foundational? In this episode of the Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast, we are joined by Tom Karl, Founder and CEO of R1 Learning, to explore the critical (and frequently undervalued) role psychoeducation plays in addiction treatment and recovery. Drawing from Tom’s background in corporate learning and development—and his personal recovery journey—the conversation challenges how treatment programs think about education, engagement, and fundamentals.

Together, we unpack the gap between counseling and teaching skills, the importance of shared language and basic vocabulary in early recovery, and why engagement between sessions matters just as much as what happens in the therapy room. We also explore gamification, learning styles, stages of change, and how tools like micro-content and feedback loops can support both clients and clinicians. This episode is a reminder that effective treatment doesn’t always mean more complexity—it often means returning to the basics and doing them well.

About the Guest:

Tom Karl founded R1 as the result of his own personal experiences in addiction, and recovery. The idea and vision for the R1 Learning System, the Discovery Cards, and R1 Discover App was inspired following Tom’s last substance use and hospitalization when he noted a lack of practical tools in addiction treatment settings. He has used the creation of the tools to help better understand himself, make a living amends to those he impacted, and build a positive path for others on a similar journey. Through R1, Tom’s goal is to put impactful self-discovery tools into the hands of individuals in recovery and empower them to reach their full potential. In addition, R1’s mission is to address the workforce shortage in the Behavioral Healthcare industry by equipping practitioners at all levels of knowledge, skill, and experience with evidence-based interactive support resources in both hands-on and online formats and in multi-languages. Tom has 25+ years of experience in workforce and leadership development, learning and development, employee engagement, and talent retention, working with global companies, government agencies, and education institutions.

Links:

• Website: https://r1learning.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/r1learning/posts/?feedView=all

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.

Sports betting is everywhere. But what has the rapid expansion of legalized gambling actually cost us?

In this episode, journalist Danny Funt joins to discuss his book Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling. Together, we explore how America’s sports betting boom has reshaped sports culture, media coverage, public health, and consumer protections. Danny shares insights from interviews with people who struggle with gambling, industry executives, researchers, and regulators. The conversation goes beyond financial losses and examines:

• The erosion of sports integrity
• VIP betting programs and emotional entanglement strategies
• Misleading “risk-free” advertising
• Weak consumer protections
• Conflicts of interest between leagues and betting monitors
• The normalization of gambling in sports media
• Why meaningful regulation may require crisis-level consequences

We discuss how gambling problems affect high-functioning, disciplined individuals — challenging common stereotypes and humanizing the issue. This episode asks a hard question: If sports betting continues to expand without stronger safeguards… who really wins?

About the Guest:

Danny Funt is the author of Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling. His reporting has appeared in The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and the Columbia Journalism Review. He previously worked as an editor at The Week magazine. A graduate of Georgetown University and the Columbia Journalism School, he lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife, Sally, their son, Louis, and their tuxedo cat, Wynnie.

Links:

• Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Everybody-Loses/Danny-Funt/9781668062029
• E-mail: dannyfunt1@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-funt-2695b4a3/

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.

Dr. Nicki Monti, therapist, speaker, and author of the memoir The Divine Traumedy of Nicky Joy: A True Grime Tale is an artist when it comes to how she speaks and writes about her story. Dr. Nicki shares her powerful and unconventional journey from addiction to sobriety and how humor became a lifeline in her recovery. From pursuing acting in California to running a phone sex business, and ultimately becoming a licensed therapist, Dr. Nicki’s story challenges stereotypes about what recovery “should” look like. The conversation explores addiction, pain, and personal responsibility, as well as the often-overlooked emotional toll of caregiving. This episode balances honesty, hope, and humor—reminding listeners that healing doesn’t require perfection, just willingness.

About the Guest:

Dr. Nicki J. Monti is not your typical therapist. Dr. Nicki instantly gets to the core of presented issues, and immediately provides a clear path for genuine change. Her no-nonsense approach combines with extraordinary compassion and good humor to offer a clear, authoritative voice free of judgment and full of possibility. She quickly brings forward what others have somehow missed and then offers practical tools for truly productive resolution. She is not only a great listener but she makes you feel safe, comfortable and open to what she has to say—she uses wit and her own experiences to reveal what’s undermining you, and to get you beyond being ‘stuck in your own story.’ Joining Dr. Nicki in a seminar, session or event, you will see first-hand her genuine care, humor and intelligence. Through her insightful advice and encouragement, she assists your most positive emotional and life changes. Dr. Nicki’s successful book series about being Stuck In The Story No More, her Television appearances, her articles, and podcasts have made her into a household name. Dr. Nicki has been seen on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Millionaire Matchmaker, Love Handles and many other Reality Television shows where her compassion, honesty and genuine expertise shine an instant light on circumstances and offer actual change.

Links:

Website: https://stucknomore.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Nicki-J-Monti/179364015418429

X: https://twitter.com/DrNicki

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NickiMonti

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drnickimonti/

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.