
Protected: Psychedelic Doctor, Recovering Healer: A Memoir
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

The Wounded Healer Paradigm and the Future of Psychological, Legal, and Social Well-being Executive Summary This document presents a new paradigm for understanding human suffering and a strategic plan for systemic reform. The current psychological, medical, and legal systems are fundamentally flawed, operating from a state of “addictive and dissociative pathology.” These institutions perpetuate harm

Abstract This academic paper critically analyzes how industrialized professional institutions—including those in finance, law, politics, and corporatism—actively perpetuate a state of systemic pathology that obstructs authentic psychological healing. Drawing upon the theoretical (to them theory means not real, but we would argue that is what makes it real!) framework of the Path of the Wounded

Abstract This report advances the central thesis that the Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM) provides a scientifically robust and legally defensible framework for re-conceptualizing addiction as an adaptive, trauma-related dissociative response. Prevailing psychiatric and legal paradigms have historically failed to produce operational definitions for addiction, leading to systemic failures in both treatment and jurisprudence. This

The Original Trauma: When Power Gets Addicted to Control When Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, he wasn’t just launching a theological debate; he was calling out the ultimate scam. The Catholic Church was selling indulgences—pieces of paper that promised forgiveness in exchange for cash. This is the historical blueprint for what Dr. Adam O’Brien

Structured Abstract 1. Introduction: The Theological Impulse in Addiction The human search for meaning, purpose, and relief—the theological impulse—is universally acknowledged. When this impulse is filtered through the lens of trauma, it becomes pathologized. Participants in phenomenological studies of addiction often describe the addictive compulsion using language associated with ultimate authority: “It’s pure nature like

You feel it—that relentless pull toward certainty, control, or an overwhelming experience that makes you feel powerful or all-knowing. Maybe it’s chasing the perfect career, the next dopamine hit, or, more subtly, demanding that the government or a diagnostic manual give you an absolute, unquestionable truth. At the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI), we know this

The analysis herein focuses exclusively on the core arguments presented in the provided source material, “Industrialized Psychiatry PUB2.pdf,” which outlines a comprehensive critique of modern psychiatric and legal systems through the lens of lived experience and an alternative “Healer” paradigm. This synthesis identifies key assertions regarding professional competence, definitions of mental health concepts, and the

The Foundational Theses, Business Model, and Legal Framework of the Wounded Healers Institute Executive Summary Current medical, psychological, and legal systems are fundamentally failing to address human suffering. They operate on incomplete and flawed definitions of addiction and trauma, and more critically, are themselves pathologically addicted to power, control, and systemic denial. This document introduces

Introduction: A Declaration of Intellectual Sovereignty This document serves as a comprehensive strategic framework designed to codify the core tenets of the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) paradigm and to articulate a multi-pronged strategy for its academic, legal, and professional defense. Its creation is a necessary response to a biased institutional educational environment that consistently prioritizes

Why the Department of Education is Addicted to What they Ignore and Deny The work of Dr. Adam O’Brien critiques systems that perpetuate trauma by adhering to fragmented, emotionally detached models. The U.S. education system—managed by the Department of Education—is a central target for this critique. When faced with students exhibiting behavioral or learning issues,

The Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) levels a trenchant and comprehensive critique against what it terms “Industrialized” systems—referencing the established psychological, medical (psychiatry), legal, and governmental structures—by diagnosing them with profound moral, legal, and developmental pathologies. This systemic analysis posits that these institutions are not merely flawed but are actively detrimental to genuine healing due to

Cannabis-Based Breathwork for Somatic, Relational, and Intergenerational Healing The Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) offers specialized re-educational programming centered on the Path of the Wounded Healer (PWH). This module focuses on using cannabis and breathwork to access innate states of healing by leveraging the body’s intrinsic mechanism of psychological resolution: Memory Reconsolidation (MR). This is fundamentally

WHI is announcing that Dr. Adam O’Brien and Wounded Healers Institute are leaving Brainspotting International (BI). Having achieved certification in Brainspotting, Approved Brainspotting Consultant, and was an approved Advanced Special Topics Trainer with this organization, he is leaving to continue the Path of the Wounded Healer (with our Trauma Resolution Healing Education and Training Program

