Little Addicts

What if addiction isn't just about substances… but about what we reach for when life feels hard, empty, overwhelming, or just a bit too much? In this honest, fascinating, and occasionally mind-bending conversation, I sit down with psychotherapist and Addiction Specialist Tommy Benefield to talk about addiction, recovery, trauma, psychedelics, and the deeper human search underneath all of it. Tommy...

Show Notes: In this special episode, Kerene reflects on the journey (23 conversations diving deep into addiction, behaviour change, and what it means to be human). She shares her biggest takeaways: that addiction isn't just about substances – it's about our need to numb, to avoid, and to self-soothe in a world that says "be happy" at all costs. Hear excerpts from past episodes that cracked her ope...

In this refreshingly raw and witty episode, Lotta Dann—author, sobriety advocate, and anti-diet warrior—talks about the tangled web of body image, addiction, and freedom from toxic cultural norms. Lotta unpacks the truth behind diet culture and shares her own vulnerable journey from extreme dieting to empowered body acceptance. We discuss: Lotta's Wake-Up Call No big bang—just a slow anti-diet awa...

Episode Overview: In this deeply moving episode, I speak with Izzy, a young woman in recovery from meth addiction, and her fiercely loyal mum, Lisa. Together, they peel back the layers of chaos, courage, love and connection. Life Before Addiction Izzy shares how her growing dependency on meth began. Emotional suppression and disconnection paved the way for substance use. Lisa reflects on the chall...

In this raw and resonant episode, Philly Powell interviews Kerene Strochnetter about  Chapter One of her upcoming book . Kerene unpacks the origins of self-soothing and why we reach for wine, work, sugar, our phones, or even people-pleasing to feel better. This episode is a loving wake-up call. You'll laugh, maybe squirm a little, and come away seeing your own patterns with more clarity and compas...

David Hanna is a fifth-generation Tangata Tiriti (people of the Treaty) , a leader in community-led development, and the director of Wesley Community Action. This conversation delved into addiction, trauma, social systems, and how grassroots initiatives can bring about meaningful change.  David challenges us to rethink how we address addiction, not just as an individual issue but as a symptom of b...

Join me for a fascinating chat with nutritionist Bilge MacPhee as we explore the power of food, the truth about bariatric surgery, and why ultra-processed foods are designed to keep us hooked.  Bilge MacPhee is a Wellington-based nutritionist with a background in biological sciences and human nutrition. Her holistic approach to health is deeply influenced by her Mediterranean roots, emphasising th...

Breaking free from the endless cycle of craving—whether through shopping, food, or relationships—Natalie Snooke explores how self-awareness, meditation, and the Enneagram can lead to true inner peace beyond external validation. Natalie Snooke is an experienced life and leadership coach, mindfulness facilitator, humanitarian, yoga and meditation teacher. She is the founder and director of Momentum...

Lotty is a forward thinker in Emotional Culture, Change and Resilience, with over 20 years of experience leading and coaching people through large-scale change and transformation programmes.  During her journey as a senior leader, competitive runner and mum of 3 boys, Lotty discovered the power of Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence to help her with various challenges, including an auto-immune...

In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Philly Powell, the Wellness Provocateur and founder of Wellbeing Tick. Philly helps businesses ditch burnout, rethink work, and create cultures where people don't just survive—they thrive. A few months ago, over a meal, we both admitted to snacking after dinner.  Right then and there, we decided we wanted to stop, and NEAD was born. NEAD stands for not eati...

James Dear is a recovering drug addict. He was severely addicted but has been sober for over 5 years. In 2018, he started a movement called ' Break The Chain' to raise awareness and provide information about addiction and mental health after tragically losing a close friend to suicide. He took his advocacy to the next level by training as a counsellor and now works in a residential drug and alcoho...

Meredith McCarthy is a clinical hypnotherapist, author, and speaker with over 30 years of experience helping individuals unlock the power of their minds to overcome challenges, including addiction and anxiety. Meredith founded the New Zealand Academy of Clinical Hypnotherapy (NZACH) and is president of the New Zealand Association of Professional Hypnotherapists (NZAPH). She's passionate about empo...

I loved this conversation with Carl Lemieux from Mindsmatter. I could talk with him for hours! Carl is an author, workplace psychologist, management consultant, executive coach, psychotherapist, and mindfulness teacher. With 35 years of experience in corporate strategy, transformation, and leadership development, Carl understands the importance of well-being and self-awareness for himself, leaders...

