The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast

Latest Episodes:

125: Nutritionist Victoria Abel: Recovery, Addiction, & Holistic Nutrition Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

Victoria Abel is a therapist, chef, and certified addiction nutritionist. She began her work in 1994 within inpatient treatment, being trained as a therapist working with trauma, family systems, and all types of addiction. During this time, Victoria received her first Master’s degree in counseling.

Being raised in a holistic family, Victoria was reintroduced to naturopathic medicine when her own daughter became ill and a dramatic change in diet changed the trajectory of her daughter’s life. Ever since, Victoria has been hooked on the healing power of food. She completed the Master Nutrition Therapist program through Nutrition Therapy Institute in Colorado and has been able to integrate nutrition therapy into her therapeutic work. She works with clients in a multitude of venues to provide support, encouragement, education, and hands-on skills to help people heal their relationship with food.

Episode Resources

Vanessa Hurr | Instagram | @vanessahurr
Breathe with Out Joann Kenyon | Instagram | @breatheitoutwithjoann
Lionrock Nutrition for Recovery Meeting | lionrock.life/thursday
Untamed by Glennon Doyle | Available on Amazon
Dan and Phil | AmazingPhil YouTube
The Care and Feeding of Indigo Children by Doreen Virtue | Available on Amazon
Alanis Morissette Podcast with Dr. Elaine Aron | Episode 12

Connect with Victoria Abel

Website | www.victoriaabelnutrition.com
Instagram | @nutritionmama

Connect The Courage to Change

Podcast Website | lionrock.life/couragetochangepodcast
Podcast Instagram | @couragetochange_podcast
Podcast Facebook | @thecouragetochangepodcast
Podcast Email | podcast@lionrock.life
YouTube | The Courage to Change Playlist

Lionrock Resources

Lionrock Life Mobile App | lionrock.life/mobile-app
Support Group Meeting Schedule | lionrock.life/meetings

124: Losing Parental Rights: Mom Gets Sober Following 7 CPS Cases Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

Markisha Dryden’s story is one that truly shows that we do recover. Being born to parents who struggled with substance abuse, Markisha was the youngest of three kids raised primarily by her grandmother.

After being introduced to crystal meth by a boyfriend, her story includes having multiple children, jail, check fraud, abuse, multiple cases with child protective services, losing parental rights, and placing a child for adoption.

After attending 20 recovery programs, something finally changed for Markisha. Today she is happy, healthy, and sober, and she’s been able to begin restoring relationships with her children and her husband.

Connect The Courage to Change

Podcast Website | lionrock.life/couragetochangepodcast
Podcast Instagram | @couragetochange_podcast
Podcast Facebook | @thecouragetochangepodcast
Podcast Email | podcast@lionrock.life
YouTube | The Courage to Change Playlist

Lionrock Resources

Lionrock Life Mobile App | lionrock.life/mobile-app
Support Group Meeting Schedule | lionrock.life/meetings

123: Ask the Expert: Dr. Jason Powers - Positive Psychology in Addiction Treatment with Dr. Jason Powers, MD Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Jason ZW Powers is the creator of the Positive Recovery© approach to treating addiction and serves as Chief Medical Officer of Positive Recovery Centers. Dr. Jason has a private addiction medicine practice in Houston, Texas, works as an interventionist, and is a published author of When the Servant Becomes the Master (2nd Edition) - the a A-to-Z guide of all things related to addiction, and The Positive Recovery© Daily Guide, a self-help guide full of positive interventions that are designed to intentionally boost what leads to human happiness: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement.

Dr. Jason is board certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine. He received a Masters in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Jason currently resides in Houston with his wife and 3 children.

Connect with Dr. Jason

Positive Recovery Centers Instagram | @positiverecoverycenters
Positive Recovery Centers Website | positiverecovery.com
Positive Recovery MD Podcast | Positive Recovery MD on Apple Podcasts

Connect with The Courage to Change

Podcast Website | lionrock.life/couragetochangepodcast
Podcast Instagram | @couragetochange_podcast
Podcast Facebook | @thecouragetochangepodcast
Podcast Email | podcast@lionrock.life
YouTube | The Courage to Change Playlist

Lionrock Resources

Lionrock Life Mobile App | lionrock.life/mobile-app
Support Group Meeting Schedule | lionrock.life/meetings

122: Sober Mother & Daughter Talk Supporting Women in Recovery Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

Samantha & Nicole Senia are a dynamic, passionate mother daughter duo supporting each other in sobriety.

Samantha is a born entrepreneur. When her marriage fell apart, she drowned herself in chardonnay until she was no longer functioning. With sheer grit, she joined the road to recovery and started a new empire out of her garage, determined to teach her two kids, Nicole and Brandon, that they can do anything they set their mind to.

Nicole is a creative soul with a mission to remove the stigma associated with sobriety Nicole was on a fast track to success on her artistic path when addiction to drugs and alcohol derailed her plans. After getting sober, Nicole is pursuing her passion for singing and songwriting and completing her college degree at Loyola Marymount University.