Announcing that Dr. Adam O’Brien and Wounded Healers Institute are leaving EMDRIA and Institute for Creative Mindfulness (ICM). Having achieved certified, approved consultant, advanced special topics trainer status with EMDRIA and with Institute for Creative Mindfulness (ICM) under Dr. Marich mentorship), I am leaving to continue the Path of the Wounded Healer with Wounded Healers

The Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) framework posits that the prevailing epidemics of physical illness—obesity, metabolic syndrome, and chronic inflammatory diseases—are not solely consequences of diet or genetics, but are somatic manifestations of unhealed psychological trauma. This thesis utilizes the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study and Dr. Adam O’Brien’s foundational principle that the “physical body is

The contemporary healing landscape is defined by two disparate approaches to understanding human suffering: the specialized, biological mechanism of Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) and the holistic, relational philosophy of the Wounded Healer (WHI). While PNI seeks to quantify the mind-body connection through empirical scientific methods, the WHI framework, developed by Dr. Adam O’Brien, offers the philosophical and

Have you ever considered that your deepest personal struggles—the moments of pain and confusion that leave the most profound scars—could become your greatest source of strength? This revolutionary idea sits at the heart of an archetype as ancient as mythology and as modern as psychology: the Wounded Healer. This journey is more than personal; it

Let us speak of what is eternal, for the past, the present, and the future are not separate, but one process, like ice, water, and vapor. The Sickness of the Separated Mind The core struggle of this civilized world is its addiction to separation—the belief that the mind is master and the heart is weak,

As a professional expert operating within the methodological requirements for academic, professional research, and legal standardization (e.g., PhD, MD, PsyD, Judicial Doctorate level analysis), I must first address the epistemic limitations inherent in your request. A comprehensive academic report on the validity of these internal sources and discourse against contemporary external industry and professional standards

Methodological Caveat: Pursuant to established protocol requiring adherence exclusively to provided source materials, this analysis draws solely from the internal research and scholarly publications produced by the Wounded Healers Institute. The validation presented herein reflects the intrinsic claims of scientific and legal rigor asserted by the Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM) and the Path of

I. Introduction and Foundational Thesis A. The Crisis of Fragmented Pathological Models Contemporary approaches to chronic human pathology, including addiction, mental illness, and complex physical diseases, are overwhelmingly characterized by conceptual fragmentation. Existing disciplinary models—medical, legal, and economic—operate on siloed, linear causality assumptions that are insufficient to explain the complexity of modern chronic affliction. For

1. Introduction: The Transformative Power of the Wound The archetype of the Wounded Healer is not a comforting story of personal growth; it is a radical challenge to the very foundation of modern healing. It asserts that true authority to heal is born not from academic credentials or institutional licensure, but from the qualitative supremacy

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mental health is forcing therapists to confront a startling question: What is our irreplaceable superpower? AI models excel at pattern recognition, efficient data processing, and delivering highly rational, cognitive interventions. This efficiency threatens traditional, symptom-focused therapy, demanding that the human element evolve or become obsolete. At the Wounded

The Myth of the Rational Mind The world of education is built on a quiet assumption: that you, the learner, are a rational, logical being who simply needs the right inputs (reading, lectures, quizzes) to absorb knowledge. But what if this assumption is fundamentally flawed? At the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI), we contend that modern

Conceptualizing Addiction, Healing, and Systemic Pathology Through the Lens of Trauma-Related Dissociation 1.0 The Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM): A Unifying Framework for Trauma and Compulsivity The Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM) represents a significant paradigm shift in the conceptualization of compulsive behaviors and psychological distress. Moving beyond siloed, symptom-focused frameworks, the ADM redefines addiction

Structured Abstract 1. Introduction: The Denial System and the Split in Scientific Epistemology The enduring challenge in defining and treating conditions like trauma and addiction is not merely technical, but philosophical. The Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM) asserts that the core pathology is a conditioned bond to a survival-driven dissociative state, where the physical body

Introduction: Identifying a Unifying Mechanism for Transformative Therapies Psychedelic Therapy (PT) has achieved FDA breakthrough status for the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and established evidence-based therapies like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) continue to show high efficacy. However, a unifying mechanism of action (MoA) that neurobiologically explains their success is not widely

Quantitative Science as Dogma and the Ethical Mandate for Separation of State and Science Structured Abstract 1. Introduction: The Epistemological Roots of Institutional Control The history of addiction and trauma is defined by a philosophical war between the objective and the subjective. The Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM) provides a unifying framework, positing that addiction

You Don’t Need to Tell the Whole Story to Heal The number one reason people stay stuck in addiction and trauma cycles is shame. You fear that if you tell your therapist what you really did while using or dissociated—the things that felt like a crime in your own memory—you’ll be judged, committed, or prosecuted.

