Behind The Smile with Ash Butterss

In this week’s episode I’m sitting down with sobriety speaker, author and fitness coach Justine Whitchurch. Justine made the decision to quit drinking after developing an unhealthy relationship with alcohol while trying to self-medicate her mental health. Making the decision to get sober changed the course of Justine’s life and she’s spent the best part of the last decade finding her purpose in fi...

In this week’s episode I’m chatting with AOD support worker and sober human Ian Burchall. Ian made the decision to get clean and sober on the 15th of December 2016 after his dependence on substances took him to his darkest hour. In recovery, Ian found what he’d been searching for all along, a spiritual solution and a deeper connection to self. From living a life driven by fear to finding himself o...

In today’s bonus episode I’m joined by a returning guest and friend of the show, Alcohol and Binge Drinking Coach Kathryn Elliott, to discuss some heavier topics relating to sobriety. Neither Kath nor I had any idea when we booked this interview that the topics would be so relevant to the place Kath would be in at the time of recording. Navigating grief and hard conversations is a whole new experi...

In this week’s episode I’m chatting with mother of two and business director Deb Pascoe. Deb describes how she drank for the best part of 35 years however her relationship with alcohol started to unravel when she moved to Singapore in her late 40s. Deb was self-medicating her declining mental health with booze, but struggled to see her drinking as problematic as she was holding down a job and her...

In this week’s episode I’m chatting with Australia’s leading masculinity mentor Tyran Mowbray. Tyran started his recovery journey nine years ago when he gave up porn. Six years after that he stopped using drugs and as of 2021 he reframed his relationship with alcohol. Tyran is doing powerful work in supporting men to break down their walls and barriers of self-criticism and eliminate shame around...

In today’s bonus episode we’re kicking off Season 3 of Behind The Smile Podcast! And to say a big thank you I’ve decided to share with you all the secret sauce that makes up my morning routine. Over the past few years, I’ve had countless people ask me “what’s your secret?” The truth is, there’s a number of ingredients I put into the recipe I call life, but one of the key elements is my morning rou...

In this week’s episode I’m sitting down with mum of three, podcast host and sober coach Teri MacGilbert, aka @SassySoberMum. Teri grew up in an environment where daily drinking was the norm. As an adult she came to find herself being drawn to alcohol as a way to comfort and manage stress. After a few short sober stints, Teri ditched the drink for the last time in April 2019 and hasn’t looked back....

In this week’s episode I sat down with drug and alcohol counsellor Benn Veenker. Benn made the decision to get clean and sober on the 31st of August 2012 and has made it his life’s work to help other people rehabilitate from addiction. Benn shares openly about his journey to rehab and the steps he took to turn his life around. His story is a heart-warming testimony of the healing that can occur wh...

In today’s bonus episode, I’m joined by AA member Robert P, to discuss the evolution of a movement known as Secular AA. I knew very little about this topic before speaking to Robert and jumped at the opportunity to learn more about an alternate approach to sobriety. As a passionate member of AA with over thirty years sobriety, Robert offers great insights into this lesser-known branch of a worldwi...

In this week’s episode I’m chatting with author, podcaster and mum of three Victoria Vanstone. Vic grew up in the UK, in an environment where drinking and socialising went hand-in-hand. As a result, Vic developed an identity as “the party-girl,” and was forever surrounded by people who drank the same way she did. Vic continued drinking and partying into her thirties however the impact on her menta...

In this week’s episode I’m sitting down with best-selling author, former professional heavyweight boxer and Ted X speaker, Ed Latimore. Growing up in the projects, Ed was exposed to numerous adverse childhood experiences, and turned to alcohol in his teenage years as a way to be socially accepted. Ed knew he had a problem with drinking when he found himself turning to the bottle in an attempt to c...

In today’s bonus episode, I’m joined by my friends Mitch and Gab to share with you all what really goes on inside the walls of a rehab. Having all had our own unique experiences in rehab, we chat about everything from what an average day looks like, to the things you least expect and also our biggest lessons. If you love Behind The Smile and want to support the show you can do this easily by hitti...

