Tammah Watts is a licensed therapist, certified outdoor guide, and SMART Recovery facilitator in San Diego. Her active lifestyle came to a screeching halt after an unexpected health condition left her homebound. Discouraged and in despair, one day she was surprised by a moving encounter with a small bird. Now she's written a wonderful book that shares lessons from the new direction her life took as a result of embracing the world of birdwatching.   Tammah's book is titled, "Keep Looking Up,...

Dr. Allison Beck is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist based in the School of Psychology, University of Wollongong in Australia. Her recent work includes research on the effects of online SMART Recovery meetings during the pandemic in Australia. It turns out that many individuals got great benefits from participating, and the Australian government's financial support made a difference.  In this podcast Alison talks about her love of research and belief that by finding...

Carolyn Straub moderates a thriving online community for those interested in SMART on the social media platform Reddit. She enjoys helping others engage around how much SMART's tools and resources help those seeking recovery from addiction. In this podcast, Carolyn also shares her personal journey of recovery, which she wrote about in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry in the essay Mind On Fire.     

The Greater Cleveland Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI GC) has spent years providing education and advocacy on behalf of individuals and families affected by mental health conditions. Increasingly, substance use disorders co-occur in many persons, making treatment more complex. In this podcast NAMI GC Executive Director Katie Jenkins and Hispanic Outreach and Education Coordinator Monica Olivera discuss their work to bring mental health issues to parity with other...

Killian Noe and Dr. Ruby Takushi co-founded the first Recovery Cafe in Seattle in 2004, envisioning a healing space for people who have experienced trauma like homelessness, substance use disorder, addiction and other mental health challenges. Today there are more than 60 cafes that work together as part of the Recovery Cafe Network across the U.S. and Canada. In this podcast Killian and Ruby describe the early days of their movement and how cafes have  grown into places of authentic...

Michael Werner is a chemist by background and a philosopher by disposition. He was also the President of the American Humanist Association at the time they were looking for a secular recovery alternative to highlight, and that was how he eventually learned about and fell in love with SMART. Michael has facilitated thousands of SMART meetings and believes at least one thing with all his heart: everyone can recover. He is the author of the recently published Quit Your Addiction Now, a book...

Dave Howard is a SMART Facilitator in Poway California. He spent years going to 12-Step recovery meetings before finding SMART. Now he is convinced that what SMART offers can help anyone seeking recovery no matter what perspective they bring to the table. In this podcast Dave talks about his almost 20 years of drug and alcohol misuse, reaching a crisis point in recovery, deciding to become a certified addiction counselor, and why he thinks SMART's practical tools are magic.

Nonie Sims has facilitated SMART meetings for 14 years in Tucson Arizona. Nonie knew that SMART Recovery was the right fit for her in the first 10 minutes of her first meeting. Now she spends her time making sure others get a chance to see if it's the right recovery pathway for them too. 

Jay Phillips is the Executive Director and Board President of Seed Sower, Inc., a provider of housing and other support services for women recovering from substance use disorders in West Virginia. In this podcast Jay talks about his awakening to the great need for recovery services, the decision to leave a comfortable job and commit to a new path in life, the concept of recovery ecosystems, and the daily inspiration he gets from witnessing change in action.   

Newly minted SMART Recovery facilitator Tracy Gryp and her mentor Rick Kuplinski share their personal SMART journey and how they created better lives for themselves through the program. In the spirit of paying it forward, they now work together to bring the best support group meetings possible to their meeting participants.  

Mary Beth O'Connor went from running from the law as a methamphetamine abuser to handing down the law as a judge. Now twenty nine years in recovery, Mary Beth chronicles her incredible story in her new memoir,  From Junkie to Judge: One Woman's Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction.   In this episode, Mary Beth talks about her perspective on multiple pathways to recovery, her work for LifeRing Secular Recovery and She Recovers Foundation, why she claims "Junkie" as part of her identity, and the...

As SMART's Director of Meetings and Volunteers, Melina Gilbert often gets to experience a volunteer meeting facilitator's passion for what they do, and that makes her feel very fortunate. To keep that energy moving, Melina and her team are currently working hard on helping facilitators grow their skills by making the Facilitator Mentoring Program bigger and better. In this podcast, Melina talks about the purpose, benefits, and future of the Facilitator Mentoring Program, including how...

The question of an individual's ability to control a substance or behavioral addiction has been long-debated. More than 20 years ago Dr. Jeffrey Schaler made his stance clear in his book Addiction is a Choice. Dr. Schaler remains steadfast in his conclusion that addiction is a behavior and behaviors are choices. The existential therapist and former professor at both American and Johns Hopkins Universities continues writing, speaking and advocating against the medicalization of addiction...

