Recovery Centered Podcast | Real Talk on Recovery & Mental Health

What if better health wasn't about perfection—but about making the next small choice? In this episode of Recovery Centered, Tim Roberto sits down with registered dietitian, two-time TEDx speaker, and psychology PhD candidate Maryann Walsh, RD, to explore how nutrition, mental health, and behavior change are deeply connected. Drawing on more than 15 years of clinical experience, Maryann shares prac...

Recovery doesn't end when the substance use stops. For many people, that's where the deeper work begins. In this episode of Recovery Centered , Tim Roberto sits down with longtime friend Jared to discuss a journey that spans addiction, military service, childhood trauma, divorce, entrepreneurship, and fatherhood. Their conversation explores what happens after early recovery, when unresolved emotio...

Recovery doesn't always begin in a treatment center. Sometimes it starts on a sidewalk, in an abandoned building, or with someone simply refusing to give up on another human being. In this episode of Recovery Centered , Tim Roberto is joined by Stacy and Dave of Recovery Advocates , a nonprofit that meets people struggling with addiction exactly where they are—on the streets, in hospitals, in cour...

In this episode of Recovery Centered , Tim Roberto sits down with Captain Jim Heisler , an Army medic, fire captain, and advocate for first responder mental health. Jim shares how the loss of a mentor to suicide transformed the way he thinks about leadership, vulnerability, and supporting those who serve others. Together they discuss: Why first responder mental health requires cultural change—not...

When a child struggles with addiction, the entire family is affected. In this episode of Recovery Centered, Tim Roberto sits down with Kim Porter and Michelle, two advocates whose personal experiences with addiction in their families led them to help thousands of other parents navigate similar challenges. Both women share the fear, confusion, and isolation they experienced while trying to save the...

Three years ago, Charles arrived at treatment feeling defeated, ashamed, and uncertain about his future. After decades of alcohol use and a twenty-year meth addiction, he had reached a point where the life he was living was no longer sustainable. In this candid conversation, Charles sits down with host Tim Roberto to reflect on the moments that changed everything—from asking for help and entering...

In this episode of Recovery Centered, Tim Roberto sits down with registered dietitian and soon-to-be PhD Marianne Walsh for a wide-ranging conversation about nutrition, mental health, recovery, and the small habits that create lasting change. Marianne shares her personal experiences with ADHD, anxiety, motherhood, and burnout, while explaining how proper nourishment can support emotional well-bein...

What happens when recovery becomes the foundation for an entirely new life? In this episode of Recovery Centered , Tim Roberto sits down with longtime friend Jared B., a veteran, entrepreneur, father, and person in long-term recovery whose journey is a testament to perseverance and personal growth. Jared shares his experience growing up in a home affected by alcoholism, finding recovery at 23, nav...

Dr. Kate Smith, DSW, LCSW, joins the podcast to share her progression from early struggles with addiction to becoming a clinician, leader, and doctoral-level expert in trauma-informed care. Drawing from both lived experience and over a decade in the field, she offers a grounded perspective on what recovery actually requires—and what it does not promise. The conversation examines the long-term real...

Stephanie Weiss, an integrative wellness professional and soon-to-be licensed mental health counselor, joins the podcast to discuss her path from personal training to clinical work. She shares how years of working with clients in physical transformation revealed deeper mental health challenges, leading her back to counseling. The conversation focuses on the connection between physical health and e...

Natalia German, LMHC, focuses her work on first responders—law enforcement, firefighters, and dispatchers—addressing the cumulative trauma that develops from repeated exposure to high-intensity events. Drawing from both professional training and personal proximity to the field, she outlines how trauma presents differently in this population, particularly through disrupted sleep, avoidance patterns...

Mary Young Olitzky, LMHC, brings nearly three decades of clinical experience and long-term personal recovery into a grounded discussion on what therapy actually looks like beyond textbooks. She explains how addiction operates despite insight, why “one day at a time” remains clinically relevant, and how genetics, environment, and lived experience interact in substance use and mental health. The con...

Lieutenant Drew Masters of the Fort Lauderdale Fire Department joins the conversation to examine the psychological toll of first responder work and the systems designed to support it. Drawing from years of leadership in peer support and critical incident stress management, he outlines how departments respond to high-impact events—from pediatric fatalities to large-scale disasters—and why early int...

