Marti MacGibbon is a standup comic, inspirational humorous speaker, and addiction specialist.

Marti MacGibbon, standup comic, award-winning author, inspirational speaker and expert on addiction, was invited to make a positive statement about recovery on ABC-TV in Indianapolis, in the wake of Robin Williams’ tragic death. The segment, which was filmed at Fairbanks Hospital, aired Tuesday evening, and included information about the warning signs of depression. Marti’s comments included the fact that both addiction and recovery are diseases, that addiction and recovery sometimes co-occur, and that while there is a solution to both, they are serious diseases that require professional help. Another fact Ms. MacGibbon shared is that recovery is an ongoing process: it involves an action plan, put into practice daily. Marti also mentioned she is celebrating 19 years of continuous recovery this week. View the clip!

Talking points about addiction and recovery:

1) Addiction is a primary, chronic disease, much like diabetes. 2) There is treatment for the disease of addiction, but you can’t accomplish it alone, you need to get connected to professional help. 3. Recovery is an ongoing process: it involves an action plan, put into practice daily. 4. Suicide does not discriminate, and neither does addiction. 4. Recovery is not only possible, but life in recovery can be a lot of fun.

Shannon Dawson is an award-winning news producer and an advocate for mental health.

This week, on Kickass Personal Transformation with Marti MacGibbon, we’re  focusing on destroying the stigma surrounding addiction, depression and suicide. The stigma is not only dangerous, it can be fatal for those who suffer in silence. In the wake of Robin Williams’ death, many of us are discussing, disclosing, and processing our emotions: not only our grief for the loss of a brilliant talent, but also our desire to have a conversation about these too often taboo topics that should be openly discussed and treated.

Having open discussion takes courage and hope, and my most recent guest on Kickass Personal Transformation has both.

Shannon Cagle Dawson is an award-winning multimedia news producer, an adjunct professor at her alma mater of Butler University, and a member of several charitable organizations. She is also the widow of the highly regarded and award-winning news anchor and investigative reporter Rick Dawson. Rick took his own life as a result of depression in September 2013.

I am deeply grateful to Shannon for her courage, and her dedication to shedding light on these issues. Since her husband’s death, she has passionately and consistently carried a message to the local and global community, encouraging openness, commitment to mental health, and a call to action that de-stigmatizes sufferers and energizes advocates. Listen to the interview!

Louis Gossett, Jr. is a legendary actor and creator of Eracism Foundation.

Heartfelt thanks to legendary actor and humanitarian Louis Gossett, Jr. for being my guest on Pure Motive Radio. On my show, Kickass Personal Transformation with Marti MacGibbon, we focus on recovery, healing, forgiveness, gratitude and other transformative life forces that anyone can tap into and practice in daily life to create kickass positive change. Louis Gossett, Jr. was in Indianapolis July 18th and 19th, at the Indiana Black Expo, where he received the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award, and delivered a wonderfully inspiring keynote speech at the Diversity Volunteer Awards. Lou graciously accepted my invitation to sit down with me and talk about recovery, the power of forgiveness, global human rights, and the work he is doing through his humanitarian organization, The Eracism Foundation. The Eracism Foundation’s ultimate mission is to contribute to the creation of a society where racism does not exist.

Listen to the interview!

Marti MacGibbon, CADAC-II, ACRPS, I-CADC, CADC-II, is a humorous inspirational speaker, a nationally award-winning, internationally known author, and an expert on trauma resolution and addiction. Few speakers have a personal story as inspirational as Marti’s She has triumphed over such nightmare experiences as being trafficked to Japan and held prisoner by organized crime figures, domestic violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, homelessness, and hard-core drug addiction. Today, she shares her story to help others discover greater hope, motivation, self-empowerment, and positive change.

Marti MacGibbon delivered the keynote speech to an enthusiastic audience at the 17th Annual Mental Health Symposium, “Building Resiliency in Our Most Vulnerable.” This Symposium, presented by Mental Health America of Indiana, (MHAI), in partnership with the IU Department of Psychiatric Research, took place at the Grand Hall and Conference Center at Union Station in downtown Indianapolis on June 13, 2014.