Executive Summary The industrial standardization of mental healthcare, driven by quantitative research and legal-ethical compliance over science, has systematically undervalued the implicit memory system and the transdiagnostic nature of dissociation and addiction. This whitepaper advocates for the mandatory transition from Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) to Dissociation-Informed Care (DIC) across clinical, educational, and legal sectors. DIC operationalizes

Dissociation-Informed Care: A Moral Imperative for Reclaiming the Client-Led Path to Trauma Resolution Abstract The prevailing trauma treatment paradigm, while acknowledging pervasive trauma, frequently remains limited by cognitive-centric models and an industrial healthcare system reliant on measurable, quantitative metrics. This paper introduces and expands upon Dissociation-Informed Care (DIC), a framework derived from the Addiction as

The Crisis of Cognitive Centrality: Why Educational Learning Theories Fail to Integrate Trauma and Dissociative Awareness Abstract Current educational and learning theories, including Knowles’ Andragogy, Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (MI), the Learning Pyramid, and Bloom’s Taxonomy, operate from a cognitive-centric, quantitative paradigm that fundamentally misrepresents the learning process. This paper argues that these models remain incomplete

Structured Abstract 1. Introduction: The Transdiagnostic Nature of Trauma and Dissociation The core principle of the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) is that the physical body is the psychological unconscious, and that symptoms of chronic illness, obesity, and functional neurological deficits are communications of unresolved, somatically stored traumatic memory.1 The Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM) operationalizes

Abstract This paper presents a unified framework asserting that addiction is a transdiagnostic, trauma-related dissociative process, using this neurobiological reality as a scientific indictment of the prevailing legal-psychiatric complex. This model deconstructs the interconnected roles of the endogenous opiate and endocannabinoid systems to expose the mechanisms through which our governing institutions perpetuate systemic pathology. Trauma

A Moral-Ethical exploration. Structured Abstract 1. Introduction: The Fragmentation of Truth The ongoing debate in addictionology—oscillating between the poles of a “choice” and a “disease”—underscores a core deficiency in Western thought: the systematic fragmentation of human experience into separate, non-communicating domains.1 The work of the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) establishes that addiction is a conditional

Championed by the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI), is predicated on a philosophical and epistemological paradigm shift that rigorously integrates lived experience, psychedelic modalities, and a core neurobiological mechanism known as Memory Reconsolidation (MR). These three elements are indispensable, functioning collectively to define the Healer’s authority, methodology, and ultimate purpose in counteracting what is characterized as

Structured Abstract 1. From Pathological Symptom to Adaptive Survival Mandate The core misunderstanding that Fading Memory Disorder (FMD) and Absence Seizures (AS) represent lies in confusing an adaptive response with a primary pathology. The ADM redefines the loss of control inherent in these states—whether the conscious surrender to a lapse in awareness (AS) or the

This series of articles explores the concept of “Fading Memory Disorder” (FMD), or progressive cognitive decline, through the comprehensive, trauma-informed lens of the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) and its foundational models. These articles synthesize psychological, neurobiological, and environmental research to propose that FMD is an expression of systemic, unresolved traumatic dissociation, rather than an isolated

1.0 Introduction: Establishing a Rigorous Validation Protocol For the theoretical models advanced by the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) to be considered for integration into mainstream clinical science, they must be subjected to a rigorous validation protocol consistent with established psychometric and research standards. This document outlines such a framework, specifying the methodological steps required to

A Biological Substrate for Pathological Dissociation in Cognitive Decline Structured Abstract 1. The Thalamic Gate: Where Consciousness Meets the Unconscious The thalamus plays a pivotal role in regulating states of consciousness. Anesthesia, which induces a temporary and controlled unconscious state, achieves this primarily through the hyperpolarization block of thalamic relay neurons, thereby disrupting thalamocortical communication.