In this week’s episode I’m sitting down with Cole Chance, an American yoga teacher who now calls Australia home. Cole has been a seeker all her life. This journey has taken her to the depths of addiction, all around the world and now onto the path of yoga and recovery. As a trauma-informed yoga teacher with over nine years sobriety, Cole shares a wealth of experience and wisdom. In this conversati...

In this week’s episode I’m speaking with ex-military, fitness and sobriety coach Jon Wynn. Jon grew up in regional Australia and was exposed to drinking at a young age however he didn’t start abusing alcohol and other drugs until he joined the military. After receiving a gunshot wound on tour in Afghanistan, he returned home with a sense of invincibility coupled with an insatiable urge to drown ou...

In this week’s episode, I sat down with actress, singer, dancer and international DJ, Dena Amy. Best known for her role as Abigail in the Netflix series Dance Academy and playing to thousands of people at Coachella, Dena’s life on the outside looked like a dream. But the truth was, Dena was self-medicating with prescription pills to ease the pressure of life as a global performer. After realising...

In this week’s episode I’m joined by Mindset and Leadership Coach Lewis Huckstep. As a young boy Lewis was diagnosed with asperges and struggled with anxiety, resulting in him feeling uncomfortable in his own skin. In an attempt to seek approval from his dad, he chased the dream of becoming a professional athlete and was contracted to a pro club by the time he was 15 years old. By age 18, he knew...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Sober Coach and mum of two Jen Hirst, who recently celebrated ten years of sobriety! Jen shares how she went from being an anxious perfectionist and workaholic who used alcohol daily to manage stress and social anxiety, to a sobriety coach, speaker and founder of Lighthouse Sobriety. I absolutely loved this conversation with Jen and we covered a lot including...

Life has been super busy lately with lots of exciting things happening so I’m sliding in with a cheeky bonus episode to keep you all up to date with my world. For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that last week I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Gabby Bernstein on stage at her Melbourne show. This was a total “pinch me” moment and I took away so much from the wisdom s...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Luc Zoratto, an alcohol-free life coach and marathon runner from Toronto, Canada. Luc and I talk about the challenge of giving up alcohol when you’ve created an identity and a life revolved around drinking. Luc shares how he spent years trying to moderate and control his drinking, while constantly disappointing people, having to apologise for his actions and...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Kath Elliott, the Alcohol Mindset Coach. Kath’s world was completely rocked when just six weeks after making the decision to take an extended break from alcohol, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. This shocking discovery led Kath down a vigorous path of research as she sought to understand more about the link between alcohol and breas...

In this week’s episode, I sat down with ultra-endurance athlete and father of two, RJ Singh. RJ shares how he went from being a promising Olympian, to bouncing in and out of juvenile detention once he was introduced to drugs and alcohol. After fleeing the US to avoid further criminal charges, RJ landed in Australia, which would later become the epicentre of his recovery. In this conversation, we d...

My guest this week is the extremely talented Laura Cathcart Robbins. Laura is the host of the brilliant podcast, The Only One in The Room, and has recently added author to her bio, with the release of her memoir Stash – My Life in Hiding. Laura made the decision to get clean and sober in August 2008 after battling an addiction to Ambien, a prescribed sleep-aid. At almost 15 years sober, Laura cont...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Josh, a lawyer and father of three who made the decision to quit drinking on the 23rd of July, 2015. Josh was terrified at the idea of having to give up alcohol, but he knew if he didn’t, he could face losing everything and everyone he loved. In choosing sobriety, Josh embarked on a journey that would require him to honestly face his "self-centred fears&...

In this week’s episode, I sat down with sober coach and fellow podcaster Casey McGuire Davidson. Casey recently celebrated 7 years of sobriety and joined me to share her personal experience and expertise through helping hundreds of women get sober.   In this conversation we cover: Drinking Highlights and Lowlights (24min) Mommy Wine Culture (31min) Our different opinions on using the label “alcoho...

Mike Faria is lucky to be alive. In January 2020, he was taken to hospital in the back of an ambulance and placed in an induced coma to prevent his vital organs from shutting down. He had been drinking himself to death and he hadn’t even realised how serious his condition had become. After making a miraculous recovery, Mike was brought out of his coma and sent home to regain his strength however d...