About

Hi, I’m Andy Lien, and Remapping Myself is a space where science meets story—where we explore how our brains can change, and how we can guide that change with intention, compassion, and curiosity. And, how we can decide that we don’t have to be where we are—we can map a new destination. We can even stay there.

Most recently, I served as the Editorial Director of Consumer Publishing at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, where I worked with a team dedicated to creating books and resources that help people understand and navigate mental health, addiction, and recovery. Consumer publishing means creating content for everyday people—not clinicians or researchers—but folks who are asking, “What’s going on with me?” and “What can I do about it?” In that role, I learned that real stories from real people resonate deeply. Working at Hazelden Publishing exposed me to a wide range of perspectives on neuropsychosocial health, reinforcing my belief that we can do so much for ourselves when we understand not just what we need to do, but why it works and how to apply it.

My passion for this work is rooted in personal experience. I’ve spent over two decades in therapy for various reasons. I’m in recovery for a substance use disorder (SUD) and an eating disorder (ED), which is a very common pairing. I live with general high-functioning anxiety, which makes me both really good at a lot of things as well as a little over-thinky. Sometimes really tired.

And I am thriving.

How did I get here?

I got sober in 2009, and by 2014, I realized I could seek help for my eating disorder because I had already experienced the power of remapping my neural pathways—I no longer even wanted to reach for alcohol. That shift didn’t happen overnight; it came from years of hard work, reflection, and support. My eating disorder recovery took me through eleven years of therapy, with dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) being the most transformative. DBT helped me build skills to regulate emotions, tolerate distress, and make mindful choices—tools that became foundational to my healing.

What’s Been Missing

When I was eighteen, fresh out of weight loss surgery and sitting in one of my first group therapy sessions, we were asked to make a list of things to do instead of eating when we weren’t hungry. I thought it was ridiculous. I thought my list was pitiful: “Listen to music.” “Go for a walk.” “Just write something so I can finish this dumb assignment.” It wasn’t until decades later—working in behavioral health publishing—that I realized the brilliance behind that exercise. We weren’t just making lists. We were training our brains to choose something different. To remap. To, first, not do something and, second, do something else instead. In moments of stress or habit, we might not remember what a better choice looks like. But if we’ve practiced alternatives, even imperfectly, we start to build new pathways. That’s the heart of Remapping Myself.

What’s often missing in therapeutic work—and in the way we talk and write about healing—is explicitly connecting the dots between what we’re being asked to do and what it’s supposed to lead to. It’s one thing to be told, “Try this skill,” and another to understand, “Here’s how this skill can change your brain, your behavior, and your life.” One of the most impactful approaches in recent years is Motivational Interviewing (MI)—a therapeutic method that helps people explore their own reasons for change, build confidence, and take steps that align with their values. MI isn’t about telling people what to do; it’s about helping them discover what they want and how to get there. It’s collaborative, empathetic, and deeply respectful of personal autonomy.

Remapping Myself is built on that same spirit. It’s about tying our motivation to help ourselves with how to do it and what can happen if we do. When we understand the purpose behind a practice, we’re more likely to engage with it. When we see results—even small ones—we build momentum. And when we can name and celebrate those successes, we reinforce the new pathways we’re creating. If I had been told that I was making those dumb lists to change how my brain works—both structurally and functionally—so I maybe wouldn’t be plagued by an eating disorder for another twenty years, it might have stuck. I might not have become an alcoholic. We don’t know—there are plenty of things that lead us down our paths—but understanding my brain could heal could have helped me in so many different ways.

If I had a chance to do it all over, I’m not sure I would. I know, I know. Many of us make claims like that. I wouldn’t be the person I am today! My habits wouldn’t have become traits that became my identity. But I also wouldn’t be as damaged as I have been (notice I didn’t say “am,” because I am not damaged). I wouldn’t have had to heal and persevere through quite as many things. Alas. I accept where I am and am so very grateful. But, like how we no longer require folks to hit rock bottom with their addictions before we try to help them, we can learn how to remap neural pathways now so that we never have to fall very far before catching ourselves next time.

