The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast

It's a wrap on Season 1!!  Join Ashley & Christiana for a nostalgic look-back on all the guests and happenings of Season 1 on The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast.  From humble beginnings with cheap microphones and a sub-par set-up to the now podcast booth and amazing guests - starting this podcast has been one wild and crazy ride.     Tune in to hear the podcast stats since March 5th, 2019 w...

She's back!! Bahan McDermott, our good friend (and incredible human being) from Episode 2, joins us once again in the podcast booth and shares some tips and best practices on how to stay sober throughout the holidays. This time of year can be very difficult and triggering, and Bahan and Ashley have a candid discussion about how they've been able to get through the holidays (and other days as well)...

#32: *EPISODE DISCLAIMER - This episode contains explicit language relating to race and racial biases specifically in the prison culture.* The California prison system is one of the only prison populations that is legally separated by race. As you will hear in Dan's story, this separation is a survival mechanism for people to identify with a particular culture in order to survive in that environme...

Introducing our very first 'Minisode' brought to you by The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast! The 'Minisode' format will focus on one topic by one guest, and will bring helpful insights and best practices on how to tackle these topics. Our first Minisode guest is one of our very own - Debbie Hickey! Debbie is the HR & Support Groups Manager at Lionrock Recovery, and she has 29 years in long-t...

#30: Pat W was born and raised in Pasadena, CA. He describes himself as a passionate cyclist, runner, photographer, and book nerd. Pat has been seeking and living his recovery since May 8, 2001, and has an incredible story about living through dynamic health issues as a child which largely contributed to his substance as a young teen and into adulthood. **Our Sponsor:** Lionrock Recovery (http://w...

#28: Nancy Spitzer has been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 2012 specializing in trauma, addiction, co-occurring disorders and more. She was inspired to shift her career to therapy after losing her beloved brother, David, to a drug overdose. As a therapist, Nancy’s passion is to not only help her individual clients, but to help families understand how to navigate the painful path of...

#27: Morgan grew up in an alcoholic home and felt the consequences of the disease of addiction from very early on. Her substance use began at age 10 and quickly escalated to daily heroin use after being prescribed opiates from an injury in high school. After facing homelessness and arrest, Morgan entered treatment and began her recovery journey. First addressing her addiction, and later addressing...

#26: Dr. Ken Starr is an authority in the field of Addiction Medicine and Wellness. Since founding his clinic in 2012 after the overdose death of his brother, he has been committed to helping patients achieve lasting sobriety and improve the quality of their lives. Dr. Starr utilizes medications, supplements, traditional and non-traditional therapies that help people overcome chemical dependency a...

#25: Raised in the hill country of Texas, Jonathan has now planted his feet in the heart of Texas, Austin. He is a self-proclaimed cowboy but has ventured out in travels to become well diversified in the workplace. This has led him to various backgrounds such as corporate operations management and training, motivational speaking, and three of his own businesses. These have increased his ability to...

ATE #24.5: Ashley and Christiana sit down to recap Episode 24 with Jen Elizabeth, along with discussing some of the important elements brought up specifically in her episode. Tune in to join the conversation on the deeper meaning of cults, the deep desire to find a sense of belonging and the incredible power of community. **Our Sponsor:** Lionrock Recovery (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com) **Follo...

#24: Jen Elizabeth has dedicated her second chance at life to addiction recovery and healing from childhood traumas. She is a recognized writer, speaker, and recovery activist living in Southern California. She shares her story, the wreckage and the reckoning, as a way to keep the light on for anyone who is suffering under the darkness of shame and silence. Ashley sits down with Jen in this interv...

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. **Our Sponsor:** Lionrock Recovery (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com) **Foll...

#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...

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 sh...

#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 Zeina...

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! **Our Sponsor:** Lionrock Recovery (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com) **Follow us here:** Podcast Website: (http://www.lionrockrec...

#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 m...

#20: 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 Hollywoo...

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. Join Ashley & Christiana in this deep dive into Melissa's episode where they uncover insights into the stigma of addiction, loss, grief an...

#19: 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 o...

ATE #18.5: 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! Our Sponsor:Lionrock Recovery (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com) Follow us here:Podcast Website: (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com/podcast)Facebook: (https://www.f...

#18: 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 stan...

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. Our Sponsor:Lionrock Recovery (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com) Follow us here:Podcast Website: (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com/podcast)Fac...

#17: 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 Scie...

#16: 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 Multic...