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OC Shrinks members have a wealth of knowledge, experience, and perspective to share. We’re inviting our members to contribute original articles and professional insights to the OC Shrinks Blog.

It’s an opportunity to share your expertise with our community, provide valuable information to fellow mental health professionals, and introduce others to the work you do.

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We welcome thoughtful, educational content related to mental health, professional practice, wellness, and the work you do.

Ideas include:

• Clinical and professional insights

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• Helpful resources for clinicians and mental health professionals

• Community or industry topics relevant to our members

Have another idea? We’d love to hear it.

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WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We’re looking for content that is:

• Helpful — provides information or perspective readers can use

• Relevant — speaks to the mental health community

• Educational — offers expertise, insight, or meaningful discussion

• Original — created specifically for the OC Shrinks Blog

Articles should generally be 600–1,200 words and written for a professional, informed audience.

READY TO CONTRIBUTE?

Have a completed article ready to submit? Or just have an idea or topic you’d like to run by us first?

We’d love to hear from you ◡̈

When submitting, please include your name, credentials, practice or business name, a brief bio, and your proposed topic or completed article.

A NOTE ABOUT PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

The OC Shrinks Blog is primarily an educational and professional resource—not an advertising platform.

If you’re looking to promote a service, program, event, business, or special offer, we have other promotional opportunities available through OC Shrinks. Contact us.

When submitting, please include your name, credentials, practice or business name, a brief bio, and your proposed topic or completed article.

All submissions are reviewed prior to publication and may be edited for length, clarity, formatting, and style. Submission does not guarantee publication.

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The OC Shrinks Blog is a member benefit, and we’d love to have you be part of the community.

Membership connects you with a network of mental health professionals throughout Orange County and beyond, along with opportunities for professional visibility, referrals, networking, events, educational resources, and more.

Have another idea or something you’d like to share? Drop us a line. We’re always open to fresh ideas and new ways to educate, connect, and support our community.

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Featured Clinician Interview: Lisa Schlosberg, LMSW, HHC, CPT, RYT

OC Shrinks is a mental health digital space and networking group that believes the best way to uplift professionals in the field is to provide space for connection, collaboration, and community!

We had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Schlosberg, LMSW, HHC, CPT, RYT.

As a hybrid Mental Health Professional (MSW), Holistic Health Coach, and Personal Trainer, Lisa offers an Integrative Trauma-Informed Online Coaching program to help men and women stop the struggle against themselves and integrate body, mind, and soul for holistic weight loss and lifelong health.

Connect with Lisa:

Website
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
Application to work with Lisa

Interview Transcript

Tell us a little bit about you and your practice, how you got started. 

A lot of the work that I do today is really informed by my personal experience, which I'm sure is true for many of us. So for me, I was very overweight as a kid, and so, by the time I had graduated high school, I was around 300 pounds, at 17. And so I had learned after my weight loss, which was eventually in college, that I started kinda putting the pieces together, that it wasn't a food issue, it was really more psychological than it was physical, and for me, emotional eating, was really emotional, and my obesity was really protective. And so, I kind of after I graduated college, I had lost 150 pounds. I became a personal trainer at first. I knew that I loved helping people, and I knew that I loved working out. So I just kind of combined those things, started working in a gym, ultimately, then became a health coach, and then got my Master's in Social Work from NYU, and then became a yoga instructor.

But for me, it was all; it's always been about kind of getting to the deeper truth behind emotional eating, behind weight gain, behind weight loss. It was clear to me to a certain extent, especially after all my weight came off, that there's a deeper story there. That really informs the work that I do today, how I work with people, and that is totally how I got started. It was kind of moving through the trajectory of, "This is not a physical thing." Starting in the gym and realizing it was deeper and deeper than that. And so now, it's about really combining all of those disciplines and offering a holistic approach to the people I work with.

How is your approach different or unique from others? 

Especially when it comes to food and eating, I think it's really imperative to look at the relationship with food and maybe any kind of weight issue as the solution rather than the problem. And so that's kind of the way that I will start working with anyone is, we first have to understand the brain science of emotional eating, the mind-body connection, the physiology behind all of this, and because really, anyone who's struggling with emotional eating or weight gain or weight loss, any of it, there's a deeper story there. And so I think, in a brief way, to say, "How is this different, and how do I approach it?" Is, "What if food and eating is the solution, not the problem?" And we can just start there, and kind of unravel what comes from that, but I think it's so important that some addiction treatment is informed by that approach, and I think the world of emotional eaters really deserves the same kind of grace and compassion there.

What kind of clients do you work with? Is there a certain age or gender? What does that look like? 

