The Empty Chair

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and what better time to shed light on a subject that affects so many yet is often left in the shadows—the emotional and mental impact of pregnancy and motherhood. From perinatal to postpartum, these experiences can be filled with love and joy—but also anxiety, depression, and deep emotional struggle. It's time to talk about it. Women are not alone. Join Co...

Join Cole Caffrey with Special Guests Billy & Joel as they shine a light on Alcohol Awareness Month and share their powerful stories of hope, healing, and long-term recovery. The Impact of Alcohol Use on Individuals and FamiliesDiscuss the physical, emotional, and social effects of alcohol misuse, including how it affects mental health, relationships, and daily life. Tune is as we we discuss:...

Join us as MVPASAP takes action during Alcohol Awareness Month to raise education and awareness about alcohol use and misuse. According to the CDC, approximately 178,000 individuals die each year from excessive alcohol use, highlighting the importance of our collective efforts. In our upcoming LIVE show, "On the Empty Chair," we are honored to host two incredible guests, Matty O'Malley and Corey B...

*** BIG NEWS ***MVPASAP is Beyond thrilled to start this year's "Empty Chair" series with the RED & BLUE First Responders endure and tackle challenges that are thrown at them. Through these experiences, they may find themselves facing wounds that scar the body & the mind, and question if their own experiences and stressors are severe enough to seek health. Join Cole Welch-Caf...

Phil Lahey's next guest for this episode of The Empty Chair is Nikki G. "Like many others, she began using at a young age. It took a while, but she found a 12-step program and started her journey to recovery. I always admired that although she had bumps in the road, she always learned from them and she would come back even more determined. She is an excellent example for those who relapse...

May is Mental Health Awareness MonthJoin Cole Welch-Caffrey and 2 Amazing Guests from Blue Lotus Wellness Center this week to learn of the importance of taking care of your own "mental health". Kimberly Sieper, MS, MBA, LCMHC, MLADC works with individuals experiencing many diverse mental health problems. She will discuss several modalities that assist individuals to achieve optimum menta...

This episode of The Empty Chair is being dedicated in memory of Joy Gallagher. Joy by being a Sponsor was responsible for saving the lives of many young ladies. Unfortunately, the only one she didn’t save was her own. We honor her by bringing in three young ladies who share a sponsorship family of their own. The group includes Steevie Groves as the sponsor and two of her sponsees Brooke Dewhirst a...

Phil Lahey's guest on this week's Empty Chair is Louise Griffin. Louise Griffin is a proud “Lowellian” and the President of Zack’s Team Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the stigma and shame associated with substance use disorder through education, information, and compassionate support. Zack’s Team's primary focus is to enable families who lack financial mean...

Excessive alcohol use accounted for more than 140,000 deaths per year. April is Alcohol Awareness Month. This month is designated to increase public awareness and understanding, reduce stigma and encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. Join Cole P. Welch Caffrey with two amazing guests, Elias & Stella as they share their experience and strength while offe...

Phil Lahey's guest on The Empty Chair is Helen Sheehan. She is the founder and CEO of Emman’s Heart foundation. She organized this effort after the tragic loss of her son to a fentanyl overdose in April 2019 join us as Helen reminisces about Emman and talks of her efforts to combat substance misuse with the hope of preventing other families from suffering a tragic loss. Helen has become a warrior...

Cole Welch-Caffrey hosts this edition of  "The Empty Chair" podcast on both MVPASAP Facebook and the Empty Chair Podcast on YouTube. Joining Cole in this episode are 2 Amazing Guests: Dani Sinclair & Steve Heald. Dani a local police officer for over 20 years and currently assigned to the detective unit for last 4 years at Newburyport PD specializing in sexual assaults.  Recently rece...

Join Phil Lahey for this edition of The Empty Chair as he talks with Keith Keller, author of "Infinite Recovery: A Guide to Freedom from Addiction" Keith is an author, registered nurse, recovery expert, and activist. He has been in recovery from alcohol and polysubstance use disorder for 32 years. He has worked in clinical substance use disorder treatment and community mental health, among other n...