In addition to delivering an energetic, powerful and uplifting presentation, Marti signed copies of her critically-acclaimed, award-winning memoir, Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom.

Young Actors Theatre (YAT) performed at the Symposium, and the talented young people asked for a photo op with Marti. This image is from Marti’s i-phone, and it’s blurry, but what the heck, it’s posted here anyway. The Young Actors Theatre use their talent, insights and personal empowerment to highlight social justice and human rights issues in mulit-media performance.

YAT performers with Marti MacGibbon at book signing, MHAI Symposium

Marti shares her story as survivor and advocate.

Marti MacGibbon, human trafficking survivor, inspirational speaker, internationally known author and expert on trauma resolution and addiction, delivered a keynote presentation at Trauma Informed Care Symposium, May 14th, 2014. The Marion County Department of Child Services and The Children’s Bureau hired Marti to deliver a presentation from a survivor’s perspective. In addition to being a survivor of human trafficking, Ms. MacGibbon is an activist and advocate for victims. She recently spoke to California legislators in support of two new bills that will help prevent child sex trafficking and reduce demand for commercial sexual exploitation. Marti’s speech at the Symposium in Indianapolis touched upon her personal story, and provided inspiration and encouragement to service providers in child protective services, as well as insights into trauma resolution. Marti MacGibbon did a book signing after her presentation, selling an signed copies of her award-winning and critically acclaimed memoir, Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom.

Testimonial:
“Thanks again Marti for your presentation and the work that you do. You are an inspiration of strength and courage. Shame and blame can easily take over one’s life and create a rock solid barrier to overcome, but with the work you do, others can see a way to break the trauma barriers.”
Peggy Surbey, MSW, Director/Regional Manager, Indiana Department of Child Services Marion County

I’m so excited to have hilarious comedienne, actor, and radio host Mary Kennedy on my show! My friendship with Mary goes back to my years in professional standup, when I was based out of Los Angeles. I’ve shared the stage with Mary and am also a fan of her work.

Mary’s comedy has been seen on Comedy Central, SPIKE and USA Network. In Los Angeles, she’s a regular at the Laugh Factory and the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club.

In New York City she appeared at Caroline’s, Gotham Comedy Club, New York Comedy Club and Standup New York.

You have seen her in national commercials for  HULU Plus, FORD, Vonage, Cingular Wireless, Sony Ericcson, Captain Morgan and E-Trade. Promos, for George Lucas’ Star Wars and CBS Sports, with sports personality, Jim Rome.

Mary is host of the “Oh, Mary!” Show on Jon Lovitz Comedy Network. Her edgy and cool show has over 200,000 listeners, and I’ve been a guest on “Oh, Mary!” several times. The show is a lot of fun and I highly recommend it.

During our interview, Mary’s witty, candid and warm discussion of her journey is refreshing and inspiring. She shares insights she learned while redefining her relationship with food. Mary lost 60 pounds and has improved her overall wellness, both physically, emotionally and spiritually. She relates her experiences and offers tips and insights. Listen now, in archives on Pure Motive Radio.

Marti MacGibbon, human trafficking survivor, advocate and activist, spoke to California legislators at the State Capitol in Sacramento on Lobby Day. Ms. MacGibbon was invited to speak in support of two new bills, SB 1165, aimed at preventing child sex trafficking, and SB 1388, aimed at reducing demand by making sex buyers accountable. Many thanks to survivor leader Autumn Burris, founder and director of Survivors for Solutions, who organized the group of 9 survivors who attended Lobby Day and advocated for these bills. Ms. Burris also testified before the legislature.

California has the highest rate of child sex trafficking in the U.S., and California Against Slavery is working hard to create change now. Marti worked with a delegation of volunteers organized by California Against Slavery, or CAS. Coordinating foundations were Survivors4Solutions, MISSSY, Love Never Fails, and other California non-profits dedicated to assisting victims, raising awareness, and training citizens and organizations to recognize possible victims and prevent human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

Update! SB 1388 and 1165 were both passed this week in their respective committees, with bipartisan support.

Marti MacGibbon worked with California Against Slavery on Lobby Day.