This site is here to help make those connections clear, so that healing isn’t just a vague hope—it’s a process we can understand, trust, and actively participate in.

Who Can Benefit from Remapping Myself

If you’ve ever felt stuck in patterns that no longer serve you, Remapping Myself is for you.

I created this space for anyone curious about change—whether you’re navigating recovery, managing anxiety, healing from trauma, or simply trying to understand yourself better. If you’ve tried therapy, self-help, journaling, mindfulness, or movement and want to know why those things work, how to make them stick, and what they can lead to, you’re in the right place. I want to help you connect the dots between what you’re doing and what you’re hoping for.

I know how overwhelming therapeutic advice can be—especially when it sounds good but doesn’t feel actionable. That’s why I break things down. I explore the science behind behavior change, the psychology of motivation, and the real-life stories that make it all relatable. I draw on methods like Motivational Interviewing, which helps people uncover their own reasons for change and build confidence in their ability to follow through. It’s not about being told what to do—it’s about discovering what you want, and learning how to get there.

Whether you’re just starting out or deep into your healing journey, Remapping Myself offers tools, insights, and reflections to help you remap your neural pathways—to choose new directions, build new habits, and create a life that feels more aligned with who you are and who you’re becoming.

What Remapping Myself Is Not

Remapping Myself is not professional advice. I’m not a clinician, therapist, or trained mental health professional. I’m a person who places deep value on both lived experience and professional expertise—and I believe they can complement each other in powerful ways.

Everything I share here comes from my own journey through recovery, therapy, and personal growth, as well as from years of working in mental and behavioral health publishing. My goal is to offer insights, reflections, and tools that have helped me and might help you—but they’re not a substitute for professional care.

If you’re struggling or unsure where to turn, I encourage you to seek support from qualified professionals. You deserve care that’s tailored to your needs, and Remapping Myself is here to support that journey—not replace it.

What Remapping Myself Is

Remapping Myself is a space for reflection, insight, and connection. It’s where I share what I’ve learned—through lived experience and professional exposure—about how we change, why it’s hard, and how we can make it easier to understand and apply.

There will be regular writings, both free and subscriber-only:

• Free posts will define and describe key concepts related to mental and behavioral health, recovery, and personal growth. I’ll draw from my own experiences to illustrate how these ideas show up in real life and how they can be used to support change.

• Subscriber posts will go deeper into specific areas where I have more personal experience and insight. These include:

  • Substance Use
    I was an alcoholic and consider myself to be in recovery—in remission—since 2009. I still identify as an alcoholic, but I no longer feel at risk of returning to use. My journey has taught me a lot about what it takes to change deeply ingrained behaviors and how to maintain that change over time.

  • Food and Weight Issues
    I entered my first weight loss program in fourth grade, which began a long and fraught relationship with food, dieting, and body image. I began treatment for my eating disorder in 2014 and was officially released from programming in 2025, considered to be in remission. I still see my therapist monthly, mostly for general well-being, while keeping tabs on food-related issues.

  • Job Insecurity
    I’ve been laid off five times. One of those may have been related to my drinking, but the other four were due to circumstances beyond my control. Joblessness can shake your sense of identity and stability. I’ve learned how important it is to develop coping mechanisms and to sort through who we are—and who we aren’t—when work is scarce or disappears.

  • Caregiving
    I’m one of many people with an aging parent living with me. I’ve often been the child most available to help my parents, and I’ve struggled to maintain healthy boundaries throughout my life. This isn’t a situation with a clear endpoint or “remission,” but I continue to strive for balance and sustainability in my caregiving role.

• Exercises that I have designed specifically to walk you through some of the processes involved in remapping. They will be both general and specific to some of the different areas I mentioned above. But the point of remapping is its universality, so they will all be helpful at their foundations.

Through these writings and exercises, I hope to offer something useful—whether it’s a new way of looking at a challenge, a relatable story, or a practical tool. Remapping Myself is about making change feel possible, understandable, and personal.

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