In this inspiring and thought-provoking episode of The Hanley Effect, hosts Dr. John Dyben and Dr. Rachel Docekal sit down with award-winning mental health advocate, stand-up comic, and counselor David Granirer. David is the founder of Stand Up for Mental Health. This groundbreaking program teaches stand-up comedy to individuals living with mental health conditions—empowering them to find healing through humor.

A champion for destigmatizing mental illness, David shares his personal journey living with bipolar disorder, his early struggles with undiagnosed depression, and how a brave step into comedy changed everything. From performing onstage to helping others rewrite their narratives with laughter, David’s work has reached thousands worldwide.

• David’s personal experience with mental health and recovery
• How comedy became a healing force in his life
• The creation and impact of Stand Up for Mental Health™
• The power of storytelling and humor in reducing stigma
• Why laughter can be deeply therapeutic (even if it’s not “therapy”)
• Encouraging alternative pathways to self-esteem, confidence, and connection
• David’s work with diverse audiences—from the Secret Service to cancer patients
• A few great one-liners from David himself (spoiler alert: he’s hilarious)

David is a counselor, author of The Happy Neurotic, and founder of Stand Up for Mental Health. He lives with bipolar disorder and has used his lived experience and talents to educate and entertain while helping others recover. He has trained groups across 50+ cities worldwide and has been featured in the award-winning documentaries Cracking Up and Crack Up.

Visit standupformentalhealth.com to explore David’s program and bring this powerful, life-affirming comedy movement to your community.

To learn more about Hanley Foundation visit hanleyfoundation.org.

In this insightful episode of The Hanley Effect, Dr. John Dyben and Dr. Rachel Docekal welcome Austin Davis, MA, LPC-S, founder and CEO of Clearfork Academy, a Christ-centered residential treatment facility for teens struggling with substance use and mental health challenges in Texas.

Austin shares his inspiring journey from youth ministry to counseling and ultimately to building Clearfork Academy from the ground up. Motivated by a calling to reach young people before addiction and trauma take deeper root, Austin discusses how his experiences working with adults in recovery led him to focus on adolescents, helping families change their futures by intervening early.

• From Calling to Career: How Austin’s pastoral roots shaped his therapeutic approach and led him to combine faith and clinical care.
• The Birth of Clearfork Academy: The incredible story of selling everything to create a safe, healing space for teens—and how that leap of faith became a thriving program.
• Adolescent Identity & Mental Health: Why understanding “Who am I?” is central to teen recovery, and how identity confusion, social media, and disconnection fuel today’s youth crisis.
• Family Healing: How Clearfork treats the entire family system, not just the child, through weekly sessions, intensives, and experiential work that rebuild trust and connection.
• Parenting Tools: The “Shoulder-to-Shoulder vs. Knee-to-Knee” method, Austin’s powerful communication framework for parents to foster openness and recognize warning signs of distress.
• A Message of Hope: Austin’s closing wisdom for anyone facing a crossroads, five steps inspired by Jeremiah 6:16: Stand. Look. Ask. Walk. Rest.

To learn more about Austin and Clearfork Academy, visit: https://clearforkacademy.com/

In this moving and empowering episode of The Hanley Effect, Dr. John Dyben and Dr. Rachel Docekal sit down with mental health advocate, author, and suicide prevention trainer AnneMoss Rogers to explore the deep emotional terrain of grief, addiction, suicide loss, and post-traumatic growth.

AnneMoss shares her personal story of losing her son, Charles, to addiction and suicide and the powerful journey that followed. Through raw honesty, AnneMoss explains how she found a path forward by embracing healthy coping mechanisms, reframing grief, and connecting with others in healing community spaces. She highlights the role of peer support, the importance of feeling difficult emotions, and how forgiveness and self-compassion became essential steps in her recovery and advocacy.

Listeners will gain insight into:

• What post-traumatic growth truly means—and how it can emerge from tragedy
• The importance of connection in mental health and addiction recovery
• How families can process guilt, grief, and shame in the wake of loss
• The impact of peer-led support and family-based recovery programs
• Strategies for holding space for those in pain without trying to fix it

AnneMoss reminds us that “no feeling is permanent,” and that healing often begins by simply sitting with discomfort—and realizing you’re not alone.

Learn more about AnneMoss Rogers at: https://mentalhealthawarenesseducation.com/