Join Cole Welch-Caffrey, Thursday, February 2, 2023, on The Empty Chair LIVE podcast on both MVPASAP Facebook & The Empty Chair podcast on YouTube as she discusses Gang Prevention and Awareness with former Latin King, Jesus Ruiz. Jesus' story is one of VICTORY and one you do not want to miss.  Hear how he turned his mess into a "Message" that has helped many individuals leave the streets...

Pegasus House is a very special house for young ladies (ages 18-25) suffering from addiction. In this edition, Phil Lahey talks with three young ladies who are residents of that facility. They will tell us about their recovery, their relapses, and their hopes for the future. Please tune in to our live podcasts. Thursday at 6 o'clock let's give some support to these courageous young ladies who hope...

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.  The U.S. Department of State estimates that 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year. Trafficked victims are often beaten and brutalized, raped and sexually abused. Victims also frequently are deprived of adequate food, shelter and sleep.   70 percent are female and 50 percent are children. The m...

Christmas continues this week with the gift of having "Denise Sullivan" as a Special Guest on The Empty Chair. Join Cole Welch-Caffrey in welcoming Denise for a night of recovery, healing, & HOPE!!! Together these women have "81" years of Recovery!! Denise will have "47" years clean & sober on February 12th and has helped countless numbers of men in women along her journey. After 25 years...

Join Phil Lahey and "2" amazing guests this week on "The Empty Chair for the Addict that didn't know recovery was possible" Aaron Goodro from First Baptist Church and Doug Griffin, a father that lost his daughter to an overdose, will be discussing Mercy Street, a group for those not only that lost a loved one, but open to everyone effected by addiction and mental health.

Lisette is a woman in long-term recovery who continues to use her experiences for recovery advocacy. She is currently working with CORE Peer Recovery and Resource Center as the Program Coordinator/Assistant Director. Her passion for advocacy started growing up in a predominately Puerto Rican neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. With the grace of a loving recovery community, she continues her journey of h...

Our next guest is Harold Magoon. He is the Director of the Lawrence Methuen community coalition LMCC was started in 1995 with one part-time position. It has grown to seven full-time employees +3 part-time employees. Please tune in to discover all of the resources and programs they have to offer. MVPASAP is pleased to have them as our partners in our fight against substance misuse. This episode is...

Join Cole P. Welch Caffrey with (2) AMAZING guests on this week's episode of "The Empty Chair, for The Addict That Didn't Know Recovery was Possible".  Marco A. & Shannon L. will share their experience, strength, and offer HOPE to those struggling in active addiction. Marco A. will share how his addiction took him down the path of self-destruction, misery, and despair and how he found the...

Join Phil Lahey with special Guest: Karen Burbank Mcgravey-Gajera as she shares her devastating story of losing her daughter Emma Rose to an accidental overdose this year. Karen hopes to decrease the stigma attached to addiction by sharing her daughter's story with Phil and other families that have a loved one struggling. This is a show you do not want to miss!! Video available on Spotify, MVPASPA...

Join Cole Welch-Caffrey with 2 Amazing Guests: Mike L. & Frankie W! These men will share how they went from the high cost of low living to living the dream, one day at a time. Amazing stories in this episode. It's one you cannot miss! We do RECOVER!

Our New Series is on a roll with Amazing Guests!!! This week, tune in to watch the Founders of Circle Of Hope, Phil & Fran Lahey Fran & Phil will talk about the past 20 years of hosting the Circle of Hope, a family support group for those that have a loved one struggling with addiction. Phil & Fran have 1st hand experience in watching family members struggle with addiction, which was t...

It's RECOVERY MONTH and I can't think of a better way to kick it off than having "2" amazing individuals as my guests on "The Empty Chair!!!!! Join me and my guests, Linda S. and John M, for a night of Recovery, Fun, Laughter, and HOPE!!!!! Linda is not a "first-time winner" per se, but she has proven with SOBRIETY, you can RISE to the TOP.  She believes that the key to staying sober is stayi...

Join founders of MVPASAP for the last show of the season: Tune in to Jenn Burns & Phil Lahey as they discuss the evolution of MVPASAP, and the positive changes it has made in the community. They both will discuss their personal journey in recovery and how they navigated through trials and tribulations while remaining sober. Tune in for a night of recovery & HOPE...