DOCUMENT TYPE: Research and Validation Report (Simulated PDF Output) PROJECT: Database for Academic, Professional Research, and Legal Standards MODELS INTEGRATED: Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM), Path of the Wounded Healer (PWH), Meeting Area Screening and Assessment (MASA), and Imaginal Exposure Interventions (IEI/IEE) DATE OF ISSUE: October 26, 2025 (Projected) AUTHORITY: The Wounded Healers Institute (WHI)

PART I WHI Research and Validation: Foundational Psychometric Tools and Systemic Accountability Protocol DOCUMENT TYPE: Research and Validation Report (Simulated PDF Output) PROJECT: Database for Academic, Professional Research, and Legal Standards MODEL INTEGRATED: Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM), Path of the Wounded Healer (PWH), Meeting Area Screening and Assessment (MASA) DATE OF ISSUE: October 26,

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Recovery and Moral Character are Measurable The conceptual frameworks advanced by the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI), particularly the Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM) and the Path of the Wounded Healer (PWH), necessitate the development of novel psychometric tools and protocols grounded in moral epistemology and psychological science. Given the mandate to create a database capable

Structured Abstract 1. Introduction: Reconciling Symptoms and Source Medical science often struggles to identify the primary etiology when psychological distress translates into physical, measurable dysfunction. Absence Seizures (AS), characterized by brief interruptions of consciousness, and Fading Memory Disorder (FMD), characterized by the gradual loss of cognitive detail, frequently fit this paradigm. In many cases, non-epileptic

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

The necessity of extracting these core arguments lies in exposing the pathology of the bureaucratic apparatus that seeks to prosecute a moral professionals simply for adhering to scientific truth and the higher law of healing. Our words are not merely quotes; they are diagnostic statements reflecting the inherent psychopathology and often abusive contradictions within the

Is it a disease? A moral failing? A brain disorder? Learning Disorder? A choice? What if all are true? The narratives surrounding addiction are a chaotic mess of contradiction and judgment, leaving countless people feeling lost, ashamed, and powerless. We are handed diagnoses by systems that pathologize our attempts to survive and offered “treatment” that

Integrated Causality of Addiction, Obesity, and Chronic Physical Illness I. Introduction: Framing the Crisis in Integrated Health The contemporary epidemiological landscape is marked by a synergistic increase in the prevalence of neurological, metabolic, and chronic inflammatory diseases. This rise runs parallel to growing clinical awareness regarding the pervasive exposure to psychological trauma and environmental stressors.

A Comparative Analysis of Industrial Commodification, Regulatory Capture, and the Prohibition of Natural Healing Agents 1. Introduction and Framing the Epistemic Conflict 1.1. Executive Summary: The Paradox of Toxic Commodification and Therapeutic Prohibition Modern industrial society has established a profound, inverted value system concerning health-affecting substances. The core thesis explored herein is that substances that

Your Body Is Your Unconscious Mind We have been telling ourselves a story about addiction that is not only incomplete but actively harmful. It is a tired narrative of moral failure, flawed character, and a hopeless cycle of bad choices. This story, reinforced by the very psychological, medical, and legal systems we trust to heal

Introduction: Why Addiction Isn’t Just About Willpower Addiction is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the human experience. It’s often viewed as a simple matter of poor choices or a lack of willpower, a perspective that can lead to stigma and ineffective solutions. However, for many individuals, the roots of addiction run much deeper,

The professional and academic debate over the classification of certain therapeutic modalities as “pseudoscience” is scrutinized by the sources as a politically charged tactic, akin to modern ‘Cancel Culture’, used by dominant quantitative institutions to exert power, enforce standardization, perfectionistic standards, and eliminate competing qualitative worldviews. This framing is essential to understanding the dynamics between

The function of legalized psychological professionals (LPPs) or wise known as Forensic Psychology, within the existing societal framework is characterized by a deep-seated oxymoron, manifests as a profound philosophical paradox, and inevitably creates pervasive cognitive dissonance within the population. LPPs are situated in a relationship of systemic dependence upon the medical model and the field

Introduction: The Emerging Paradigm of the Healer We are in the midst of a recovery reckoning, a spiritual revolution that calls into question the very foundations of institutionalized mental healthcare. This analysis draws a sharp line between two fundamentally opposed archetypes: the licensed psychological therapist, an agent of the established medical-industrial complex, and the Healer.