Marti MacGibbon joined Marc Klaas in support of SB 1165 and SB1388

Inspirational speaker and award-winning author Marti MacGibbon delivered the keynote speech at the Midwest Organization of Human Service Workers’ Annual Conference. The event theme was, “Reducing Marginalization; Increasing Inclusion.” Marti’s own personal story of triumph over human trafficking, homelessness, domestic violence and hard core drug addiction is a testament to the power of the human spirit, and to the fact that even the seemingly hopeless cases do recover. Her presentation touched on here personal story, but also included insights into overcoming adversity, self-care, positive action for change, and plenty of humor.

Human Service workers are dedicated to a noble profession. Community integration, empowerment, and social and economic justice are at the core of human services professionals’ mission. Conference attendees, many of them students and faculty from community colleges, met with Marti after her presentation and book signing, for an hour of Q and A. Marti was inspired by the powerful personal stories that audience members shared. During the Q and A, Marti discussed recovery from addiction, PTSD, insights into human trafficking and how it affects victims, what services are most needed, and why the work of human services professionals is so important today.

Marti MacGibbon is a resilience expert and overcoming adversity speaker.

Marti MacGibbon at MWOHS Conference

Internationally renowned research psychologist Terry Gorski’s work in the field of addiction and recovery is impressive. His research on relapse prevention is brilliant. For many years he has worked to improve the lives of those who suffer from the disease of addiction, guiding both patients and practitioners in recovery and wellness.

Mr. Gorski is a colleague, instructor and mentor to me. I am honored to have sat down with him for a very informative interview on my blog talk radio show, Kickass Personal Transformation with Marti MacGibbon. My listening audience is primarily people in recovery from addiction, chronic pain and more, and they are individuals who are interested in improving all areas of their lives while staying grounded, stoked, and optimistic.

Terry Gorski is a lively, engaged guest who, with clarity and humor, educated and encouraged us regarding the recovery lifestyle. You can listen to the show here.

More about Mr. Gorski:

Terry Gorski is an internationally recognized expert on addiction, relapse prevention, mental health, violence, and crime. He has authored numerous books and articles, and has years of experience working with first responders.

I recently interviewed Dr. Steve Grinstead, AD, LMFT, ACRPS, CADC-II, on my radio talk show, Kickass Personal Transformation with Marti MacGibbon. Doctor Grinstead is a mentor and colleague, a renowned expert on addiction, relapse prevention, and addiction free pain management.  I am honored to have him as a guest, and he has offered to return to the show on Monday, March 17th.

During his last visit to the show, Steve and I discussed addiction, pain management, cognitive behavioral therapy, (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy, (DBT), and the amazing plasticity of the brain and its power to heal. A number of live callers (who reported they suffer from chronic pain and acute pain) came on the show to ask questions. We talked about the connection between stress levels and the perception of pain.

I am grateful to Dr. Grinstead for his professionalism, and for being such a lively and interesting guest. Today, prescription drug overdoses are rampant, and chronic pain presents a difficult challenge to many. You can learn more about Dr. Grinstead, and also you will find a number of resources on his website, and you can listen to the podcast of the entire show in the Pure Motive Radio Network’s archives.

Excerpted from Steve’s bio:

Dr. Grinstead is author of the book Freedom from Suffering: A Journey of Hope as well as author of several other pain management books including Managing Pain and Coexisting Disorders, and the Addiction-Free Pain Management® Recovery Guide. He is an internationally recognized expert in preventing relapse related to chronic pain disorders and is the developer of the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System.

He has been working with pain management, chemical addictive disorders, eating addiction and coexisting mental and personality disorders for almost 30 years. He is also the Clinical Director of Training and Consultation for the Gorski-CENAPS ® Corporation.
Dr. Grinstead has a Bachelors Degree in Behavioral Science, a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology and a Doctorate in Addictive Disorders(Dr. AD).  He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, (LMFT) a California Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC-II), and an Advanced Relapse Prevention Specialist (ACRPS). He was on the faculty of UC Santa Cruz Extension Alcohol and Drug Studies Program and also taught at Santa Clara University, UC Berkeley Extension and Stanford University Medical School and is currently on the faculty of University of Utah’s School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies as well as an Adjunct Profession at Alliant University teaching Psy.D. Students the Treating the Addicted Family System course for the Marriage and Family Therapy track.