Today we welcome Dr David McLaughlan to the show. David always had his sights set on a medical career, but did a bit of modelling in his earlier days. Working with a variety of people reinforced his values of being a kind and compassionate person, (so-called ‘soft skills’) and helps him engage with patients today.  Now one of the UK's leading addiction psychiatrists, David has contributed to international treatment guidelines, academic journals as well as mainstream media outlets....

This week we hosted the incredible host of the Hurt to Healing podcast, Pandora Morris. A former lawyer turned mental health activist, Pandora’s journey began in childhood, facing OCD and an eating disorder that manifested through restrictive eating and chronic over-exercising.  Much like obsessive behaviour often linked to addiction, Pandora would regularly run at least twenty miles a day, take midnight bike rides and start her days with a swim in the sea - an activity which once saw her...

This week, we welcome former professional footballer turned successful entrepreneur Andy Ramage. After a career-ending injury, Andy pivoted to create two financial brokerages and soon discovered that his life changed dramatically when he decided to go alcohol-free. This decision not only transformed his health and mindset but also became his unique selling point, helping him stand out in a competitive business market.  The coaching initiatives that Andy has created have collectively helped...

This week we are super excited to welcome Ollie Ollerton onto the show. You might know Ollie from the British television programme SAS: Who Dares Wins? Ollie is not only a former Marine, SAS soldier, and Special Forces Combat Frogman, he's also an author of five books and the CEO of Breakpoint and Battle Ready Academy, two powerful physical and mental training academies.  Ollie’s personal breakthrough arrived once he worked up the courage to put booze and drugs behind him. Finding himself at...

In this episode, Paul sits down with addiction expert Elliott Wald. Elliott is a trainer of NLP and is recognized as one of the world’s leading hypnosis experts. Speaking about the gradual and often unnoticed slide into cocaine addiction, Paul shares his personal experience of how his casual use turned into a debilitating habit, mirroring the stories of many who struggle with addiction. With over 29 years of professional experience and having helped over a hundred thousand people to overcome...

This week, we have the privilege of hearing Carol’s incredible journey, which began with unspeakable abuse and neglect she faced from a very young age. In an attempt to escape trauma and hardship, Carol turned to drugs and alcohol but eventually found sobriety at the age of 51. In her conversation with Paul, Carol opens up about everything from drinking in parks and getting into fights to the deep regret she feels over missing large parts of her children’s younger years due to addiction....

Today is World Mental Health Day, and we are incredibly fortunate to welcome Penny Mallory to the show. Penny is a Mental Toughness expert, former Rally Champion, motivational and TedX speaker, and currently training to row across the Atlantic Ocean. She’s no stranger to pushing boundaries—she even stepped into the boxing ring for the first time at the age of 42. While you may be captivated by her incredible journey, Penny will convince you that she’s not special—just an ordinary person who...

A little something for our younger listeners this week! Today’s guest Henry Lunn found sobriety when he was just 25 years old. This may seem early, but just wait until you hear all he accomplished by the time he was twenty. After experiencing challenges in school and with his home life, Henry started his professional career as a teenager and started earning a lot of money very quickly and at a very young age. With some heartracing anecdotes to illustrate his downward spiral, Henry describes...

We would like to advise you that there are suicide references right from the start of this episode that some might find troubling. Please take care when listening.   This week, Paul welcomes his close personal friend Michael Cannan. Michael is the author of Hunting Concrete Lines, which was the finalist for the Best Book Award for The Independent. Formerly a celebrity fitness trainer in Hollywood, Michael is the founder of a behavioural health company in California. There are a lot of shared...

This week special guest Professor David John Nutt helps us to examine the impact alcohol has on our brains, behaviour and longer term health. We have an eye-opening conversation about how monitored doses of LSD may cure alcoholism, how many subsidised private bars are actually part of the UK Houses of Parliament and the alternative ‘functional beverages’ which might just replace alcohol altogether. Professor Nutt is an English neuropsychopharmacologist who’s controversial removal from the...

