Circle of Chairs with Caroline Beidler

In this solo episode, I’m talking honestly about why the season can be so tender and how you can step into it with intention instead of fear. Whether you’re brand new to recovery or, like me, many years into this journey, the holidays still require care. 

The gifts and gatherings can be beautiful, but they can also be loud reminders of the people we were, the pain we walked through, or the coping skills we no longer use.

I share some of the practices that helped me in those early years and still carry me today.

Here’s a glimpse of what we cover:

• Awareness is your first line of defense

Knowing what might be challenging doesn’t make you weak. It makes you wise. Those honest check ins can save you from walking into December unprepared and overwhelmed.

• Movement matters more than we think

Not the move states kind of movement, the move your body kind. A walk outside. A few minutes of stretching. A break from screens. These small rhythms can shift your mood and your mindset.

• Your nervous system needs care too

I share the breathing pattern I return to again and again when I feel that tightness build. It’s simple, calming, and you can use it anywhere, even if it means hiding in the bathroom for two minutes to reset.

• You don’t have to white knuckle family gatherings

If you’re walking into a space filled with old triggers, memories, or relational tension, you are allowed to have a plan. A sober buddy. A phone a friend moment. An exit strategy. Or the freedom to say no entirely.

• Service pulls us out of the spiral

If you feel stuck in your head, reach out. Call someone. Check on a friend. Volunteer. Do something that reminds you that you are needed and connected. Service shifts the story we tell ourselves.

There’s no award for muscling through a holiday you dread. There’s no shame in creating new traditions or protecting your peace. You get to choose what’s right for your recovery this year. You get to honor the progress you’ve made.

So, wherever this season finds you, hopeful, tender, overwhelmed, excited, or a mix of everything, I hope this conversation meets you with compassion and gives you a few tools you can lean on.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, was released Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here. 

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com 

This week on Circle of Chairs Conversations, I’m sitting down with someone whose work has been quietly transforming the lives of women for years. 

Dr Zoe Shaw is an author, clinician, speaker, and powerful voice helping women discover their worth after seasons of hardship, trauma, or recovery.

Her new book, Stronger in the Difficult Places, dives deep into the wounds most of us carry but rarely know how to name. Zoe calls it complex shame. And once you hear her describe it, something inside you exhales because finally, someone puts words to the ache beneath the ache.

Learn more about Zoe’s work at: www.drzoeshaw.com

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, was released Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here. 

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com 

This week on Circle of Chairs Conversations, I’m stepping into the circle myself to reflect on something that’s been on my heart this month: gratitude.

In this intimate episode, I explore how gratitude is more than a fleeting feeling or a checklist item, a practice, a rhythm, and a lens through which we can approach recovery, mental health, and everyday life.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, was released Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here. 

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com 

This week on Circle of Chairs Conversations, I had the privilege of sitting down with bestselling author Jonathon M. Seidl to talk about his brand-new book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic.

Jon’s story is raw, messy, and radically vulnerable. For years, he lived a double life, faithful husband, father, Christian leader on the outside, while secretly battling alcoholism on the inside. But when his carefully constructed world unraveled, Jon found himself at rock bottom, desperate for redemption.

And that’s exactly where God met him.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Jon’s drinking began as a way to numb anxiety and spiraled into addiction
• Why the church often struggles to talk about sanctification in honest terms
• The role of shame in keeping people stuck in cycles of secrecy
• Why Jesus—not perfection—is the way out of hidden struggles
• The four-step transformation process Jon uses to help others find freedom
• How to walk with compassion when leaders and loved ones fall into addiction

About Jonathon M. Seidl

Jonathon (Jon) is a bestselling author, speaker, and storyteller who has written over 10,000 stories throughout his career—from newsrooms to nonprofit leadership to his own books.

He first captured hearts with his debut, Finding Rest, a No. 1 Amazon bestseller on anxiety and OCD. Now, he turns his lens inward in Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic, sharing openly about his hidden addiction and offering a biblical roadmap for transformation.

Jon is also the founder of The Veritas Daily, a daily devotional site, and consults leaders and nonprofits on the power of storytelling. He lives in Texas with his wife, Brett, and their two children.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, was released Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here. 

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com 

This week on Circle of Chairs Conversations, I had the joy of sitting down with Jessica Guerrieri—a proud sober mom of three, award-winning author, and powerful advocate for mental health and recovery. We got to talk about fiction (love), the temptation of trying substances (like cannabis), and motherhood in recovery.

You all, I LOVE this conversation and can’t wait to share it with you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How recovery reshaped her life as a mother and writer
• Our similar thoughts on cannabis (you’ll have to listen to hear more)
• Why vulnerability is a superpower in both art and healing
• The importance of telling hard truths in fiction and nonfiction alike
• What it means to balance sobriety with the challenges of parenting three kids
• Why she believes community—and literature—can help us hold both beauty and brokenness at the same time

About Jessica Guerrieri

Jessica Guerrieri is an award-winning author, essayist, and mother of three. Her debut novel, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, will be released by Harper Muse in 2025. Her second novel, Both Can Be True, follows in May 2026.