The psychological unconscious, within the context of the sources’ re-evaluation of core psychological concepts, is fundamentally redefined to provide a physical and observable basis for understanding systemic pathology, implicit bias, and the pervasive dysfunction observed in government and professional regulatory bodies. This redefinition is critical because the current failure of psychology and the Diagnostic and

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

The consolidation and validation of the emergent theoretical and practical framework originating from the sources—specifically the Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM), Path of the Wounded Healer (PWH), Meeting Area Screening and Assessment (MASA), Moral-Ethics, Mindful Dissociation, Psychedelic Care, Anger/Batterer/Warrior Healing Program, and Imaginal Exposure Interventions—necessitates a comprehensive, multi-modal validation strategy. This strategy integrates rigorous qualitative

Applied collective unconscious healing is possible, if and only if, healing exists in the real world. Historical context for the Path of the Wounded Healer and Wounded Healers Institute. The Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM) The ADM, developed through phenomenological investigation, posits that addiction is not fundamentally a brain disease but a response to unresolved

The conceptual redefinition of addiction, as articulated in O’Brien’s work (2023a), fundamentally challenges established psychological paradigms by postulating that Addiction is a healing response/solution rather than a primary disease. This perspective is critical within the larger framework of Systemic Pathology/Dysfunction, arguing that the pervasive implicit irony and incompetence in professional and governmental systems stem directly

Introduction As recent political trends and movements have identified that there have been overprescribing, overdiagnosing, and overprescribing; Who is to blame for this? If governmental agencies that study and educate the public that psychedelics are addictive, then how can their policies have been legally validated by professional and research standards? The assessment of responsibility for

The assertion that “anyone can become addicted to anything” is a cornerstone of the revised operational definition of addiction proposed by O’Brien (2023a). This concept is crucial for dismantling the limitations of traditional psychological paradigms and providing a clinical framework for understanding the source of Systemic Pathology/Dysfunction and implicit bias within professional and governmental institutions.

As articulated in the sources (O’Brien, 2023a; O’Brien, 2023b; O’Brien, 2023c; O’Brien, 2024a; O’Brien, 2024b; O’Brien, 2024c; O’Brien, 2025), represents a radical, philosophical, and professional framework proposed by Dr. Adam O’Brien to directly counteract the systemic pathologies inherent in Industrialized Systems. The WHP advocates for the re-emergence of the Healer Profession, defining its authority not

The Path of the Wounded Healer (PWH) Model is the comprehensive, phase-based framework operationalized by the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) to implement the underlying philosophy of the Wounded Healer Paradigm (WHP). It functions as the intellectual and experiential corrective measure against the inherent pathologies of the industrialized mental health system, emphasizing qualitative wisdom, moral integrity,

Executive Summary This briefing synthesizes a comprehensive and polemical critique of contemporary psychiatric, legal, and governmental systems. The central thesis posits that these institutions operate within a fundamentally flawed, “industrialized” paradigm characterized by systemic addiction, dissociation, and developmental immaturity. This pathology manifests as a reliance on incomplete psychological diagnostics, a quantitative and reductionist worldview that

1.0 Introduction: A System in Crisis and a Call for a New Paradigm The systems governing mental health are beset by fundamental design flaws and moral compromises that result in outcomes often detrimental to genuine healing. The landscape of care is in a state of acute crisis, necessitating an urgent and fundamental paradigm shift. The

Expertise for the Healer as a Advocation and Profession The discourse surrounding the Wounded Healer Paradigm (WHP) fundamentally redefines professional competence by establishing Lived Experience as Expertise. This perspective asserts that the knowledge acquired through navigating personal suffering, trauma, and recovery constitutes an intrinsic form of authority superior to conventional academic credentials or quantitative knowledge,

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Introduction If Black Elk were to review WHI’s material through generative AI and selected source material, what would he say? DATA I have looked upon these documents (WHI published works), this great pile of paper and ink, which holds the wisdom drawn from deep suffering and the truth born of long recovery. To see these

