Thought Leadership
Welcome to the J. Flowers Health Institute Thought Leadership Hub
Here you’ll find blogs, podcasts, and educational resources that make complex health information easier to understand.
Our work brings together medical science, psychology, and wellness to reveal how mind and body influence one another. In collaboration with specialists at the Texas Medical Center, we study how these connections shape diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
This is where we share what we learn so that we can help families, clients, and professionals make confident, informed decisions about their care.
Jump to topic:
Mental Health
We take a comprehensive view of mental health.
Our research spans anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, trauma, and other complex conditions that often overlap with medical issues. By examining each person’s full story (mind, body, and environment) we uncover patterns that lead to more accurate diagnoses and more effective care.
Each article explains findings in clear, practical terms to support understanding and encourage thoughtful next steps.
Complex Medical Conditions
Some conditions are rooted in more than biology alone.
Our research explores chronic pain, migraines, gastrointestinal disorders, autoimmune issues, and other challenges that cross medical and psychological lines. And by bringing physicians, psychologists, and wellness specialists together, we reveal the hidden connections that isolated treatments sometimes miss.
Each publication translates this integrated approach into practical guidance that helps clients and providers move forward with clarity.
Substance Use Disorders & Addiction
We take a comprehensive view of addiction and recovery.
Our research explores alcohol and drug use disorders, prescription medication dependence, and behavioral addictions that often overlap with mental health and medical conditions. By examining each person’s full story — including neurobiology, trauma history, environment, and lifestyle — we uncover patterns that contribute to compulsive use and relapse risk.
Each publication translates this integrated approach into practical guidance that helps clients, families, and providers better understand addiction and move forward with clarity and confidence.
Understanding the Human Condition
A Podcast with Dr. James Flowers
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How To Parent A Child With A Mental Illness And Prevent Parent Burnout
Episode 87
John Karren is the owner and co-founder of Elements Wilderness Program in Utah. John helps run two therapeutic wilderness programs: Elements is for boys thirteen to…
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Tonda Chapman, Candy Finnigan, & Jeanie Griffin – Part Two – The Family Choice: Using “Bad” Words Like Intimacy And Vulnerability
Episode 85
In Part Two of this very special three-part series, Dr. James Flowers welcomes back to the show Tonda Chapman, Candy Finnigan, and Jeanie Griffin. Tonda, Candy,…
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Tonda Chapman, Candy Finnigan, & Jeanie Griffin – Part Three – When Enough Is Enough
Episode 86
In Part Three of this very special series, Dr. Jason Flowers welcomes back to the show Tonda Chapman, Candy Finnigan, and Jeanie Griffin. Today, Tonda, Candy,…
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Tonda Chapman, Candy Finnigan, & Jeanie Griffin – Part One – Spirituality & Family: From The Bridge Of Reason To The Shore Of Faith
Episode 84
In Part One of a very special three-part series, Dr. James Flowers welcomes to the show Tonda Chapman, Candy Finnigan, & Jeanie Griffin. Today, Tonda, Candy,…
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The Mind-Body Connection With Aproteem Choudhury
Episode 82
Aproteem Choudhury is a mind-body interventionist who focuses on integrative behavioral health consultancy and public health with six years of experience empowering traumatized clinical populations, communities,…
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Saying Yes To Opportunity With Amanda Blanco
Episode 83
Amanda Blanco is the CEO of the Behavioral Hospital of Bellaire, who started her career with UHS as a Mental Health Technician over 10 years ago.…
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Farideh Banafshei – Telemedicine, Therapy & Access To Quality Mental Healthcare
Episode 81
Farideh Banafshei is a relational integrative therapist who integrates and tailors evidence-based psychological interventions for mental healthcare, drawing knowledge from diverse schools of thought, to optimally…
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Eve Ruff – Helping Struggling Families With Addiction And Substance Abuse
Episode 79
Eve Ruff is a Senior Consultant with Clere Consulting, a firm specializing in working with families presenting with a constellation of complex behavioral health and addiction…
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Claudia Schwarz – From Advocate To Patient
Episode 78
Claudia Schwarz is the Vice President of Clinical Outreach at J. Flowers Health Institute. She’s a clinician who had her own private practice for years before…
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Dr. Louise Stanger – The Family Whisperer: The Importance Of Good Family Work
Episode 77
Clinician, social worker, best-selling author, keynote speaker and interventionist, Dr. Louise Stanger returns to the show to share the work she is doing to help individuals…
The J. Flowers Health Institute Blog
A Comprehensive Resource from Our Specialists
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Meet Andrew Hummel: Managing J. Flowers Health Institute’s Many Moving Parts
Since joining J. Flowers Health Institute as Clinical Logistics Manager in 2019, Andrew Hummel has been seamlessly juggling the scheduling needs of clients, staff, and liaisons—a task that might seem like a logistical nightmare to some but is where Hummel thrives. “Everything needs to work cohesively; there are a lot of moving parts here, so…
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Brave New Year: Trends That Impact Wellness and Self-Care in 2025
Whole person health and wellness has always been a fundamental tenet of J. Flowers Health Institute practice. That holistic approach to treating the whole being and not just physical symptoms (coupled with clear diagnosis) has made the institute a leader in addressing wellness, and mental health and substance abuse disorders. Wellness and self-care – key…
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The Art of Achievable Resolutions: It’s Never Too Early
Don’t wait until January to make wellness and wellbeing resolutions; start now for better results
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Staff Spotlight: Meet Maggie Chapman
As a primary therapist at J. Flowers Health Institute, Maggie Chapman has devoted her career to addressing the complex needs of patients that will allow them to lead their best lives. With an emphasis on clients with substance use, co-occurring disorders and chronic pain, Chapman approaches her practices in a spirit of collaboration: genuinely invested…
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Holiday Wellness: 7 Tips to Cope with Seasonal Stress and Anxiety
It’s called the most wonderful time of the year. But for those with mental health issues and substance use disorders, the holidays can be a difficult time to manage.
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Self Care Sanctuary: A Weekend of Renewal and Connection
Last month, we welcomed a group of J. Flowers Health referents to a truly restorative weekend experience. Our Self-Care Sanctuary at the beautiful Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa was all about relaxation, self-care, and wellness.
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October Safety
As Halloween approaches, it’s important to prepare not just for the festivities, but for your all around continued well-being. Whether you’re in navigating anxiety and or social phobias, or in recovery, we’ve got tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable Halloween season.
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Freedom From Addiction: Meet interventionist Marc Kantor
Check out Marc Kantor’s Instagram profile and you’ll see plenty of examples of encouragement, hope and perseverance. His posts are emblematic of his commitment as an addiction intervention specialist whose work on helping individuals and families recover from addiction and other mental illnesses is in keeping with the core tenets of J. Flowers Health Institute.
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Celebrating Recovery: Marking Personal Triumphs During National Recovery Month
Success deserves celebration. And in the case of addiction recovery, success is a life-changing course of action that is a triumph not just for an individual but for his/her family, friends and community.
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Back to school: Packing the Right Tools for Young Adults Taking on New Challenges
Back-to-school season is traditionally an exciting time of transition for young adults as they take on new challenges: school, job opportunities, friend groups. But it’s also a time that can be fraught and confusing as new risks and temptations confront the 18-25 age group whose emotional and physical development is still forming.
Our learnings directly informs how we care for every client.
Our Programs
Through our Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation and Wellness Program, we apply these insights to design personalized treatment plans that address the full scope of each person’s health. The same curiosity that drives our research guides every decision we make in care.
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