The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast

Note: the man on the left side of the episode artwork photo is Andre's Great Great Grandfather, Everett.  Andre asked us to place their photos side-by-side for his episode, as learning about Everett was a very special milestone for him in knowing his family history.  Andre not only has this picture of Everett, but also has a bill of sale for Everett from when he was a slave. Andre Roberts is a Per...

For the past 2 weeks, we have paused The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast to show support and give respect to the #BlackLivesMatter Movement. We also wanted to take some time to reevaluate who our next guests would be, and we are happy to announce that our remaining guests interviews for June will be aligned with either the BLM or LGBTQ communities.  We look forward to using our platform to h...

It's another After the Episode coming at you every other Thursday!  Don't have time to listen to every guest episode on Tuesdays?  Enjoy learning more about specific topics?  Do you also like to laugh?  Then these episodes are for you too! This week, Ashley and Christiana review and cover topics from Episode #50 (Alyssa Rocco), and  Episode #51 (Ben Moroski). Tune in to hear their usual antics (in...

Ben Moroski is an L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award-nominated writer and actor. His plays have garnered numerous Los Angeles theatre awards and nominations. His first L.A.-produced play, This Vicious Minute, recounted his years-long battle with self-injury after being raised in a cult. Upcoming acting roles include the forthcoming short films Admitted and Discharge (which he also wrote and produced)...

Alyssa Rocco is on a mission to create positive change in the world.  Along with living her recovery from alcoholism and an eating disorder, she is currently a Senior Life Coach at Handel Group, which she discovered seven years ago after finding a deep desire to change her career. After one session with a coach at Handel Group, she quickly discovered what was missing - she wasn't living true to he...

It's another After the Episode coming at you every other Thursday!  Don't have time to listen to every guest episode on Tuesdays?  Enjoy learning more about specific topics?  Do you also like to laugh?  Then these episodes are for you too! This week, Ashley and Christiana review and cover topics from Episode #47 (Amy Dresner), and  Episode #48 (Jay Shifman). Tune in to hear their usual antics (inc...

Jay Shifman is passionate about issues of Addiction and Mental Health. A Speaker, Writer, Consultant, Coach and Advocate, Jay lives intentionally around seeing the realization of his dream; to end the stigma around issues of Addiction and Mental Health. Jay works with individuals and organizations to make real change in how they approach, act on and talk about Mental health and Addiction. A gradua...

We know this has been a very trying time for everyone, and taking care of our mental health is more important now than ever.  Here at The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast, we wanted to create a very special episode to inspire hope in the midst of uncertainty.   This COVID Hopecast is a collection of inspirational stories, quotes, sayings and more - read to you by some of our AMAZING guests fr...

NOTE: This episode contains explicit language. [Adapted from Amy's book bio] Growing up in Beverly Hills, Amy Dresner had it all: a top-notch private school education, the most expensive summer camps, and even a weekly clothing allowance. But at 24, she started dabbling in meth in San Francisco and unleashed a fiendish addiction monster. Soon, if you could snort it, smoke it, or have sex with, she...

It's another After the Episode coming at you every other Thursday!  Don't have time to listen to every guest episode on Tuesdays?  Enjoy learning more about specific topics?  Do you also like to laugh?  Then these episodes are for you too! This week, Ashley and Christiana review and cover topics from Episode #44 (Noa Shaw), and  Episode #45 (Kerry Andre). Tune in to hear their usual antics along w...

Kerry Andre grew up in the rural farming town of Williston, North Dakota.  With alcoholism and her father’s opiate use running rampant in her family, Kerry’s exposure to addiction started young.  After a series of traumatic events, she turned to alcohol to numb her pain and found herself in a downward spiral that lasted over a decade.  3 kids, numerous broken relationships and 4 DUI’s later - Kerr...

NOTE: This episode contains explicit language. Born in 1963 in the Bronx, Noa moved with his family multiple times before finally settling in Connecticut at age 14.  By this time, he had already been drinking for four years. And he had already attended 9 different schools, many of which he was kicked out of.  Despite the unwavering love of his family, Noa never felt comfortable in his own skin — h...