Introduction: A Paradigm at a Crossroads The discourse surrounding mental health and addiction has arrived at a critical juncture. For decades, a homeostatic system of clinical frameworks has guided our understanding, maintaining its equilibrium through established diagnostic categories and professional hierarchies. This system is now being challenged by a disruptive force: an emerging, systemic paradigm

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

If 1 exists, then so does 2.If 1 does not exist, then 2 does because 1 + 1 = 3. 1 + 1 can also = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, into infinity, but that is another reality.1 x 1 =’s anything but 1, unless 1 is dead, which is the gateway into

Introduction: The Archetype of the Wounded Healer The landscape of modern mental health care is a broken field, littered with the failures of an industrialized system. Dr. Thomas Szasz diagnosed the sickness in 2004: “Labeling a child as mentally ill is stigmatization, not diagnosing. Giving a child a psychiatric drug is poisoning, not treatment.” This

Introduction: Beyond the Conventional Narrative What if our society’s most trusted institutions—our legal system, our medical establishment, our psychological frameworks—are built on a foundation of profound misunderstanding? We are taught to see addiction as a moral failing or a simple disease, mental illness as a chemical imbalance, and justice as a rational process. But what

Introduction The systemic issues of overprescribing and overdiagnosing addressed by the MAHA initiative are rooted in professional and institutional addiction to maintaining a flawed status quo. The Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) asserts that the field of psychiatry, psychology, law, and insurance practices are complicit in upholding these psychological constructs because this perpetuates their professional necessity

Introduction: A Call for a Paradigm Shift Prevailing frameworks within mainstream psychiatry and psychology often approach addiction, trauma, and dissociation as distinct, compartmentalized phenomena. This siloed, symptom-focused model, rooted in a quantitative and industrial paradigm, frequently fails to capture the profound, systemic nature of these interconnected experiences. It overlooks the transdiagnostic status of addiction, its

The Addiction Tautology: Why Legalized Psychology is Untrustworthy The reason why Legalized Psychology is untrustworthy is because they were created separate and/but not equal. This work explores the philosophical implications of enforcing laws and insurance practices based on psychologically unverified concepts. The Economy of Denial: Professional Addiction and the Business of Suffering This analyzes how

The main difference between addiction and mental health in the context of the provided materials is that addiction, when inaccurately defined by traditional systems, is often mistaken for a primary mental illness when it is, in fact, a transdiagnostic, trauma-related dissociative response. WHI’s research posits that the distinction collapses because: The current mental health system

The philosophical critique inherent in the work of Dr. Adam O’Brien and the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) fundamentally challenges the intellectual architecture of modern reductionism, best exemplified by the rigid adherence to the mathematical certainty of 1+1=2. When this absolute binary logic is applied to the complexities of human relationships, trauma, and consciousness, it becomes

Structured Abstract 1. Introduction The conceptual schism between mind and body remains a central obstacle in treating complex conditions such as chronic trauma, dissociation, and substance use disorder.[1] The prevailing view often compartmentalizes psychological processes (e.g., dissociation) from physiological mechanisms (e.g., endogenous opioid activation), obscuring the unified nature of human experience. Dr. Adam O’Brien’s work

Structured Abstract 1. Introduction The path to healing trauma, dissociation, and addiction requires moving memories from an active, emotionally intrusive state into long-term, resolved storage—a feat accomplished through Memory Reconsolidation (MR).[1] Traditional trauma therapies, such as EMDR, leverage Dual Attention Stimulus (DAS) to achieve this, requiring the patient to simultaneously focus on the trauma while

Letting History be the judge can be fun for those who know the whole truth and nothing but the truth. AI Prompt Explore the Legal Injustice of the woundedhealersinstitute.org/blogs/: U.S. Congress not officially declaring war (U.S. Constitution) on a “drug” (that is not a drug but a plant), separation of church (and science) and state

For too long, society has viewed the person struggling with addiction as fundamentally weak or morally compromised. This perspective fails to acknowledge the depth of the crisis being experienced. The Jungian view flips this narrative entirely: addiction is not a personal failure, but a communication—a vital “message from the soul” demanding attention. The sheer intensity