I primarily work with adults of all ages. I have worked with kids; I'm happy to also work with kids and families, but primarily adults, one-on-one, who are struggling with emotional eating. So emotional eating, stress eating, overeating, undereating, mindless eating, any kind of relationship with food that doesn't feel peaceful and safe and stable. So that's really who I work with. I don't focus so much on weight and weight loss. I really frame weight if there is a weight issue. For me, it's the symptom, not the problem. So I'm happy to work with anyone at any weight, if that is an issue for someone, but primarily, anyone struggling with their relationship with food.

Talk to us about the patient journey. What can they expect from you when they choose to work with you? 

Now I offer one-on-one, and I offer a group. My group is a 12-week program online, with a lot of homework, support, online assistance and stuff like that, discussions, all of that. The group has been a really powerful experience for anyone who's interested and also just being part of a community because that's the one thing that one-on-one really can't offer. So just to throw that out there, that it's a group and a one-on-one at this point. And really, it's about... For me, it's coming in and understanding, I think first psychoeducation. I think it's really important that everyone is informed and educated about how this works. Why are we operating around food in a way that we don't understand, in a way that we feel we can't control? What's actually going on there? And so, for me, it starts with just some brain science and just really some teaching. So I kind of... I'm in this dual role of coach and teacher a lot of the time.

It starts there, with just kind of, "Let's get on the same page about what's going on here." Getting into some of the deeper, "What comes up when we start to move things around, the habits around food? How do we change the way we're thinking? How do we cope with the feelings that are gonna come up?" Because there are feelings that are going to come up. And so, we have to just take that holistic approach to, "Yes, we need to incorporate the food and the eating habits, but also begin a conversation around what's going on in your head and what's going on in your heart? And really, what's the human story behind all of that?" And ultimately, when I work with people, my goal is for them to feel self-sufficient in themselves. And that's why it's designed as a group, as a 12-week program. One-on-one is either a six or 12-month package because the idea is, come in, kind of put the dots together, and then leave as the authority in your life. I don't... I am not the expert on you; you are the expert on yourself. That's the way that I work with people and the way that... Yeah, so I'm all about directing people inward into their own inner wisdom around all of this. That's what anyone can expect.

Featured Clinician Interview: Benjamin Kaneaiakala III at Phoenix Rising Addiction Center

OC Shrinks is a mental health digital space and networking group that believes the best way to uplift professionals in the field is to provide space for connection, collaboration, and community!

We had the pleasure of interviewing Benjamin Kaneaiakala III from Phoenix Rising Addiction Center.

Phoenix Rising Addiction Center offers substance abuse evaluations and day and evening outpatient treatment programs. Types of treatment and rehabilitation programs offered are for alcohol abuse, addiction, dual diagnosis, video game addiction, and mental health therapy.

The Vision of Phoenix Rising is to create a safe environment where each individual may rise from their past to a new and brighter future. Our Mission is to provide the best clinical care rooted in safety, security, attachment, and including current industry standards.

Learn more about Phoenix Rising at https://phoenixrisingbehavioral.com/

Connect with Ben on Social Media:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PhoenixrisingBHCS/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ZwguolMl5Byo0aho2zRZA/videos
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/phoenixrisingbhcs/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoenix-rising-behavioral-health-care-services

Interview Transcript

I am Amber Irwin with OC Shrinks. OC Shrinks was officially created as an online space for the mental health professionals in the Orange County area to connect and find treatment centers, clinicians, and build referrals. It's grown into so much more and we're so excited to share with you what we have to offer and how we're building our community. Today, we're excited to have Ben with us. He has a private practice where he provides counseling and spiritual teaching. He also has an IOP program called Phoenix Rising Addiction Center. He's been working in the mental health and addiction industry for 32 years in various roles. Ben's passion has been working hands-on with clients with a variety of issues and struggles. Welcome, Ben.

First off, tell us a little bit about your practice and your organization, and how you got started.

We started our IOP program about six years ago and I've been, especially during COVID, have been moving towards Zoom and online stuff, and we just decided to just expand it, just focus on our private practice. A lot of our clients have transitioned to where they're just wanting long-term counseling or support with somebody that they've already built a relationship with. So, I've been very blessed to be able to move into more of a private practice role as a counselor and as a mindfulness spiritual guide or teacher-type of a thing with them in their sobriety.

We do introduce our clients through 12-Step programs so, there is a lot of discussions, talk around what that looks like for them and what that's gonna look like for them, maybe, in the short-term or long-term future for their recoveries and their success and things like that. But, I've also had clients that haven't gone into the 12-Step program or that dynamic or that support system so, just providing some spiritual guidance or some mindfulness practices to my private practice clients to kinda help with that as they're struggling through various different types of struggles in their life at the current moment. And I've been in recovery myself from alcoholism and drug addiction for 32 years. I got sober when I was 20-years-old.