This week, we welcome Johnny Graaff, co-founder of Lions Campus, which is a teen rehabilitation centre in London. Johnny approaches recovery in a unique way, creating a community around each individual, using psychiatrists, doctors, mentors, and coaches. He’s had some incredible success helping young people overcome addiction,  eating disorders and bullying. A firm believer in surrounding patients with inspirational role models, Johnny has six years of sobriety behind him and endless...

This week, Paul engages in a deeply personal conversation with therapist Andrea Taylor. A former manager and director of the Priory Group Hospitals, Andrea has over 25 years of experience and is currently running a successful private practice specialising in trauma, addiction, and couples therapy. Andrea's own journey has taken her far and wide, but wherever she travelled, drug and alcohol dependency followed. From a tumultuous childhood in Hong Kong to desperately trying to control her...

Join Paul as he discusses the tough road to recovery with his friend Yasmin. From a childhood in Northeast London to a reckless young adult life in and around Southern California, Yasmin has a long history of trauma, addiction and dangerous behaviour. She has not only overcome bulimia and alcoholism but has also addressed her reliance on prescription medications. Yasmin eloquently reveals the terror she felt when facing giving up drinking alcohol, which she thought was the only way to bring...

This episode is a real eye-opener, packed full of valuable insight into a bit of the psychology around addiction.  Joining Paul today is addiction and trauma therapist Anita Chellamah. With a contagious laugh and a general ease around her, it is clear why Anita is the trusted therapist she is, having helped thousands to understand themselves and their behaviours better. After a successful stage, TV and film career and with a slew of hit singles under her belt, there’s not much out there that...

You might know her from the award-winning band Liberty X, part of the BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning cast of The Real Full Monty, as a TV presenter or as a menopause advocate and author but what you might not know about Michelle Heaton is that she is recovering from a difficult battle with alcohol and drugs. Addressing behaviour that quickly escalated from social partying to regularly drinking vodka in the mornings, Michelle committed to a 12-step recovery programme. In this mutually intimate...

Genuine charmer, spinner of yarns and ex-gangster Michael Emmett talks about his autobiography Sins of Fathers, the ‘hole in the soul’ and his spiritual awakening whilst sharing a prison cell with his father. Ex-criminal Michael also shares shocking anecdotes about drug trafficking, car chases, death and love addiction. The stories are intense but Michael’s gentle soul is an inspiration. This episode contains references to sexual abuse so please take care when listening. If you or someone...

In this episode, we are excited to host Paul’s close personal friend Jo Langley on the podcast. Paul talks to Jo about idolising an alcoholic, maintaining sobriety and the first time she tried ecstasy. Now a mother of two teenage children and an ambassador for the Stride Foundation, Jo spends a lot of time speaking to young people about the realities and dangers of drug and alcohol use. Jo entered her recovery journey with the intention to be able to ‘drink like a lady’ only to realise that...

The podcast’s first guest interview is world-renowned DJ and award-winning author Fat Tony who has been sober for 17.5 years...but the road to sobriety wasn't easy. Growing up, alcoholism had a huge impact on Tony's family life and it continued to affect him throughout his adult life. Having always been surrounded by drinking and drugs, Tony's reliance on them was exacerbated during his career as a DJ. Fat Tony opens up to Paul about the key moments that shaped his life and informed his...

Season 1 of This Is Powerful kicks off with an intimate solo episode in which Paul shares an overview of his own story. Expect behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his life, which reveal details Paul has kept private up until now. Coming clean to his producer about his struggles with addiction and the less glamorous aspects of his career as a top model in the 90s, Paul opens up about fame, addiction and life after drugs. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty...

Anyone can be affected by addiction…it does not discriminate.  “This is Powerful” is a brand new podcast hosted by distinguished British model and mindset coach, Paul Sculfor. In this series, Paul comes clean about his own sobriety and the journey it took him to get here. Over the first eight episodes, Paul sits down with a variety of professionals in the field of addiction as well as special guests who candidly talk about their stories, how they achieved sobriety and how they maintain...