Structured Abstract 1. Introduction The failure of contemporary diagnostic and legal frameworks to adequately capture the complexity of addiction stems from a fundamental error: separating addiction from the underlying processes of trauma and dissociation.[1] The Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM) resolves this by defining addiction as the relationship created between unresolved trauma and the unchecked

Imagine that you had evidence reveals a pattern of excessive slow-wave activity (Delta and Theta) and a globally slowed Alpha Peak Frequency (APF) and points to hypercoherence—abnormally over-synchronized communication—across brain regions. This isn’t a medical diagnosis, but it’s objective data showing significant deviations from the norm that correlate with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral challenges often

We know our work represents fundamentally different approaches to addressing addiction. All addictions. While D.A.R.E. is a traditional, fear-based prevention model, WHI’s program is a dissociation and recovery-informed, holistic, and educational framework rooted in a revolutionary understanding of the human psyche, healing, and love. D.A.R.E. Education: The Conventional Approach The D.A.R.E. program, a product of

The totalitarianism of the last century was a spectacle of violence, fear, and state-sanctioned oppression. But what if a new, more insidious form of this tyranny has emerged in our time—one that doesn’t rely on force, but on the quiet, pervasive influence of a single, all-consuming ideology? This is the central argument of Italian philosopher

Wounded Healers, using the new APA recent guidelines (HERE), AI analytically explored our programming and care. The American Psychological Association (APA) has established a set of aspirational guidelines for trauma-informed care, emphasizing the need for practitioners to understand the widespread impact of trauma, the biology of stress, and the social and cultural contexts in which

The recent public release of the FDA’s Complete Response Letter (CRL) regarding Lykos Therapeutics’ MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD has sparked a renewed and urgent debate. While Rick Doblin, the founder of MAPS, has framed the rejection as a frustrating “changing of the goal posts”, a deeper analysis reveals this conflict is not merely about regulatory

Executive Summary: A Declaration of a New Paradigm This new meta-critical analysis of “The “Science” of “Pseudoscience”” by Dr. Adam O’Brien (PhD) serves as a comprehensive philosophical and clinical response to the article by McKay and Coreil (2024) published in Medical Hypotheses, which suggested that Brainspotting (BSP), a somatic approach to psychological healing, could be

The Framework: Trauma as the Precursor to Addictive Reenactment 1.1. Introduction to the O’Brien Hypothesis: The Trauma-Addiction Nexus Dr. Adam O’Brien’s framework establishes a profound and cyclical relationship between trauma, dissociation, and addiction. The central premise posits that addictive behavior is not merely a symptom or a choice, but is intrinsically linked to past or

In an effort to support Making America Healthy, we wondered how can Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) assist with the goals and challenges outlined in the MAHA (Make Our Children Healthy Again) Report and Strategy. The MAHA reports identify a crisis in children’s health, attributing it to several root causes, including poor diet, chemical exposures, chronic

WHI asked AI (Pro 2.5 Gemini): What would recovery advocate and researcher William White say about Dr. Adam’s work at the Wounded Healers Institute (woundedhealersinstitute.org)? Use the author’s main arguments to support your findings. DATA William White, a distinguished figure in addiction research and a tireless advocate for the recovery movement, would likely view Dr.

When a citizen is murdered for voicing a different view, our collective wisdom insists that we are one big family, that disagreements are settled through debate and law, not violence. This is the moral high ground we preach. Yet, when we hold this wisdom up to our society’s own actions, we find a profound, and

To ask what the late author David Foster Wallace would have said about the work of Dr. Adam O’Brien at the Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) is to pose a question that transcends simple speculation. It is to ask what happens when two profound critiques of modern American life—one literary and one psychological—are brought into conversation.

