Today we discuss taming our monkey mind in order to have a healthy relationship with ourselves and others and live a joyful life.
Our mind is the source of our problems, but it is also the doorway to our freedom. If we want to change anything, we first have to get to the cause of what’s creating different problems in our lives. The issue is, we rarely ever look hard enough to discover that our thinking is generally the root of our problems.
My first guest, JF Benoist, is the co-founder of The Exclusive Hawaii, a holistic addiction treatment center and the author of the skills-based book, Addicted to the Monkey Mind. He joins me today to discuss changing the programming that sabotages our lives and how to develop a powerful new mindset in order to create change.
My second guest, Kristine Jackson, is the clinical director of Villa Kali Ma, a residential treatment center for women’s addiction treatment and holistic recovery. She joins me today to share the relationship between disconnection and addiction and how the monkey brain is hardwired to function from a place of survival.
We Discuss:
- How the monkey mind creates dysfunctional relationships, misery, and suffering in our lives
- Becoming the observer of our thoughts and gaining awareness of how we use our minds
- Four major keys to know for understanding how to master the mind and have a better life
- What the monkey mind is and how to change the programming that tends to sabotage us
- Why the monkey mind, fear, and shame are the underlying causes of addiction
- The reason why most people tend to relapse and why addiction is so difficult to overcome
- The most important skills that we need to learn in order to create significant, lasting change
- What Experimental Engagement Therapy is, what’s unique about it, and why it works
- Changing the neuropathways in our brain through experience and new thought patterns
- Why fear and shame create an internal within the mind and how this relates to addiction
- How addiction impacts families and why having a supportive family component is crucial
“What we’re addicted to is using shame as a way to create change. We’re motivating ourselves with shame to be a better person, but it never works.” – JF Benoist
About JF:
Jean-Francois (J.F.) Benoist has been counseling people struggling with addiction, mental health, and relationship issues for over twenty years.
He co-founded The Exclusive Hawaii, a non-12-step residential addiction treatment center, with his wife, Joyce, in 2011.
JF is the creator of the therapeutic methodology Experiential Engagement TherapyTM (EET), which focuses on addressing a person’s underlying core beliefs.
He is well-known for his authentic, experiential techniques, which maximize long-term change.
Benoist is a Certified Option Process Mentor/Counselor. He is an internationally certified leader in The Mankind Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting men’s personal growth.
JF began his studies in human development and empowerment with Robert Hargrove and Relationships Inc. in 1980 and has been deeply involved in facilitating change in others ever since.
About Kristine:
After graduating magna cum laude with a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, Kristine Jackson moved to California to become a clinical supervisor for therapeutic programs.
As a life long learner, she then became certified in several modalities including Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT), Motivational Interviewing, Eating Disorders (CEDS), and Experiential Therapy (CET I).
After being awarded LPS designation, Kristine then went to UCLA for a certification in co-occurring disorders.
Working with clients and families of those struggling with eating disorders and other mental health issues for the past 25 years, she continually discovered the importance of a therapeutic process to get a deeper level of healing.
Kristine has a passion for helping Seekers through the beautifully challenging time of exploring not just behaviors, but the beliefs that hold them.
She feels that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience and there is a gift in that. Kristine’s hope is that you gain clarity, confidence, and true connection.
Check out the video below to watch our interview:
“Fear and shame are the base of everything, so once the addiction is shrouded in both secrecy and shame, then it’s the petri dish for that not only continuing, but growing.” – Kristine Jackson
Resources Mentioned:
- TheExclusiveHawaii.com
- VillaKaliMa.com – Contact Villa Kali Ma at (619)-246-8862
- Leave a comment on our Facebook or Instagram page tagging two friends to receive a FREE copy of my book, Release, Renew, Evolve
- Champa Thai Massage in San Marcos, CA – Call (760)-510-9999 and mention Voices of Courage to receive 10% off!
- AnnPhotography.com – Contact Ann Landstrom at (760)-610-6263
- WomensWisdom.net
Visit TheCourageToChangeEverything.com to pre-order Ken’s new book, The Courage to Change Everything: Strategies and Wisdom to Transform Your Life One Day at a Time
Learn More About Host Ken D. Foster
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