Her essays have appeared in People, HuffPost, and Writer’s Digest. She is also a frequent voice in the sobriety and mental health communities, blending vulnerability and wisdom in a way that resonates with readers around the world.

Jessica lives in Davis, California, with her husband, three daughters, and a lively parade of pets.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, was released Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here. 

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com 

This week on Circle of Chairs Conversations, I’m diving into something that’s been on my heart as we celebrate Recovery Month, a topic that gets right to the soul of our healing journey. And I’m going to be real with you…this isn’t an easy conversation to have. But it is a necessary one.

In this week’s episode, I debunk a myth that kept me trapped for a long time. Something harmful that was said to me in early recovery.

If you've ever wondered whether your reason for wanting to heal is “good enough”…

If you've been told you have to want recovery just for yourself…

If you’re feeling worn down by the weight of mental health struggles or addiction…

Friend, this conversation is for you.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, was released Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here. 

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com 

Some people don’t just walk into your life, they pour into it.

For me, that person is Flo Hilliard.

Flo has been more than a mentor. She’s been a trusted friend, a fierce advocate, and a steady light through seasons when hope felt far away. Her decades of work in women’s advocacy and recovery have helped shape not only my path, but the path of so many others fighting for healing and dignity.

Today, Flo continues to lead with bold compassion, working to ensure that women who are pregnant or parenting aren’t criminalized for substance use disorders, but supported with care, dignity, and evidence-based recovery resources.

Her message is clear: Addiction is not a moral failure. It’s a health issue.
And motherhood should never be used as a weapon against women who are trying to heal.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, was released Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here. 

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com 

This week on Circle of Chairs Conversations, I’m sharing a powerful conversation with Nubia Tarango from Mothers Against Addiction.

This mission is deeply personal for Nubia. Having grown up watching her own mother struggle with addiction, she understands the sleepless nights, the fear, and the helplessness that can consume a family. At just 15, she became a mother herself—an experience that shaped her identity, building resilience, responsibility, and a fierce love that fuels everything she does today.

Nubia’s story is a powerful one as she shares about her work with the organization and also her why. Her personal experience to help support hanging lives others, one story, one support group, one mother at a time. 

Addiction doesn’t just affect the person struggling, it impacts the entire family. And for many moms, it can feel like an invisible grief. MAA was created to change that.

Here’s what makes MAA so special:

• Weekly “Mothers Share” Zoom meetings – a safe space where moms gather to cry, laugh, and heal together.
• Hope Mentors – one-on-one calls with a mom who’s walked a similar road.
• Free therapy sessions – no insurance required.
• Guest speaker Saturdays – featuring experts in recovery, grief, and healing.
• “Spread the Red” movement – wearing an MAA shirt becomes a public stand for hope.

MAA reminds us that being a mom in the middle of addiction doesn’t mean you're powerless. It means you are love in action.

🧡 If you or someone you love is facing addiction, you don’t have to go through it alone. Visit mothersagainstaddiction.org to join a meeting, book a session, or simply find hope.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, was released Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here. 

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com 

This week on Circle of Chairs Conversations, I’m diving deep into a topic that feels more urgent than ever: resilience.

If you’ve been feeling worn down by the pace of life, struggling to bounce back from hard seasons, or simply wanting to strengthen your own mental and emotional foundation, this conversation is for you.

As the American Psychological Association puts it, resilience is “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress.” Or as I like to think of it, building the kind of backbone, grit, and perseverance that helps us move forward with courage, even when life feels uncertain.

In this episode, we explore:

• The science of resilience—how trauma impacts the nervous system and what it really means to “self-regulate”
• Practical, evidence-based ways to strengthen your resilience starting today
• How movement, mindfulness, and community connection can help repair what trauma has disrupted
• Why leaning into your feelings—yes, even the hard ones—can be a powerful act of healing
• The link between caring for your physical health and building emotional fortitude

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, was released Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here. 

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com 

In this heartfelt episode of Circle of Chairs, I sit down with Shelly Young to explore the deeply personal and transformative journey of family recovery. Shelly shares the moving story of her son's ten-year recovery milestone, her mother's struggle with alcohol use disorder, and how these experiences led her to immerse herself in the world of addiction treatment. She speaks passionately about breaking the cycle of generational addiction through understanding, connection, and compassion. Shelly emphasizes the importance of community support, contrasting the outdated 'tough love' approach with the more nurturing 'Invitation to Change' model. Her story is a testament to the power of unconditional love and steadfast support in healing. Tune in to discover the inspiring work Shelly is doing with the Chris Atwood Foundation and her latest project— an empowering documentary on family recovery. This episode is a beacon of hope for families navigating the challenging waters of addiction, underscoring that with love and community, recovery is always possible.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:28 Shelly's Personal Journey into Recovery

01:01 Family Dynamics and Generational Addiction

02:27 The Role of Community and Collegiate Recovery

03:41 Facing Addiction and Changing Perspectives

05:06 Understanding and Addressing Stigma

10:20 Invitation to Change vs. Tough Love

16:58 The Power of Community Support

20:27 Shelly's Work and Future Projects

24:57 Conclusion and Gratitude

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, was released Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here. 

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com