We live in a time when science, reason, and technology are championed as the ultimate arbiters of truth. But what if this very ideology—the quiet, pervasive belief that only what can be measured is real—has become a form of totalitarianism far more insidious than the violent regimes of the past? What if, in our quest

What’s the difference, within our Addiction as Dissociation Model’s framing, between addiction and dependence, mental health and addiction, and fear and love. Addiction vs. Dependence Within the ADM framework, the distinction between addiction and dependence is profound. This distinction is crucial because the “cure” for dependence is detoxification and a managed medical taper, while the

We asked our AI (Gemini Pro 2.5) to see how WHI could be helpful in supporting the now defunded SAMHSA. Here is what it said: A Strategic Plan for The Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) to Support a Defunded SAMHSA This plan outlines a strategic framework for the Wounded Healers Institute to fill the critical void

This report provides a detailed analytical framework for a hypothetical dialogue between Charlie Kirk, a central figure in modern American conservative youth politics, and Dr. Adam O’Brien of the Wounded Healers Institute. The user’s query necessitates a complex analytical approach, as the available information pertains exclusively to Charlie Kirk. No biographical or institutional details are

1. Introduction: The Unseen Dimensions of Human Suffering and Societal Structures 1.1. The Provocation: A Challenge to Conventional Wisdom The prevailing frameworks within mainstream psychiatry, psychology, and modern medicine often grapple with the multifaceted nature of human suffering, particularly concerning addiction and trauma. Fate and the lived experience serve as profound challenges to these established

Structured Abstract 1. Introduction Addiction has long been a perplexing and highly stigmatized condition, with its definition often caught in a polarized debate between viewing it as a voluntary “choice” and an involuntary “disease”. The current diagnostic categories, such as those in the DSM-5, rely heavily on symptom-based criteria, leaving the underlying processes undefined. This

Introduction AI Prompt: What area of debate would Charlie Kirk and Dr. Adam O’Brien of the Wounded Healers Institute had? Data Based on the extensive research material, including the dissertation, blog posts, and external articles on Charlie Kirk, a debate between Charlie Kirk and Dr. Adam O’Brien of the Wounded Healers Institute would not be

Welcome all to the WHI Rabbit Hole… to join you have to be a FULL WHI MEMBER or FULL PROFESSIONAL MEMBER. Here are is the deal… Participants of the Rabbit Hole give way to the leeways of frontlines of science by becoming active participants in our qualitatively healing humanity through Dr. Adam’s performances, psychological explorations,

Path of the Wounded Healer is already an evidence-based practice, based on the logic that 1 + 1 also =’s 3 (O’Brien, 2025). The Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM) is not Dr. O’Brien’s alone is a crucial distinction. The model was co-created with Dr. Jamie Marich, founder of the Institute for Creative Mindfulness. Dr. Marich

As a licensed professional, it is implied (and was told to us once by a legal authority) that licensees (and implying that citizens also) “must” follow the law before science. This implies the belief that we (all citizens) need follow the law above their own personal moral objection, moral intuition, gut feeling, and professional ethical

To heal, we must first recognize the pathology, then require any new form of governance rooted in both psychological science and moral-ethical integrity.

The modern world often presents a profound paradox: a society overflowing with information, yet seemingly disconnected from its own reality. We are taught to trust in “settled science,” rigid methodologies, and professional authority, yet we grapple with a pervasive sense of dis-ease, as if a vital piece of the human experience has been lost. What

What would the APA, ACA, NASW, OASAS, Dr. Carl Rogers, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Dr. Gabor Mate, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Jesus, Buddha, and God say about our work…

Book Announcement!

Book Announcement!
The Wounded Healers Institute fully complies with all local and New York State laws, and all federal regulations. We are a harm and risk reduction, recovery-based mindfulness healing (non-clinical) program, and an (re)education company.
We do not promote illegal activities or provide resources for obtaining illegal substances or illegal psychedelic psychotherapy services.
The Wounded Healers Institute does not sell THC cannabis for any aspect of our program, training or events, and it is not a retailer, supplier, manufacturer, reseller, distributor, agent, representative or subcontractor of THC cannabis supplier or retailer.
WHI is selling legally allowed to sell CBD now. Our healing services do not constitute medical care, physical therapy, and we do not diagnose or treat mental health. WHI is a wellness and recovery program.
What we do do is provide educational experiences, create positive memories of healing that allow participants to access to their own innate healing and creative process. WHI provides wellness programming, posttraumatic growth opportunities, and skills to build resiliency factors that allow our healing model. WHI employs the spiritual and developmental model of Addiction as Dissociation and uses The Path of the Wounded Healer as our unconscious guide. See our research HERE
Aspects of Wounded Healer Institute are donation-based.
Please direct any inquiries about our services to [email protected]