The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast

ATE #'s 22.5 & 23.5: Ashley and Christiana sit down to recap Episode 22 with Zeinah Estrada and Episode 23 with Lisa Kohn, along with deep diving into the important topics covered. Tune in to hear more about the effects of trauma, finding your own voice and what happens when someone is not raised in an optimum environment.

#23: Lisa Kohn is a writer and author who was born in New Jersey, and grew up in the East Village of New York. She now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband of nearly twenty years and her two beautiful children. Lisa’s recent book, “To The Moon And Back: A Childhood Under the Influence” is a memoir of being raised in and torn between two conflicting worlds. There was the world she longed for and lived in on weekends – her mother’s world, which was the fanatical, puritanical cult of the Moonies – and the world she was forced to live in during the week – her father’s world, which was based in sex, drugs, and the squalor of life in New York City’s East Village in the 1970’s. She now owns a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm and spend much of her time speaking, writing, teaching, and presenting her ideas and approaches to life and to business. Lisa has been featured on Business Insider, Megyn Kelly Today, Daily Mail, Thrive Global, Marie Claire and more!

Mark Lamplugh is a fourth-generation firefighter and former captain with the Lower Chichester, PA, Fire Company. He is an advocate for the behavioral and mental health of firefighters and other first responders, has been involved in the creation of several responder specific treatment programs, and is recognized by the American Acadamy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. Lamplugh hosts his own talk show called "Firefighter Wellness Radio,” and has published dozens of articles on responder wellness topics. He can be reached at mark@360wellness.org.

#22: Zeinah has been working in the substance abuse field since 2011, and she shared her own recovery journey on the A&E show "Intervention". The transformation that she has made from the girl in 2011 to the woman she is today is incredible. Zeinah shares her recovery journey from losing her first husband to growing up with parents from different religious backgrounds. We are so excited that Zeinah is here with us, and we hope you enjoy this episode!

ATE #'s 20.5 & 21.5: Ashley and Christiana sit down to recap Episode 20 with Sarah Scheper and Episode 21 with Melinda Dixon. Tune in to hear more about different types of recovery, finding relief and what it actually takes in having the courage to share your own story!

#21: Melinda has 9 years experience working in recovery programs. She has been in admissions in both large facility dual diagnosis rehabilitation centers and addiction rehabilitation programs. She recently completed her college courses and earned her certification as an Addictions Counselor. Melinda is currently studying for the state certification test, and will continue her studies to earn her masters and become a LMHC. Melinda is also one of our esteemed colleagues at Lionrock Recovery, and we were so excited to have her on the podcast! Tune in as she shares about being a child who grew up in an alcoholic household and the effects that it has had on her life, along with ACA and how the program helped her heal from the trauma and take her life back.

Sarah Scheper is a real estate agent in Southern California, and recently got picked up as one of the stars of the hit reality series "Love & Listings" on VH1. Along with telling her amazing story of recovering from bulimia and alcoholism at a young age, Sarah brings a hilarious sense of humor along with her wit and willingness to dig deep and talk about the pressures of being in the Hollywood limelight and maintain her recovery in the midst of it all.

ATE #19.5: Episode 19 with Melissa Bresnahan was such an incredibly special episode. Ashley and Christiana decided to recap Episode 19 by itself, and Melissa wrote in with some additional thoughts highlighting some deeper topics from what she originally shared.

Melissa grew up in Long Beach, California where she earned a BA in Speech Communications/English and a MA in Educational Administration along with several California State Teaching credentials. She met her amazing husband, Dan, when she was in college and they have been married almost 40 wonderful years. They have three grown children and are the grandparents to the most adorable three year old little girl. Melissa and her family live in the beautiful central coast of California, and Melissa was a teacher and principal for almost 35 years. Melissa’s first born child, a son, died tragically in 2017 at the age of 35. After many years of struggling with addiction and four wonderful years of sobriety, her son (Pat), relapsed and died from a drug overdose. She and her family have determined to remember Pat forever in their hearts and lives by adopting their family motto “Forever A Family of Five”.

Host Ashley and Producer Christiana rehash the amazing content in Tank Sinatra's hilarious episode (Episode 18) and talk about the secret to his success in media along with the healing power of community in recovery and beyond!

We are so excited to introduce a very special guest! Tank Sinatra (George Resch) is a prolific content creator who gained millions of followers on Instagram through meme creation and reposting hilarious content. He most recently created the website "Tank's Good News" where he only focuses on re-sharing positive, uplifting media to the general public. From selling fences in Long Island to standup comedy and a move across the country briefly to Los Angeles, Tank Sinatra shares openly about his journey to sobriety and the hold that drugs and alcohol once had on his life. Join Ashley and Tank for this incredibly entertaining interview, and enjoy getting to know this incredible guest!

ATE #'s 16.5 & 17.5: Ashley and Christiana deep dive into big topics covered in Episodes 16 & 17 with Leo Martinez and Nicole Ory. Tune in to hear more insight into the episodes and some interesting statistics that they learned while prepping for the episode.

We are so pleased to have interviewed another one of Lionrock's talented employees for this week's episode! Nicole has over 12 years experience working in the alcohol addiction arena. Her background ranges from offering treatment options to exemplary customer service, and an acumen for sales and connecting with others. Nicole attended the University of Phoenix and completed a Bachelor of Science in Human Services, and a Master of Science in Psychology. She has also has earned certificates in Addiction and Health Management, as well as Family and Child Services. Nicole shares her quick wit and amazing sense of humor, along with the difficult details in her journey to sobriety. Join Ashley and Nicole as they sit down for a one of a kind interview.

We are so very excited to introduce one of our amazing Lionrock Clinical Supervisors as our esteemed guest for Episode 16! Leo Martinez has 7 years experience working as a Substance Abuse Counselor and Social Worker working with very diverse populations. He has delivered counseling services internationally with specializations in Gorski Relapse Prevention, CBT, Dual Disorders, ACT, and Multicultural Interventions. Leo earned a Masters in Social Work from California State University, East Bay, and a CADAAC Certificate in Addiction Counseling. Leo's story of taking back everything that addiction stole from him is nothing short of amazing. Tune in as Leo discusses some very difficult topics including substance abuse, sexual assault and the gut-wrenching effects of extreme trauma. **Our Sponsor:** Lionrock Recovery (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com) **Follow us here:** Podcast Website: (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com/podcast) Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/LionrockRecovery/) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/lionrockrecovry) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/lionrockrecovery/) Questions, comments or feedback? We want to hear from you! Email us at podcast@lionrockrecovery.com

It's another "After the Episode" combo! In this episode, the ladies discuss Bless It Bag (Bella Baskin's charitably-driven company), childhood attachment and the issues that come from the lack thereof, and Christiana interviews Ashley about her and Dac's discussion in Episode 15.