Zach Cotogni and his sister Michaela wrote  Blue Honey—Personal Experiences Using Psilocybin for Mental Health in Aotearoa, a book that challenges ugly preconceptions and misunderstandings about using MCPs (Mushrooms Containing Psilocybin, more commonly known as Magic Mushrooms). In this episode, Zach talks about his experience using MCPs to overcome his addiction to alcohol and drugs. I interview...

What I love about Buddhism is how it aligns with neuroscience (and how neuroscience proves that Buddhism is true).  In this episode, I'm joined by Patrick Kearney. Patrick explains how the Buddha's teachings help us to understand and overcome addiction.  He's particularly interested in the Buddha's original teachings before the invention of "Buddhism", and applying the Buddha's radical insights to...

Richard Bolstad trains NLP Practitioners and trainers in America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. He has written or co-written over 20 NLP books, which have been translated into nine languages. His book ' Transforming Communication ' has been a core text in several New Zealand university programs. He has also been a personal trainer for some top New Zealand business and sports people, including lea...

Gai Foskett is a Master Certified Coach and a Master NLP practitioner. She also has an MBA and works with senior leaders and managers, business owners, professionals, and entrepreneurs in NZ, the USA, Australia, Asia, the UK, and Canada. Gai's coaching approach draws on contemporary neuroscience, positive psychology, change management and models, Philosophy, Systems theory, Emotional Intelligence,...

In this episode, Michaela talks about her own mental health journey that led her to use MCP (Mushrooms Containing Psilocybin, commonly known as Magic Mushrooms) and why she and her brother Zach wrote Blue Honey – Personal Experiences Using Psilocybin for Mental Health in Aotearoa . I've been following what's happening in the psychedelic space since reading Michael Pollan's How to Change Your Mind...

Scott is the founder of Calmly, a Kiwi breathing innovation tool that supports healthy ways of relaxing, assists vapers and smokers in quitting, and helps reduce general anxiety and stress. Scott has a Master of Science from Lincoln University and extensive experience in the tourism, environmental advocacy, and, more recently, health and wellness sectors. Over two decades of research and developme...

Imagine someone saying, "You can have the worst trauma in the world, and you just think of it for a moment, and then you stroke your arms and your face and your hands and 15 min later it's cured". Let me introduce you to Dr Robin Youngson MA MB ChB FANZCA. Robin is a Certified Havening Practitioner and Trainer and an Anaesthetic Specialist with a long career in public health in New Zealand. He's a...

This week I'm joined by Andrew Hopgood. Andrew has been a Senior Clinician in rehabs throughout Wellington in the DHB and Private sector, setting up and running programmes focused on the hard-to-reach. He helped set up community projects using volunteers with lived experience and was recently involved with the Kahukura rehabilitation programme for the Mongrel Mob.   Andrew is a lecturer on WelTec'...

This week I'm joined by Lotta Dann. Lotta is an addiction recovery advocate who has published three best-selling books that draw on her personal experience to promote sober living and recovery, including - The Wine O'Clock Myth: The Truth You Need to Know about Women and Alcohol, Mrs D is Going Without, and Mrs D is Going Withi n.    She is partnered with the New Zealand Drug Foundation to run  'L...

This week I'm joined by an exceptional guest, colleague and dear friend of mine, Michael Bunting. Michael is the founder of the prominent leadership consultancy WorkSmart Australia. He's the author of the number-one bestseller, The Mindful Leader and Awakened Mind (a mobile application). His recent book, Vertical Growth explains how self-awareness and self-regulation transform leaders and organisa...

This is the first interview on the podcast and I am so happy to introduce my colleague and friend, Philly Powell. In this raw and engaging episode we share personal anecdotes, explore the challenges of overcoming alcohol addiction, the impact of societal pressures, and the importance of self-reflection and mindfulness in the journey towards wellbeing.  Philly speaks about her expertise in workplac...

In this first episode I thought I'd introduce myself and the reason behind the podcast before we dive into interviews. Today I also talk about the often overlooked struggles of high-functioning individuals grappling with subtle addictions, various treatment options available, and the crucial role of self-compassion. In upcoming episodes, through exploring the intricate nature of addiction, my gues...