I've been around the 12-Step program in this industry. That's how I got introduced to the industry. My first sponsor was the owner of a treatment center in Hawaii and I'm born and raised in Hawaii. I started off as a driver, taking clients to doctor's appointments and things like that. So, I started off at the bottom when I had three months sober, just driving clients around, and I've always just ended up... I ended up falling in love with helping people. My entire career for the past 32 years has been that in some capacity, whether it be a counselor or a clinical supervisor or program director, executive director, owner, CEO, whatever it might be. I've built my career around this industry of helping people.

Tell us a little bit about some of the patients that you have worked with. What are their stories? Is there a certain age that you see come in? How have your patients been able to be successful with the program? 

I think because we've been a boutique-ish type of program. We haven't been those big treatment centers, we've been very small. I think the most amount of clients that I've had in a group at any given time is probably around 12. The groups are smaller,  They're more intimate, they're more real so, it's very difficult to hide out in a small program like that. I think that's what's been unique about what we've done is that we've provided a small intimate environment for our clients to come and just get better. We've had clients from 18-years-old to 60-years-old and everywhere in between. The thing about it is that they've been able to blend together really well because of the intimacy of the group.

I don't have counselors doing groups. I'm the one that's doing groups so, the owners, I, and my wife are the ones that are doing all the groups for our clients. My wife is a psychologist and licensed MFT. We're very engaged, we're very there and involved in our client's progress so, when they transition to going back to work or going back to their families, or even while they're living with their families and attending IOP or whatever, we can then transition them into long-term counseling. I've had clients with me for the past... We've been open six years. I still work with clients for the past five years that I see once a month just for follow-up and check in. It's just been a really great experience that we've had in building this type of environment.

What do clients expect when they come? You said that it's a very intimate setting. How does this work if somebody is looking for treatment and they want to work with you guys? 

I'm the one that answers all the calls, so from the beginning, I'm already building a relationship. It might be a parent calling, it might be a husband or a wife calling, it might be siblings calling. I'm engaged with a client from the time the phone call comes into the time they get in and meet with me on a one-to-one. We were able during those phone calls, I'm determining whether or not they're a good fit for what we do or not, or do they need a higher level of care, or maybe they might need to get into a sober living. I'm already problem-solving during the first phone call and looking at what's the right option or a good fit for them moving forward. At some point in time, if we're not good for them. A good fit for them right away, we can then bring them back, hopefully, at some other stage of their development and growth and maybe coming back into counselling. Besides all the basic intake stuff, when they first come in, I'll sit down with them and go through all their paperwork and sign all their forms and consents and all that stuff, and get them right in and support them in any way that we can.

I've worked for many treatment centers where that wasn't the focus, so it's really important that I'm not bringing them in because I need a bed filled, or I need the money or whatever, I'm not financially driven in regards to helping the clients. I do get quite busy though, and a lot of times I'm making phone calls later or on weekends trying to follow up on clients that have called that I might have missed. But I'm the one that's engaged with them from the beginning.

How can our community support you more? 

I think just helping to get our services out there, that we truly care about the clients that we're working with, we want to make sure that we're a good fit for the people that we're collaborating with in regards to referring clients and things like that. I've been involved with OC Shrinks, now, for a few years, and it's just been a great support system, and I have gotten a lot of referrals from people in this group, and it's just been a really nice smooth transition with them. And just their social media support and platform, and I know you guys are building on that right now, I think that that's a really good thing. So I just wanna expand and just kind of more focus on building my private practice in the offering, whether it be 12 Step or recovery-focused type of counseling, and adding in some mindfulness and spiritual tools that they can add into their lives and hopefully enhance any situation that they're involved in.

How can people find you? 

Our website is phoenixrisingbehavioral.com. 

Phoenix Rising Addiction Center is on Facebook, it's on Instagram, Twitter. One of the things that I've been doing during COVID was getting people talking a lot about the steps and things like that, I created this YouTube channel back when COVID started.  I was like, "Oh, I’m just goinging do this, I'm going to put some videos together, talk about the steps and how do you integrate the steps into your recovery." I wasn't focused on alcohol and/or drugs, what I started focusing on my YouTube channel was on using the steps to address probably one of the biggest addictions that there is, which is the addiction to this obsessive compulsive repetitive thinking that goes on. I started implementing using the 12 Steps and addressing the problem of thinking. I've kinda just blended the two together and added some mindfulness practices. I've done a couple of meditation videos on there.

I didn't know where this thing was going to go, and it started off really, really slow. I might have had, after four months, 10 people subscribing to the page, to the channel. But now I'm like over 14,000 followers or subscribers on YouTube, and it's just kind of taken off. I don't know what's happening, but it's kind of just been slowly building and building and building. I'm only on step four, right now. I haven't even gone through all of the 12 Steps yet. I've probably done about 40 videos, and I've just been doing these little 10-minute videos and putting them out there on our channel and sharing them on all of the social media groups and platforms that I have, and it's been growing. And it's also available on most of the podcast platforms that are out there too. That's been my little project during COVID.