Debbie Saroufim is a body acceptance coach and dives into how diet culture and toxic wellness messaging keeps us stuck. We talk about how body acceptance is body liberation work as well as ways anti-fat bias shows up in healthcare, social settings and in our own inherited biases. Join us if you are interested in unsubscribing from diet culture and building a better relationship with your body, food and movement. 

Debbie children’s book, Fat And Beautiful: A book about why you can be both. You can purchase it on Amazon. Follow along on Debbie’s Instagram page for updates and announcements! IG: @bodyacceptance_coach

Website: https://www.thebodyacceptancecoach.com/

Instagram: @bodyacceptance_coach

You can find Lisa on Instagram @illuminatedrecoverypodcast

Or by email: [email protected]

Join us as Tom and Charity O'Reilly share their journey of co-writing the upcoming book How to Understand and Deal with ADHD. This episode explores the neurobiology of ADHD, effective treatments, societal barriers, and personal perspectives, providing valuable insight for anyone navigating neurodiversity.

This isn’t just about managing ADHD—it's about celebrating a brain that’s wired differently and finding your place in a world not always made for you.

Show Notes:

How To Understand and Deal With ADHD, Everything You Need To Know

Pre Order the book here: 

https://theexperimentpublishing.com/catalogs/summer-2026/how-to-understand-and-deal-with-adhd/

Charity:

https://charityoreilly.com/

On Instagram @teawithtraumatherapist

Tom:
https://thomasoreilly.com/

On Instagram @parts.of.us.coaching

Charity’s podcast:

The Witchy Therapist Podcast

Unmasking Autism book by Devon Price: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688819/unmasking-autism-by-devon-price-phd/

In this solo episode, Lisa shares what’s ahead for the show and opens up about the wide-ranging, deeply connected themes shaping her work right now — from eating disorder recovery, body liberation, and sobriety to ADHD, emotional neglect, fawning, nonviolent communication, and the mind-body connection. She reflects on how healing is often messy, ongoing, and layered, and why so much of this work comes back to shame, authenticity, and learning how to truly come back to ourselves. 

Show Notes:

Charity  O’Reilly: 

https://charityoreilly.com/

On Instagram @teawithatraumatherapist

Tom O’Reilly:

https://thomasoreilly.com/

On Instagram @parts.of.us.coaching

Their new book being released in August 2026:

How to Understand and Deal with ADHD, Everything You Need to Know. 

Anne Marie Cribbin:

https://www.thirstyforwonder.com/

On Instagram @thirstyforwonder

Caroline Sumlin:

https://www.carolinejsumlin.com/

On Instagram @carolinejsumlin

Caroline’s book: We’ll All Be Free

Nonviolent Communication: 

https://www.cnvc.org/

Kina Wolfenstein:

On Instagram @cptsdtherapist

deeptidestherapy.com

Sober Mom Collective:

https://www.sobermomcollective.com/

Dr. Ingrid Clayton:

On Instagram @ingridclaytonphd

https://www.ingridclayton.com/

Christine Dixon:

On Instagram @the_ordinary_sacred

Self-Led Besties!

The foundation for Ralph De La Rosa:

https://www.ralphdelarosafoundation.org/

Please rate and review my show!

This episode, Kara Rabii joins me to deconstruct the systemic oppression of diet culture.  Kara Rabii, MS, RDN, CDN is a registered dietitian, socialist organizer, and founder of Revolutionary Dietetics, a weight-inclusive and anti-diet nutrition practice. We break down: How diet culture perpetuates systemic inequality, the role of capitalism in maintaining weight bias, the importance of systemic analysis for true change, and practical steps to unlearn harmful narratives and build body liberation. She explains why weight and body size do not determine health and how societal pressures—especially on women and marginalized groups—push disordered eating as normalized. Hope you can join us for this vital conversation. 

SHOW NOTES:

Get in touch with Kara Rabbi

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @revolutionarydietetics

Website: https://my.practicebetter.io/#/699b618be64b1f5591a47335/profile

You can find Lisa on Instagram @illuminatedrecoverypodcast

Or by email: [email protected]

This is so much more than a sobriety story! Anne Marie Cribbin joins me to share her sobriety and recovery story and we cover all the things: recovery as an act of liberation, Celtic spirituality, community building, social justice, generational trauma, alcohol in our family systems and perfectionism. Anne Marie is a sober coach and writer who embraces the idea of expansion in recovery.

Whether you’re sober curious, in recovery, or simply seeking a deeper connection with yourself and the world, this episode invites you to see sobriety as an act of love, justice, and radical liberation.

If you are interested in sober coaching, Anne Marie is offering a group coaching session this July. Sober and Sovereign: More Than Dry July. A 4-week group coaching container. 4 Sundays in July. Information and registration is here ⁠https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BCYX9orM0tyJgw9g6Ifjq0t3YFUw9v0UOD-izYyQ8E4/edit?usp=sharing⁠

Resources - 

Spoon Theory created by Christine Miserandino: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory

adrienne maree brown (all lower case): https://adriennemareebrown.net/

Sonya Renee Taylor: https://www.sonyareneetaylor.com/

Susanna Barkataki: https://www.susannabarkataki.com/

Connect with Anne Marie Cribbin:

Website: https://www.thirstyforwonder.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirstyforwonder/

Linktree for links to Wed Wonder Recovery Call, resources, and more: https://linktr.ee/amcribbin

Want to hang out and chat? Virtual Coffee: https://calendly.com/amcribbin/virtual-coffee

The Sober Curator: https://thesobercurator.com/thirsty-for-wonder/

You can find Lisa on Instagram @illuminatedrecoverypodcast

Or by email: [email protected]

In this episode of Illuminated Recovery, Kathy Ziola, a certified NVC trainer and author of Live Compassion, talks about the transformative power of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) which is a practical model for self-connection and communication with others. It  supports compassionate giving and receiving and is used to create a quality of understanding where everyone’s needs matter and people work together to meet those needs peacefully. The intention is to create relationships built upon honesty, authenticity and empathy. She shares how these simple, profound tools can shift your entire mindset — from blame and defensiveness to curiosity and compassion.  With over 35 years of experience as a psychotherapist, group facilitator, and healing arts professional Kathy brings deep understanding and insight into human relationships and personal growth. Applying Nonviolent Communication isn’t just about changing the way you talk; it’s about transforming your internal relationship and your approach to others. When we see each other’s humanity—acknowledging that everyone is doing their best with what they have—we create a foundation for genuine compassion.