Dr. Laura Ellick, a clinical psychologist specializing in addiction, eating disorders, and chronic medical conditions, joins the conversation to examine how mindset shapes both the development of disorder and the path to recovery. Drawing from decades of clinical experience across detox units, jails, and medical settings, she outlines how underlying trauma, emotional avoidance, and cognitive patte...

Jeremy Plummer shares a firsthand account of addiction at its most extreme—and the turning point that changed everything. With nearly a decade in recovery, he reflects on the progression from recreational use to IV heroin and cocaine, the isolation that followed, and the internal collapse that left him choosing between survival and surrender. At the center of the episode is a single moment: a knoc...

Hailey Henderson, LMHC, MCAP, shares a dual perspective shaped by personal transformation and frontline behavioral health leadership. She outlines how sustainable recovery—whether from addiction, burnout, or disconnection—depends on daily self-prioritization, not short-term intensity. The conversation examines the realities of clinical leadership: managing high-acuity populations, reducing therapi...

Psychotherapist Alexa Vrionis joins the podcast to discuss how recovery, identity, and relationships intersect. Drawing from both professional training and lived experience in recovery, Alexa explains why feeling truly understood can be transformative—and how that experience led her to become a therapist herself. The conversation explores Imago Relationship Therapy, a communication framework desig...

Christopher Chance, a Palm Beach County firefighter-paramedic and trained farrier, shares the story behind Saddle & Sea Foundation , a program designed to help first responders reconnect, recover, and rebuild after trauma. Drawing on more than 16 years of emergency service—from lifeguarding in Hawaii to frontline firefighting in Florida—Chance combines equine-assisted learning and ocean-based...

In this episode of Recovery Centered, Tim sits down with Sarah Menniti, LMHC, founder of Rhythm Holistic Counseling & Wellness in Jupiter, Florida. Sarah works primarily with adult women navigating anxiety, trauma, perfectionism, and people-pleasing through a nervous system–oriented, trauma-informed approach. The conversation explores how many so-called “self-defeating behaviors” are actually...

Kyle Whitfield, a 15-year volunteer firefighter with Evans County Fire Rescue and part-time firefighter with Long County Fire, shares his experience with PTSD, suicide attempts, and the barriers first responders face when seeking mental health care. Despite years of service to his community, Kyle struggled in silence while navigating insurance denials, long waitlists, and a culture that discourage...

In this episode of Recovery Centered , Tim Roberto sits down with Kay Bloom , PhD, LCSW, for a clinically grounded conversation about emotional sobriety, trauma, and relational healing. Dr. Bloom explores how unresolved trauma, grief, and poor boundaries quietly shape behavior, communication, and intimacy—often long after substance use or crisis has stopped. Drawing on more than 25 years of clinic...

In this episode of Recovery Centered , Tim Roberto is joined by Brian Wind, PhD, Chief Clinical Officer at JourneyPure, for a candid, clinically grounded conversation about addiction, trauma, and long-term recovery. Drawing from both his professional leadership in behavioral healthcare and his own lived experience in recovery, Dr. Wind explores why addiction is often rooted in unresolved trauma, f...

In this powerful and deeply human episode of Recovery Centered , host Tim Roberto sits down with longtime friend and colleague Pastor Troy , an ordained minister with over 16 years of experience walking alongside individuals struggling with addiction, trauma, and spiritual disconnection. As Founder and President of Freedom Recovery, Inc., and a native Floridian with deep roots in Palm Beach County...

In this episode of Recovery Centered , Tim sits down with Kim Litton, LCSW, CAP, CSAT —licensed psychotherapist, author, and a woman with 21+ years clean and sober —for an honest conversation about what recovery looks like when it moves from an idea into a life. Kim brings both clinical depth and lived experience to the table as she breaks down the complicated realities of relationships in recover...

Jill K. Bershad, LMHC, CAP, is a licensed mental health counselor and certified addiction professional specializing in trauma, complex PTSD, grief, addiction, and family-of-origin work. She integrates talk therapy with EMDR, hypnotherapy, and solution-focused approaches to help clients heal at the root, reconnect with their authentic selves, and move forward with clarity, resilience, and self-wort...