Today, Samantha is the CEO of Elite Home Staging and Elite Maison, a furniture collection, where she has garnered numerous accolades for being one of the most sought-after stagers in Southern California. She works with her daughter Nicole who is one of the top saleswomen at Elite Home Staging.

The mother daughter duo recently started THE POWER OF WE, a podcast that peels back the curtain on sobriety, sanity, and survival.

Connect with Samantha & Nicole Senia

Instagram | The Power of We Podcast | @thepowerofweofficial
Instagram | Elite Home Staging | @elitehomestaging
Instagram | Elite Maison | @shopelitemaison
Website | The Power of We Podcast | thepowerofwelive.com

Connect The Courage to Change

Podcast Website | lionrock.life/couragetochangepodcast
Podcast Instagram | @couragetochange_podcast
Podcast Facebook | @thecouragetochangepodcast
Podcast Email | podcast@lionrock.life
YouTube | The Courage to Change Playlist

Lionrock Resources

Lionrock Life Mobile App | lionrock.life/mobile-app
Support Group Meeting Schedule | lionrock.life/meetings

121: The Story of a Catholic Priest Living Two Lives - Beloved by His Community & Addicted to Cocaine Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

Stephen Donnelly’s memoir, A Saint and a Sinner, details the rise and fall of a beloved Catholic priest living two lives. Having been enticed by a lifestyle that involved drinking and drugging in his 20’s, it may seem odd that Stephen entered seminary to become a priest in his 30’s.

But at the age of 42, Stephen was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest. He stood before God, the bishop, and the congregation, and made promises he struggled to keep. Three years into his priesthood Stephen descended deeper into a world of cocaine, alcohol abuse, and relationships with women.

When his drug use became known, fellow priests intervened, and after multiple stints in rehab, Stephen turned his life around and became well-known in Alcoholics Anonymous circles as the “Irish priest with a problem.”

Stephen’s memoir includes many stories about repentance, regret, transformation, forgiveness, and redemption. His story is a brutally honest reminder that drug addiction can affect anyone - even a Roman catholic priest.

Connect with Stephen Donnelly

Website & Book | asaintandasinner.com

Connect The Courage to Change

Podcast Website | lionrock.life/couragetochangepodcast
Podcast Instagram | @couragetochange_podcast
Podcast Facebook | @thecouragetochangepodcast
Podcast Email | podcast@lionrock.life
YouTube | The Courage to Change Playlist

Lionrock Resources

Lionrock Life Mobile App | lionrock.life/mobile-app
Support Group Meetings | lionrock.life/meetings

120: Lesbian & Recovering Gambling Addict Discusses Battle Against Clinical Depression Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

Teri Homan is an award-winning filmmaker and solo piano composer who received her bachelor of arts in social work in 1991 and holds a master’s degree in IT Management. She identifies as a lesbian, is twice divorced, and has two children. Teri is known for her compassion and sense of humor and considers herself a life-warrior who manages three different, but intertwined recovery journeys - childhood and adolescent trauma, mental illness, and gambling.

Teri’s battle with mental illness is a tumultuous experience. At a young age, Teri’s mother had her committed to a psychiatric hospital. In her 30’s she was diagnosed with severe clinical depression, and about four years ago, Teri hit rock bottom when she spent all of her rent money at a casino.

As a result, Teri entered treatment for gambling and started therapy and EMDR. Today, Teri works regularly with a shaman to promote physical and spiritual health.

Connect The Courage to Change

Podcast Website | lionrock.life/couragetochangepodcast
Podcast Instagram | @couragetochange_podcast
Podcast Facebook | @thecouragetochangepodcast
Podcast Email | podcast@lionrock.life
YouTube | The Courage to Change Playlist

Lionrock Resources

Lionrock Life Mobile App | lionrock.life/mobile-app
Support Group Meetings | lionrock.life/meetings

119: The Science of Ketamine for Depression with Mindbloom’s Lead Clinician Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

Kristin Arden is the lead clinician at Mindbloom, a mental health and wellbeing company on a mission to help people expand their human potential. Mindbloom offers science-backed treatments for anxiety and depression through guided ketamine therapy. Kristin is a proponent for alternative forms of treatment such as psychedelic medicine.

She is a board-certified Psychiatric NP with over 15 years of experience working in mental health. She spent nearly a decade in the California state hospital system working with some of our nation’s most vulnerable. In addition to her clinical practice, she is a guest lecturer at NYU-School of Nursing on topics such as psychedelic therapy and substance use disorders.

Kristin graduated from NYU’s Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner program and specialty track in substance use and addictions where she received the distinguished student award. She is currently pursuing her DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) at Rush University.

Learn More About Mindbloom

Mindbloom | www.mindbloom.com

Connect The Courage to Change

Podcast Website | lionrock.life/couragetochangepodcast
Podcast Instagram | @couragetochange_podcast
Podcast Facebook | @thecouragetochangepodcast
Podcast Email | podcast@lionrock.life
YouTube | The Courage to Change Playlist

Lionrock Resources

Lionrock Life Mobile App | lionrock.life/mobile-app
Support Group Meeting Schedule | lionrock.life/meetings

118. How Penning a Memoir Helped a Gay Man Find Recovery After Attending 54 Rehab Facilities Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

Charlie Gray is a mid-30’s, white, gay man living in Midwest America. For years he suffered as a high-functioning alcoholic experiencing chronic relapse. On July 8, 2020, Charlie entered sobriety and began penning his memoir as part of his healing process - At Least I'm Not The Frog: A Zany Memoir of Alcoholism & Recovery.

