The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast

Kimberly's "rock bottom" was a serious suicide attempt that left her in a coma on life support with a collapsed lung. She got sober at the age of 27 on July 2, 2017. Since that time, Kimberly has walked through losing a job of 4 years, losing multiple relationships, her sponsor relapsing, a sexual assault and overcoming multiple addictions to self-harm, sex and love, codependency and an eating disorder. Her saving grace through every one of these experiences has been spiritual growth and dedication to working a 12-step program. Kimberly wouldn't change a single experience she's had because it has empowered her to discover her passion for helping others. It has forced her to be constantly self-reflective, pushed her to reach out for help and realize that there has always been something reaching back.

Welcome to Season 2 of The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast!! Ashley and Christiana are back in the booth, and they discuss all the exciting things coming up for Season 2, including design and music updates. Tune in to hear the exciting guests that are booked, and what you can expect to hear this season. *New music to be featured next week at the premiere of our first guest of the season!*

It's a wrap on Season 1!! Join Ashley & Christiana for a nostalgic look-back on all the guests and happenings of Season 1 on The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast. From humble beginnings with cheap microphones and a sub-par set-up to the now podcast booth and amazing guests - starting this podcast has been one wild and crazy ride. Tune in to hear the podcast stats since March 5th, 2019 when we went live, along with some fun things ahead for Season 2!

She's back!! Bahan McDermott, our good friend (and incredible human being) from Episode 2, joins us once again in the podcast booth and shares some tips and best practices on how to stay sober throughout the holidays. This time of year can be very difficult and triggering, and Bahan and Ashley have a candid discussion about how they've been able to get through the holidays (and other days as well) with the help of everything they've learned in recovery. Grab a warm cup of cocoa, wrap yourself in a blanket and join us on this very special episode with Bahan and Ashley!

#32: *EPISODE DISCLAIMER - This episode contains explicit language relating to race and racial biases specifically in the prison culture.* The California prison system is one of the only prison populations that is legally separated by race. As you will hear in Dan's story, this separation is a survival mechanism for people to identify with a particular culture in order to survive in that environment. This episode also contains explicit language and true stories of extreme violence. Dan Sanfellipo has served 90% of 25 years of his life in prison (he is now 46 years old). His incarceration journey started at age 13 and he is now 8 years sober and a positive, contributing member of society. Dan is an incredible human being, and his story of struggling through addiction, years in prison, and eventually finding sobriety is nothing short of miraculous. We were so excited to have Dan on the podcast, and we hope you enjoy hearing the entirety of Dan's story! Hang in there for one of our longest and most detailed podcast stories - enjoy!!

#31: Sean Nichols is the COO and Co-Founder of a tech company in Reno called Dragonfly Energy Corp. He grew up in the East Bay area in California, but he has been living in Reno for the past 15 years where he has worked with the homeless population in various ways, including founding the Big Reno Coat Drive. He loves helping others and makes it a point to volunteer, encourage and mentor people daily. Sean has battled addiction with drugs, alcohol, and food for the majority of his life. He was so excited to come on the podcast and share his story, so much so that he shared with Ashley parts of his story that he had never told anyone. Sean also shares about surviving shooting himself in the head in a failed suicide attempt.

Introducing our very first 'Minisode' brought to you by The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast! The 'Minisode' format will focus on one topic by one guest, and will bring helpful insights and best practices on how to tackle these topics. Our first Minisode guest is one of our very own - Debbie Hickey! Debbie is the HR & Support Groups Manager at Lionrock Recovery, and she has 29 years in long-term sobriety. Debbie is an incredible human being, and she has such amazing insight into important life topics. Today, Debbie will disclose how she deals with the "overwhelm" in all stages of her sobriety, and she also shares some helpful tips on how to move through each of these life stages.

#30: Pat W was born and raised in Pasadena, CA. He describes himself as a passionate cyclist, runner, photographer, and book nerd. Pat has been seeking and living his recovery since May 8, 2001, and has an incredible story about living through dynamic health issues as a child which largely contributed to his substance as a young teen and into adulthood.

#29: Amanda is a wife and mother of 2 girls. She’s been sober since July of 2018 and is grateful that she has been given a second chance at living. She is an avid skier, runner and gardener. In her free time, she loves walking her black labs and spending time with family. She’s the Development Manager for Girls on the Run and loves making a difference in other people’s lives. After a very short and severe battle with alcohol, she admitted herself to MacLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts where she underwent a medical detoxification and then entered the LionRock Recovery IOP.

#28: Nancy Spitzer has been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 2012 specializing in trauma, addiction, co-occurring disorders and more. She was inspired to shift her career to therapy after losing her beloved brother, David, to a drug overdose. As a therapist, Nancy’s passion is to not only help her individual clients, but to help families understand how to navigate the painful path of addiction, while providing opportunities for much-needed resources and support. Nancy has spoken numerous times as a presenter for The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) on the topic of families struggling with addiction and trauma. Nancy is very proud of her family - she loves to spend time with her husband and two adopted pups, and they are excited (as we are too!) to add a little one this winter to their family!

#27: Morgan grew up in an alcoholic home and felt the consequences of the disease of addiction from very early on. Her substance use began at age 10 and quickly escalated to daily heroin use after being prescribed opiates from an injury in high school. After facing homelessness and arrest, Morgan entered treatment and began her recovery journey. First addressing her addiction, and later addressing growing up in an alcoholic home and being an adult child of an alcoholic. Morgan is now married and has two young boys, raising them in a recovering home with her husband who is also in long term recovery. Morgan has been working in the substance abuse field since 2007, and she has been clean and sober since May 10, 2005!

#26: Dr. Ken Starr is an authority in the field of Addiction Medicine and Wellness. Since founding his clinic in 2012 after the overdose death of his brother, he has been committed to helping patients achieve lasting sobriety and improve the quality of their lives. Dr. Starr utilizes medications, supplements, traditional and non-traditional therapies that help people overcome chemical dependency and live the lives they know are possible. His current areas of interest include advancing drug and alcohol detox methods, facilitating long term recovery, IV nutritional programs for optimal health, and Men’s health programs. Dr. Starr’s passion about NAD therapy has enabled the clinic to become the most experienced provider of NAD treatments on the West Coast. He has introduced nutritional IV Infusions into the practice so all patients can affordably and comfortably work towards their wellness goals. Dr. Starr is board certified in both Addiction Medicine and Emergency Medicine. He takes a personal and compassionate interest in each of his patients and is easily available for patients and their families at all times.

#25: Raised in the Hill country of Texas, Jonathan has now planted his feet in the heart of Texas, Austin. He is a self-proclaimed cowboy but has ventured out in travels to become well diversified in the workplace. This has led him to various backgrounds such as corporate operations management and training, motivational speaking, and three of his own businesses. These have increased his ability to effectively communicate with people from all walks of life. Jonathan began his path to recovery in 2011. Through the guidance of his higher power, sponsor, family and fellow members of the recovery community, Jonathan understands the value of helping others and the importance of becoming an advocate for positive change in the Austin Recovery Community.

ATE #24.5: Ashley and Christiana sit down to recap Episode 24 with Jen Elizabeth, along with discussing some of the important elements brought up specifically in her episode. Tune in to join the conversation on the deeper meaning of cults, the deep desire to find a sense of belonging and the incredible power of community.

#24: Jen Elizabeth has dedicated her second chance at life to addiction recovery and healing from childhood traumas. She is a recognized writer, speaker, and recovery activist living in Southern California. She shares her story, the wreckage and the reckoning, as a way to keep the light on for anyone who is suffering under the darkness of shame and silence.