Due to popular demand, we're back to our old format from last year!   Our "After the Episodes" will start coming out every other Thursday again, and Ashley & Christiana will review two episodes at a time.  This week, the ladies review and cover topics from Episode #41 (Bambi Brown), and  Episode #42 (Renée Siegel). Tune in to hear their usual antics along with a deep dive into some important theme...

Originally educated as a Marriage and Family Therapist in 1980 in Detroit, Michigan, Renée Siegel has worked in the therapeutic field for 41 years. She is the daughter and spouse of family members impacted by addiction. Her father was addicted to drugs, and she later married a man who had a devastating addiction to gambling. Renée understands firsthand the impact that addiction has on the family,...

Bambi never imagined herself as an alcoholic or drug addict. It wasn’t until she was deep into an abusive relationship that she realized she could not stop.  Although she was introduced to sobriety at age 18, it took 8 years of relapse to finally become sober at 26 years old.  She is a nurse and a mother of two, but it wasn’t until the birth of her first child, she experienced a true emotional bot...

We're so excited to bring you another "After the Episode" for Season 2!  Ashley & Christiana review and cover topics from Episodes #37 (Kim Jorgensen-Richard), #38 (Ashley Morgan) & 39 (Mike McAllister).  Tune in to hear their usual antics along with a deep dive into some important themes and aspects covered in each of these episodes.    Subscribe to The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast Apple...

In this bonus episode, Ashley and Christiana sit down for the first time in their home podcast booths to discuss the effects of COVID-19 on them and their surrounding communities, along with sharing some resources to help during this time.  As a special surprise - two tiny guests visit the podcast booth to say hi!   Tune in to this bonus episode to laugh, learn and feel inspired to continue moving...

Mike is a California native, living in San Clemente, California with his wife and 2 beautiful daughters. He has multiple ASE and Ford master certifications, as well as technical school certificates in automotive and heavy equipment mechanics. Mike believes that the only ‘social media’ he needs is email, however if you want to connect with him you can sometimes find him in his wife’s Instagram feed...

Ashley Morgan is an Interior Designer based in Los Angeles, California, who has had a tumultuous journey to find her recovery. Ashley moved around Europe and Asia a lot as child, following her father's career in finance, until she landed back in LA, where she spent the majority of her childhood.  She found drugs and alcohol at a very young age only to discover that her illness would progress quick...

Kim Jorgensen-Richard, first time author, of Rock-Covery, Not Your Mother’s Meditation Book, (now available on Amazon.com) is a life-long resident of Southeastern Massachusetts, a Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor, a woman in recovery from trauma & addiction, and of course, a fan of all things rock and roll! She first began her recovery journey in 1987, at a detox in Fall River, Massachusetts. In...

It's the first "After the Episode" for Season 2!!!  Ashley & Christiana review and cover topics from Episode 33 (Kimberly Russell), 34 (Michele Murphy) & 35 (Kendra Allen).  Tune in to hear their usual antics along with a deep dive into some important themes and aspects covered in each of these episodes.  **Our Sponsor:** Lionrock Recovery: http://www.lionrockrecovery.com **Follow us here:** Podca...

Kendra Allen is the woman behind the Instagram account, online course and blog, Break Up Bestie. After going through a series of unhealthy relationships in her early 20’s, including narcissism, abuse, and emotional unavailability, Kendra began gathering tools and working on herself to prevent that from happening again. Around the same time, Kendra got sober at the age of 21 after years of self-des...

Michele turned to drugs and alcohol at a young age to cope with the pain of her childhood, and found herself deep in the grips of codependency. Her recovery from drugs and alcohol ended up being her gateway to healing. She found sobriety at age 18, but life didn't immediately turn around the way she thought it would. As you'll hear Michele say in her interview, "just because you're sober, doesn't...

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 dis...

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