His book begins shortly after he graduated from Drury University at the age of twenty-two, bright-eyed, hopeful, and eager to become an Academy-Award winning actor. At the time, he was ravenous for experience, which he found, albeit not quite as he anticipated. Wandering from corporate banking to global travel, always with a bottle of vodka in tow, Charlie became privy to the glittering underbelly of an addictive lifestyle. Fearing this was his ultimate fate, he fled to a series of no less than 54 rehabs, detoxes, and psychiatric wards - all of which is recollected in his book.

At Least I'm Not The Frog is currently trending on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in the substance abuse category.

Charlie resides in his quaint hometown in Missouri, with his family, friends, and cat, Klaus. These days, he can usually be found searching for epic, inspiring moments or updating his blog on maintaining sobriety and clarity, aptly titled At Least I’m Not The Frog II.

Connect with Charlie Gray

Instagram | @hismajestycharles3rd
Charlie's Book | At Least I'm Not The Frog: A Zany Memoir of Alcoholism & Recovery | Available on Amazon
Blog | At Least I'm Not The Frog II - Blog

Connect The Courage to Change

Podcast Website | lionrock.life/couragetochangepodcast
Podcast Instagram | @couragetochange_podcast
Podcast Facebook | @thecouragetochangepodcast
Podcast Email | podcast@lionrock.life
YouTube | The Courage to Change Playlist

Lionrock Resources

Coffee & Coffee Alternatives | lionrock.life/shop-products
Support Group Meeting Schedule | lionrock.life/meetings

117: Vanessa Hurr: Walking Through Grief & Loss After Losing a Brother to an Overdose During a Global Pandemic - A Tribute for International Overdose Awareness Day Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

Vanessa Hurr is an award-winning editorial portrait Photographer and resident Corporate Development guru for Lionrock Recovery.

Her journey from entrepreneur to Lionrock teammate began in March of 2020 when a world-wide pandemic put a quick halt to her life as a photographer in the live events industry. Within weeks of coming onboard the Lionrock team to assist with an unprecedented influx of Americans seeking substance treatment, she lost her big brother, Matt, to an overdose in April of 2020. Even with an age difference of 5 years, Vanessa and her brother had an especially close relationship that was built on a foundation of friendship and a shared love for music. The grief and sense of loss surrounding his death was compounded with extreme isolation due to Covid. The result was a calling to action and a dedication to the task of supporting people who are seeking treatment and freedom from substance abuse.

Vanessa divides her time between Madison and Chicago with her husband and 2 little boys. Her life as a Photographer, in addition to being a dedicated part of the Lionrock team, is evolving as she adds the title of Cookbook Author. Vanessa will be traveling the US throughout 2021-2022 with a private chef to support and document a person's journey through recovery via food! Vanessa’s goal is to provide insight into basic cooking skills and also share individualized nutritional information to people who might not otherwise have access to essential dietary knowledge that supports their recovery. She wants to set people up for success, no matter what stage of recovery they're in, so that they can feel empowered when preparing meals for themself and/or their loved ones.

Episode Resources

The Beacon Website | https://thebeaconhelps.org/

Connect with Vanessa Hurr

Instagram | @vanessahurr

Connect The Courage to Change

Podcast Website | lionrock.life/couragetochangepodcast
Podcast Instagram | @couragetochange_podcast
Podcast Facebook | @thecouragetochangepodcast
Podcast Email | podcast@lionrock.life
YouTube | The Courage to Change Playlist

Lionrock Resources

Coffee & Coffee Alternatives | lionrock.life/shop-products
Support Group Meeting Schedule | lionrock.life/meetings

116: Daryl Ralph: Bonds of Mara Drummer Discusses All Things Music & Recovery Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

As the drummer for the Canadian rock band Bonds of Mara and the cult cartoon and band, Sons of Butcher, Daryl Ralph is a musician.

Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. Daryl had early aspirations of being a rockstar. At the age of 19, he moved out west, settling in White Rock, Kelowna and Vancouver, BC. The intent was for Daryl to embed his roots in his music career, but instead became heavily rooted in addiction. Unable to support himself and his addiction, Daryl returned to Ontario where this hardened lifestyle continued for over a decade and a half.

Alcohol and intravenous drug use completely dominated his life, overshadowing any possibility of music success. This consumed all hopes of healthy lasting relationships and robbed him of all quality of life. At the age of 35, Daryl finally realized he needed help. Following several failed attempts at sobriety, Daryl finally found his way along a path towards health and recovery.

Today, in addition to Bonds of Mara and Sons of Butcher, Daryl also plays guitar alongside his wife Jenny, in an acoustic duo playing the local circuit. You can hear Bonds of Mara, Sons of Butcher, and Jenny Howes Duo on all streaming platforms.

Episode Resources