Jennifer Fernandez, PhD & Associates

Loss is a challenging but unavoidable aspect of life. Even from an early age, we experience the loss of people, animals, or objects that are important to us. Whether you’ve recently lost someone important to you or you’re curious about the process of grief, understanding what it is can help us move through it with some more ease. Defining Grief   Grief is defined as...

Have you noticed the buzz around buzz-free alcohol? Maybe your favorite Instagram influencer is posting about Monday Gin or the Athletic Brewing Company. Has an alcohol-free bar opened up in your neighborhood yet? If so, you can thank the Sober Curious movement. Sober Curious is a phrase coined by author Ruby Warrington in 2016. According to her interview on ABC News, Ruby wanted to...

This is the last installment of a five part series on the neurobiology of addiction by Jennifer Fernández, PhD. Follow along on JFPhD.com or Facebook. Drugs and compulsive behaviors are used to cope with a variety of problems. Drug of choice can say a lot about a person or what they’re coping with. People choose drugs that will best help them cope with underlying problems....

This is the fourth installment of a five part series on the neurobiology of addiction by Jennifer Fernández, PhD. Follow along on JFPhD.com or Facebook. Drugs act on neurotransmitters to increase, decrease, or alter their release or reuptake. In the previous installment of this series, we learned that dopamine is responsible for feelings of pleasure and euphoria, but it has other...

This is the third installment of a five part series on the neurobiology of addiction by Jennifer Fernández, PhD. Follow along on JFPhD.com or Facebook. This is not your brain on drugs. These are burnt eggs. Addiction is scary. It has caused pain in many people’s lives and has cost families and governments trillions of dollars to treat and prevent. It’s no surprise that...

Drugs and compulsive behaviors have an impact on the reward center of the brain. This is the second installment of a five part series on the neurobiology of addiction by Jennifer Fernández, PhD. Follow along on JFPhD.com or Facebook. Addiction causes changes to brain structures that regulate pleasure, motivation, and decision making. Depending on the type of drug abused and the...

This is the first installment of a five part series on the neurobiology of addiction by Jennifer Fernández, PhD. Follow along on JFPhD.com or Facebook. Addiction is a biopsychosocial phenomenon that affects over 20 million people in the United States. The factors that cause addiction are not yet well understood, with some arguing that it is a disease and others suggesting it’s more...

Counseling? Rehab? Support groups? How does one know where to start when it comes to choosing a substance abuse treatment program? First, you’ll want to get a formal assessment from a licensed professional to determine which treatment option is appropriate for you. Some substance abuse treatment options to consider are support groups, inpatient, and...

Addiction is not a character flaw and it most definitely is not a choice. Addiction is a biopsychosocial phenomenon that results in negative consequences and feelings of shame and guilt. Biological, psychological, and social factors culminate into a dependent relationship to a substance or compulsive behavior as a means of coping with distressing emotional, psychological, and...

Are you thinking of taking a break from drinking? Maybe you overdid it over the holidays or you’ve noticed that your alcohol intake has steadily increased since the pandemic started. Perhaps you just aren’t getting the same enjoyment from a glass of wine or you’d like to get a healthier start to the new year. Whatever the reason, the perfect opportunity to take a break...