In this special re-release of The Hanley Effect, we return to a heartfelt conversation with Lance Woodley, Hanley Center’s well-loved Clinical Chaplain. Alongside Dr. John Dyben and Dr. Rachel Docekal, Lance shares his personal and professional story and talks about how spirituality can make a real difference in addiction recovery.

Lance talks about growing up in Bell Glade, Florida, and how his experiences in music, theology, and clinical social work led him to his role at Hanley. He explains with compassion and insight how spiritually informed therapy can help people in recovery work through grief, find self-worth, and reconnect with meaning.

This episode takes a closer look at what it means to heal the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—and explains why presence, ritual, and purpose are so important for lasting recovery.

Lance talks about his journey from studying music at Bethune-Cookman University to earning advanced degrees in theology and clinical social work. He explains how he combines spirituality with evidence-based care in his work at Hanley Center.

The conversation looks at how spirituality can help people in treatment work through loss, grief, shame, and identity, which are often at the core of addiction.

Lance talks about research on meditation and prayer, sharing insights from neuroscientists like Andrew Newberg. He explains how spiritual practices can have a positive effect on the brain and help with emotional regulation.

Listeners hear about meaningful therapeutic rituals, such as the Stone Key Ritual, that help people express pain, let go of resentment, and move toward forgiveness and healing.

This episode shows how Hanley Center combines strong clinical care with spiritual support to create a caring, personalized, and life-changing recovery experience.

• Recovery is more than just stopping substance use; it’s also about finding meaning and self-worth again.
• Spiritual care and clinical science can work together to support deep and lasting healing.
• Rituals and being present can help people process pain and build hope.
• When we treat the whole person, recovery becomes more compassionate and effective.

Lance Woodley’s wisdom, warmth, and steady presence continue to make a difference in the Hanley community. This re-release gives both new and returning listeners a chance to revisit a conversation that gets to the heart of healing and the lasting power of hope.

Learn More:

Visit https://www.hanleycenter.org/ or call 844-502-4673 to explore programs and services designed to inspire hope and foster recovery.

This episode was originally released on 1/22/2025.

What actually happens in the brain during addiction, anxiety, depression, or trauma, and how can we measure it in ways that meaningfully guide treatment? In this episode, hosts Dr. John Dyben and Dr. Rachel Docekal sit down with Hanley Center’s Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Angelo Asheh, M.D., and neuropsychologist Dr. Yianoula Alexakis, Psy.D., to demystify the brain–behavior connection. Dr. Alexakis explains how neuropsychological testing, quantitative EEG (QEEG or “brain mapping”), and neurofeedback provide objective data to tailor interventions, while Dr. Asheh shares how those findings improve medical decision‑making and outcomes for people with co‑occurring substance use and mental health disorders.

Along the way, Dr. Alexakis shares her first‑generation story (and a few accents!), then brings it back to hope: the brain’s capacity for neuroplasticity means recovery can be measured, trained, and strengthened over time, when clinicians work together around the whole person.

• Neuropsychology 101: How brain–behavior assessment looks beyond symptoms to attention, memory, executive function, mood, and personality, so treatment is individualized, not one‑size‑fits‑all.
• Objective data that matters: Why cognitive testing + clinical observation + medical labs/imaging create a clearer diagnostic picture than any single data point alone.
• QEEG (brain mapping) explained: How quantitative EEG visualizes over‑ or under‑activation in brain networks related to sleep, anxiety, attention, and more, and how it becomes a baseline to track change.
• Neurofeedback & “neuro‑restorative” care: Training the brain toward healthier patterns to support mood regulation, focus, and recovery stability.
• Co‑occurring realities: Why treating substance use and the underlying drivers (trauma, anxiety, depression) is essential, and how integrated teams align around that.
• Whole‑system health: The gut–brain axis, sleep hygiene, stress physiology, psychotherapy, and medication, how they intersect with brain function and recovery.
• Hope through neuroplasticity: The brain can adapt. Measuring progress over time helps patients see change and stay engaged.

• The role of a neuropsychologist on a treatment team, and why data‑informed care improves outcomes.
• Distinguishing ADHD‑like symptoms from anxiety or depression during assessment.
• Practical uses of QEEG in residential treatment and aftercare planning.
• How neuropsych findings support smarter prescribing and case formulation.
• “Two Dr. A’s” on collaboration: medicine, psychology, therapy, sleep, nutrition, and brain training working in concert.
• Closing message: a clear, compassionate case for measured hope.

• Learn about our programs visit: hanleycenter.org
• Speak with our admissions team at: 844‑502‑4673

In this episode of The Hanley Effect, hosts Dr. John Dyben and Dr. Rachel Docekal sit down with clinical psychologist Dr. Carol Chu‑Peralta, PhD., Founder & Clinical Director of the Center for Resiliency, to unpack the science and practice of bouncing back after trauma.

What We Discuss

• Resilience, defined: Not a personality trait, but a capacity to respond effectively to stress, and it can be developed.
• How to build it (especially in kids): Allow “life experiments” (small, everyday challenges) so children practice recovering and problem‑solving.
• Post‑traumatic growth: The shift from feeling stuck in symptoms to reclaiming agency and integrating new resources.
• Intergenerational transmission of trauma: How unaddressed trauma responses can pass behaviorally and biologically across generations, and how to interrupt the cycle.
• Trauma is subjective: Two people can face the same event and have different outcomes; it’s about whether the stressor exceeds one’s current capacity.
• A helpful analogy (STAIR‑NST): Two houses on the same shoreline, one on stilts, one on bricks, weather the same storm differently; foundations = internal resources.

Dr. Carol also shares her own path, from early trauma work to launching a group practice during the pandemic when requests for care surged. Her message to anyone who’s curious but hesitant: you don’t need a label to ask for help, and you don’t have to be in crisis to start.

About Our Guest

Dr. Carol Chu‑Peralta is a Clinical Psychologist and Founder of the Center for Resiliency, specializing in trauma, parenting, anxiety, depression, and neuro/psychological evaluation. Trained at NYU and Bellevue Hospital, she helps individuals and families break generational patterns and build durable emotional resilience.

Resources & Contact

• Center for Resiliency: centerforresiliency.com
• Hanley Foundation: hanleyfoundation.org | 844‑502‑4673