THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION: Enhancing the body’s ability to heal, and function optimally AN ESALEN INSTITUTE EXPERIENCE Big Sur, California January 14-16, 2011 Presented by Stephen Sideroff, Ph.D. Esalen is a unique experience overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  Their facilities include natural hot springs baths, pool, healthy meals, yoga, massage, all with breathtaking views. This is the [...]

A workshop in two Saturday sessions: 9AM-1PM Dates for next program:  September 18th & October 16th  2010 Presented by Stephen Sideroff, Ph.D. Stress, as well as physical and emotional holding patterns cause muscle tension and nervous system reactivity and imbalance.  This impacts physical symptoms and interferes with healing as well as optimal functioning. Pain and [...]

In the first two articles in this series, I presented the first six of the nine pillars facilitating one’s shift from Addiction to Resilience. The first three focus on relationship and begin at the heart of resilience: one’s relationship with himself. The next two are one’s relationship with others, and then relationship with something greater. [...]

Part II: Organismic Balance and Mastery Resilience is a state highlighted by the ability to recover from stress and to optimally deal with the challenges that life delivers. In Part I of this article, we noted the mechanisms by which the addict’s difficulty managing stress results in a greater vulnerability to relapse (Sideroff, 2009). The [...]

AN ESALEN INSTITUTE EXPERIENCE Big Sur, California January 22-24, 2010 Presented by Stephen Sideroff, Ph.D. Esalen is a unique experience overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  Their facilities include natural hot springs baths, pool, healthy meals, yoga, massage, all with breathtaking views. This is the perfect setting to address the relationship between mind and body. Physical and [...]

Addiction involves a complex array of factors: genetic, biological, social, environmental, and intrapsychic which all have a role to play.  Due to this complexity, getting sober is only the beginning of the path toward recovery from addiction.  This difficult process is complicated further by the power of conditioned associations (Sideroff, 1980).  Anything that was connected [...]

Substance abuse behavior appears to have multiple interrelated causes.  Predisposing genetic and neurobiological factors interact with family environment dynamics and early trauma to create a personal internal milieu that is primed and sensitized for craving and addictive behaviors.  This is compounded by frequent concurrent psychiatrically significant diagnoses resulting in what is referred to as dual [...]