Podcast Appearances

In this episode, Dr. Dallas Bragg and I explore the intersection of chemsex, addiction, and mental health, particularly among men who have sex with men. Throughout the discussion, we emphasize an integrated approach to support services and provide insights on fostering healthier relationships during the recovery journey. You can find his detailed notes and exercises using this link or a reflection on the topic in this blog entry.

  • Mariconsulta (S3.E4) - Chemsex: Deseo y Dependencia (Chemsex: Desire and Dependency).
    In this episode, Gaston Auguste (Integrative Psychotherapist), Oriol García (Educational Neuropsychologist), and I revisit the topic of Chemsex, exploring desire and dependency. In this episode, we discuss the latest updates on Chemsex, its psychological effects, and how to manage the risks. Don't miss it! By the way, this episode is trilingual: English, Catalan, and Spanish.

What happens when a mother’s own childhood wounds collide with the challenges of raising a child? This episode explores the emotional and psychological mechanisms that link a mother’s internal world to how she connects with her child, especially in the context of addiction. Inspired by attachment and mentalization research, the conversation sheds light on what it takes to break intergenerational cycles and nurture sensitive, attuned parenting in high-risk situations.

Selected Articles & Publications

Pocobello, R., el Sehiti, T., Camilli, F., Alvarez-Monjaras, M., Bergstrøm, T., von Peter, S., Hopfenbeck, M., Aderhold, V., Pilling, S., & Seikkula, J. (2023). Open Dialogue Services around the World: A scoping survey towards the exploration of organizational characteristics in the implementation of the Open Dialogue approach in mental health services. Frontiers in Psychology.

Alvarez-Monjaras, M., Lotmore, M., Razzaque, R., Hopfenbeck, M., & Pilling, S. (2023). The Community Mental Health Team Fidelity Scale (COM-FIDE): A measure of program fidelity of social networks interventions for severe mental illness. Frontiers in Psychology, 14(1076791).

Lotmore, M., Ziedonis, D., Alvarez-Monjaras, M., Hopfenbeck, M., Razzaque, R., Wilson, E., & Pilling, S. (2023) Development and refinement of the Open Dialogue adherence protocol in complex mental health care. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(041375), DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1041375

von Peter, S., Bergstrøm, T., Nenoff-Herchenbach, I., Hopfenbeck, M. S., Pocobello, R., Aderhold, V., Alvarez-Monjaras, M., Seikkula, J., & Heumann, K. (2021). Dialogue as a response to the psychiatrization of society? Potentials of the Open Dialogue approach. Frontiers in Sociology, 231.

Alvarez-Monjaras, M., Rutherford, H., & Mayes, L. (2019). Personality organization and maternal addiction: A structural-developmental psychodynamic contribution. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 36(4), 321-327.

Alvarez-Monjaras, M., Aguerrebere, M., Colmenero, F., & Wynne Bannister, E. (2019). Six years forward in Mental Health [Translated from Spanish]. In FUNSALUD (Ed.). La Salud Mental: Una prioridad en México. Propuestas para un mejor sistema de salud en México. (pp. 34-43). Mexico: FUNSALUD.

Alvarez-Monjaras, M., Mayes, L., Potenza, M., & Rutherford, H. (2018). A developmental model of addictions: Integrating neurobiological and psychodynamic theories through the lens of attachment. Attachment and Human Development, 21(6), 616-637.

Alvarez-Monjarás, M., & Bucay-Harari, L. (2018). Model of screening, care, and monitoring of mental health for adults in disasters [Translated from Spanish]. Salud Pública de México, 60(S1), S22-S29.

Alvarez-Monjarás, M., Hugues, C., Pérez, O., Sánchez, G., Todd, N., Vélez, J., Velázquez, O., Flores, R., & Camacho, T. (2018). Toolkit of coping strategies in case of disasters [Translated from Spanish]. Booklet. Mexico City, Mexico: Universidad Iberoamericana.

Alvarez-Monjaras, M., McMahon, T., & Suchman, N. (2017). Does maternal reflective functioning mediate associations between representations of caregiving and maternal sensitivity in a high-risk sample?. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 36(1), 82-92.

Gonzalez, D. & Alvarez, M. (2016). Depression in Mexico: Stigma and its policy implications. Yale Global Health Review. Connecticut: Yale University.

Alvarez, M. (2014). Traditional Chinese medicine: the Eastern approach and its relationship to the Western psychological paradigm [Translated from Spanish]. Psicología Iberoamericana, 22(1), 72-80.