Author: Dr. Sarah Michaud

In this short interview, Host Jack Canfield, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, interviews Dr. Sarah Michaud, a seasoned psychologist with over 30 years of experience in clinical practice. They dive deep into the topic of codependency and how it affects relationships, as well as the steps individuals can take to heal from these patterns. Dr. Sarah Michaud discusses the primary reasons people seek therapy, typically centered around relationship problems. She emphasizes the common misconception that individuals often enter therapy wanting their partners to change, when in reality, the key to healing from codependency lies in shifting the focus…

Parenting is hard. It is a miracle if we can get a reprieve from projecting our endless, unresolved childhood crap onto our kids. And it’s pretty unlikely. You may not want to know this, but this is Parenting. My son’s high school years were way more painful for me than for him because I was reliving the most hideous part of my childhood. I was close to vomiting from anxiety when he went off to the high school prom. Because of my prom. Not his. I specialize in helping people recognize their codependent behaviors, not to engage in them as…

What do relationship experts mean when they use the term “Taking the Bait?” Think about a fish hooked on a fishing line without the ability to unhook themselves. This is what happens when we get hooked in a conversation. We want to defend ourselves or double down on our point of view. We can also get triggered immediately into codependent traits, such as urgently feeling the need to fix, change, and save someone or just get them to understand! We end up like the fish, flailing about, wondering how we got into this situation. Do you have people in your…

My goal for 2024 is to take more risks. Be brave. Have courage. Do new things. Challenge my brain. Start dating? Who said that? It would be nice to have a companion- have more fun, have stimulating conversations, have more joy in my life and yes, take some resistant steps toward more intimacy. Don’t get me wrong, I love my girlfriends but there is something about male energy that is desirable to be around. I’m craving something new, a new person, a deep dive with someone, to share life’s struggles with and yes, …physical connection. But mainly, Girls Just wanna…

As the holiday season rolls around, it’s easy to let the hustle and bustle sweep you off your feet. The glittering lights, the heaps of presents, and the constant flurry of social events can quickly become overwhelming. Amidst all this festive chaos, it’s crucial to remember one thing – your peace of mind. Here are three effective strategies to help you maintain your sanity during the holiday season. #1 Manage Expectations Holidays often come with a host of expectations – about how things should be, how others should act, and most importantly, how you should feel. This perfect holiday image…

In this episode of Leaving CrazyTown, Sarah and Finn discuss a common occurrence during holidays – doing more than you want to do. Going to multiple houses, hosting when you don’t want to. Forcing yourself to invite people you don’t want or doing things you don’t want to do in the name of tradition or because you can’t say no. They discuss how to identify when you are doing things against your own will. Happy Holidays! #ADDTOCART: Recovery Gift Guide, Sober Gift Guide (thesobercurator.com)

In this video of Leaving CrazyTown, Sarah and Finn discuss change and how it can often be wrought with fear, grief and ultimately joy. Finn shares the changes he has been going through and his fear regarding making new friends and losing old friends. Sarah and Finn share how to navigate personal changes in a healthy way. SOBER ENTERTAINMENT: Let us entertain you! Here you’ll find a curated selection of podcasts, TV series & movies, events, and music with the underlying theme of addiction. We’re sober, not boring! We’re covering it if it’s trending in pop culture and relates to sobriety.…

On the Sobriety Checkpoint podcast with Felicia Hermle, Felicia the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Sarah Michaud. Dr. Michaud is a clinical psychologist who has worked in the addiction field for 30 years. She recently published a book called, “Co-Crazy: One Psychologist’s Recovery from Codependency and Addiction – A Memoir and Manual for Freedom.” She has been sober for almost 40 years and brings her humor, directness, compassion and insight to support folks in recovery. She recently launched a YouTube channel called, “Leaving Crazytown,” with her sober attorney buddy, Finn. They discuss all things codependency and addiction while having lots…

In this episode of Leaving CrazyTown, Sarah, Finn, and Jen Dog unwrap relationships and how our ideas about others and what they provide are created. Watching this video will help you identify your mistaken relationship beliefs and give you some tools to counteract them. We hope you enjoy it. Welcome to Leaving CrazyTown, a YouTube channel created by Dr. Sarah Michaud and Finn Allen dedicated to helping individuals navigate the ups and downs of life, including the struggle with codependency. Through their personal experiences and expertise in mental health, they offer unfiltered insights and strategies to help viewers overcome challenges and lead more fulfilling lives.…

In this video of Leaving CrazyTown, Finn and Sarah talk about grief with their guest and good friend Mark F. As Mark shares the grief over the loss of his mother and the difficulty of caring for an ailing parent with dementia. We hope you enjoy the honest sharing and that the tools are helpful if you are grieving or have grieved. Finn and Sarah are certain no one gets out of the human experience without grief. Welcome to Leaving CrazyTown, a YouTube channel created by Dr. Sarah Michaud and Finn Allen dedicated to helping individuals navigate the ups and downs of life, including the…

When you are hooked into codependent behavior, it’s easy for co-crazy thinking to go off the rails. Perhaps you begin to make up stories in your head about why people behave in a particular way (you believe it’s personal). Or maybe you think you can read people’s minds; you start obsessing about ways to control or manage another person and consequently your feelings of anxiety intensify. The classic example of this reactive thinking is when we want to stop someone else’s addictive behavior. But this distorted thinking happens in many types of relationships, not just ones where there is addiction.…

Finn and Sarah dedicated this episode to the Sober Not Mature podcast that Dr. Michaud (aka Sarah) recently appeared on as a guest. In the video Finn and Sarah discuss how sometimes we just want what we want, and we want to do it our way despite the consequences. Hence being sober but definitely not mature. Sarah shares here recent hamster wheel regarding Pilates the solution to all of her problems. RECOVERY PODCASTLAND: Sober Not Mature Podcast – Dr. Sarah Co-Signs Our BS and Takes Us Out of CrazyTown RECOVERY PODCASTLAND: There are so many solid, binge-worthy podcasts out there.…

In this episode of Leaving CrazyTown, Sarah and Finn travel to TN to shoot on location with special guest Amanda. The three of them discuss how crazy thinking and not acknowledging all of our feelings, both “good” and “bad,” can ruin relationships and our sanity. We discuss grief and how our crazy thinking keeps us from healing. SOBER ENTERTAINMENT: Sober YouTube Channels You Should Be Following

SOBER CHOO CHOO! In this episode of Leaving CrazyTown, Finn and Sarah discuss the five clues (actions) that indicate their codependency has been triggered. This video shows how Finn and Sarah know when they act from a co-dependent place. Do you relate, or are your activations different? Relationships trigger many behaviors, and identifying what they are so we can change them will make a huge difference in our relationships and energy levels. About Leaving CrazyTown Welcome to Leaving Crazy Town, a YouTube channel created by Finn Allen and Dr. Sarah Michaud dedicated to helping individuals navigate the ups and downs…

“Dismissing our needs, feelings, and thoughts leads us to behaviors that we use to numb out the pain of not being seen. Your needs, ideas, and emotions are all essential. Don’t dismiss yourself because it will lead others to do the same. It will also lead to accumulated repressed anger, grief, and fear that eventually will come out against yourself and others.” Dr. Sarah Michaud I ended up in a treatment facility the summer between my first and second year in a doctorate program. It wasn’t due to a relapse. It was because I couldn’t stop certain behaviors. I felt…