Gee Matamoros' journey to recovery included some very dark passages. Now he travels a brighter road, and insists on enjoying life as much as possible. Fortunately for us, one of the things he enjoys most is spreading the word about SMART.     In this podcast, Gee talks about: How his substance misuse and poor choices landed him in a psychiatric ward Why his life was everything to the extreme Walking the tight rope of his identity and doing what he was told Using substances to cover and...

Dr. Stanton Peele is a lawyer, professor, psychologist, psychotherapist, and author. Of all of these titles, he’s probably best known as an advocate and pioneer in the addiction and treatment world. His new memoir, A Scientific Life on the Edge: My Lonely Quest to Change How We See Addiction, is his 16th book that tackles addiction issues.     In this podcast, Stanton talks about: The reaction from when his first book, Love and Addiction, was published advocating a new way to...

Johnny Allison’s substance use started as a way to cope with the trauma of war and chaos of military life. His recovery started as a way to become the soldier and person he knew he was and could be. Today, he is a Veteran, SMART Facilitator, and the Lead of the SMART UK Veterans Program. In this podcast, Johnny talks about: What motivated him to join the British Army The ties between his boxing career and serving in the military Why his substance use started and not understanding what was...

Years ago, Brett Macdonald and his friends had the time of their lives backpacking across Australia. After many conversations, they realized that heavy alcohol use had become a staple in their lives. This led them to creating a “sober competition” to see who could abstain from drinking the longest. From this, a global fundraising and awareness initiative was born. Brett is now the Managing Director of EzyRaise, a global fundraising platform, whose campaigns include Dry July Australia, Take on...

Katie Lain is the co-founder of Thrive Alcohol Recovery, an organization that uses the Sinclair Method to help treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). Katie struggled a decade trying to get her drinking under control, but no programs or treatments worked. In searching the internet for answers, she found a TedX featuring Claudia Christian, How I Overcame Alcoholism, and thought what she was saying was too good to be true. Developed by Dr. David Sinclair, the Sinclair Method works by taking...

September is National Recovery Month, but many advocates point out we can certainly recognize recovery year-round, including Keegan Wicks. He is the National Advocacy and Outreach Manager for Faces & Voices of Recovery. He works to ensure that the recovery spectrum of services is available and funded for anyone who needs them. In this podcast, Keegan talks about: Why it’s okay to say “Happy” Recovery Month How Recovery Month started and has changed throughout the years His personal...

David Koss, JD, is a member of the SMART Recovery Board of Directors and the Director of Government Relations. In his role as director, David monitors what the federal government is doing in terms of addiction and recovery legislation, and advocates for SMART and people with substance use disorders. David works directly with members of Congress to pass legislation that helps those with substance use disorders receive the care and treatment they need and deserve. For example, the recently...

Pam Mulready’s “destruction of choice” started IN her freshman year and continued throughout college. While her friends were graduating, she was in rehab. This was not how she thought her life was supposed to go. Eventually, though, it put her on a path to recovery and led to helping teens and young adults going through the same experiences. Today, Pam is a licensed mental health and addiction recovery counselor, working as a Project Coordinator at Youth Recovery CT and as a SMART Recovery...

Mercy Bell’s relationship with alcohol started in college as a way to thwart the uneasiness she felt inside. It led her to a “recovery or else” situation. She used multiple paths and experiences along her journey to recovery. Today, Mercy is the co-owner of Sober Voices and Sourcing Voices, with Alyssa Hart. Their mission is “to amplify and celebrate all voices and all experiences on the journey of recovery and mental health”, especially college students, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC. In this podcast,...

Alex Colyer realized she really didn’t know about addiction and recovery after losing her best friend Reed McGregor to an overdose in January 2021. To honor Reed’s memory and legacy, Alex started the Albertus Project, a nonprofit organization that is transforming the way the world views addiction. In this podcast, Alex talks about: Holding old, stigmatized views of addiction—without knowing the truth What Reed McGregor meant to so many people around the world How the world doesn’t show...

Steve Kind of Mankato, Minnesota, is a SMART Facilitator and new SMART employee. His alcohol struggles began in high school and continued into adulthood. After his second DUI, he was about to lose everything, including his wife. Then an open-minded, forward-thinking counselor suggested he look into SMART as a new path to recovery. Now he is living his Life Beyond Addiction.   In this podcast, Steve talks about: His struggle with alcohol addiction and the 12-Step recovery process How...

Courts everywhere have mandated that secular, evidence-based addiction treatments, like SMART Recovery, must be offered to individuals as alternatives to 12-Step and other faith-based programs, if they so choose. Much of this is largely thanks to the tireless work of individuals like Sarah Levin. Sarah is founder and principal of Secular Strategies, a firm specializing in defending the separation of church and state, advocating for religious freedom for all, and empowering nonreligious...