Show notes: 

Kathy’s website:

www.nvctrainingsource.com  

www.youtube.com/

Kathy’s email:

@communicationworks1284 

Kathy on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/kathyziola/

Kathy on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/communication-works-nvc/

Kathy on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/comworksconnections  

https://www.facebook.com/kathy.ziola

Kathy Ziola’s Book: Live Compassion

https://nvctrainingsource.com/book/

The Center of Nonviolent Communication:

https://www.cnvc.org/

Marshall Rosenberg’s Book: Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

https://puddledancer.bookstore.ipgbook.com/nonviolent-communication--a-language-of-life--3rd-edition-products-9781892005281.php?page_id=21

You can find Lisa on Instagram @illuminatedrecoverypodcast

Or by email: [email protected]

Many women are conditioned to shrink—to stay small, quiet, and overlooked. Kelly’s journey from rock-bottom to radical self-acceptance reveals how awakening from that cycle of shame, addiction, and societal conditioning can be a game-changer. Her story is a powerful rallying cry for women tired of playing small and ready to step into their true power.  In this episode, Kelly shares the raw, unfiltered truth about her years of alcohol abuse—how she functioned through her addiction, and the pivotal moment that shattered her old identity. We talk about why “functioning” alcoholics are often the most invisible, and what it truly means to recover emotionally and spiritually—not just abstain from drinking.  We break down the importance of de-centering men and fighting the patriarchy and societal conditioning that keep women playing small—especially in midlife. Kelly discusses her journey into authentic sobriety, the lessons learned through therapy and community, and how the process of growth actually gets more exciting, not scarier, with age.

Find Kelly on Instagram @kelz_living_well

And on Substack: @crowsandkindred

Show Notes:

Book: Quit Like A Woman by Holly Whitaker

You can find Lisa on Instagram @illuminatedrecoverypodcast

Or by email: [email protected]

Most of us are unknowingly caught in a web of diet culture, weight stigma, and trauma responses that keep us disconnected from our true selves. In this eye-opening episode, Julie Norman joins Lisa to expose the hidden mechanisms fueling our societal obsession with shrinking and controlling our bodies—and reveal how these patterns are deeply intertwined with trauma, oppressive systems, and collective chaos. Julie has spent 30 years healing — personally and professionally. Beginning as a registered dietitian and now a yoga teacher specializing in recovery, she knows this terrain from the inside out. Together, they dissect the pervasive influence of diet culture, the rise of weight loss medications like GLP-1 drugs, and the insidious role of fawning—an often-overlooked trauma response—that pushes us to conform at the expense of our authenticity. They explore how social pressures, systemic abuse, and internalized shame foster a collective trauma that manifests as diet obsession, weight stigma, and the pursuit of safety through control.

Connect with Julie Norman: 

https://julienormanyoga.com/

On Instagram: @bodykarmahealing

You can find Lisa on Instagram @illuminatedrecoverypodcast

Or by email: [email protected]

SHOW NOTES:

Minnesota starvation study: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment

Fawning by Dr. Ingrid Clayton: https://www.ingridclayton.com/

Nicole Sachs substack article: https://substack.com/@nicolesachslcsw/p-194819019

Good Woman: A Reckoning by Savala Nolan: https://savalanolan.com/

Needy by Mara Glatzel: https://maraglatzel.com/book/

Carly Kilbourne, a licensed therapist, joins me to explore the hidden impacts of childhood emotional neglect and estrangement on adult relationships. Discover how sobriety led her to uncover deep emotional wounds and embrace authenticity. Learn practical tools to unlearn people pleasing behaviors and reconnect with your inner child, set boundaries, and reclaim your power. She brings a grounded, relatable perspective to trauma recovery, reminding us that healing isn’t about becoming someone new; it’s about coming home to who you were before survival took over. Perfect for anyone seeking genuine healing and deeper connections.

Show Notes:

Find Carli on Instagram @authenticaftherapy

Website for therapy: thirdplacetherapy.com

You can find Lisa on Instagram @illuminatedrecoverypodcast

Or by email: [email protected]

Night terrors can be a terrifying experience for both the person experiencing them and their loved ones. If you or someone you know struggles with these distressing episodes, you're not alone. In this episode, Charity O'Reilly, a trauma therapist, shares her personal journey with night terrors, which began in childhood due to trauma. We explore the differences between night terrors and nightmares, delve into personal experiences, and discuss actionable strategies for managing these sleep disturbances which requires a nuanced approach, especially considering their ties to trauma.
SHOW NOTES:CBTI: Cognitive behavioral therapy for Insomnia 

CBTN: Cognitive behavioral therapy for Nightmares

Book by Dr Matthew Walker: “Why We Sleep”

Connect with Charity:

https://charityoreilly.com/

On Instagram @teawithatraumatherapist

Co-author of “You Will Get Through This”

You can find Lisa on Instagram @illuminatedrecoverypodcast

Or by email: [email protected]