Recovery Centered Podcast | Real Talk on Recovery & Mental Health

Recovery doesn't always begin in a treatment center. Sometimes it starts on a sidewalk, in an abandoned building, or with someone simply refusing to give up on another human being.

In this episode of Recovery Centered, Tim Roberto is joined by Stacy and Dave of Recovery Advocates, a nonprofit that meets people struggling with addiction exactly where they are—on the streets, in hospitals, in courtrooms, and wherever hope feels hardest to find.

Drawing from their own lived experience in recovery, Stacy and Dave explain why trust comes before treatment and why lasting recovery is built through consistent human connection.

In this conversation, they discuss:

• Why recovery begins with connection, not confrontation
• Street outreach and meeting people where they are
• Building trust with people experiencing homelessness and addiction
• Working alongside law enforcement to create pathways into treatment
• The role of peer support in long-term recovery
• How opioid settlement funding is helping expand community-based recovery services
• The importance of staying with people long after they enter treatment
• Why lived experience can become one of the greatest tools for helping others

They also share their own recovery journeys, how addiction transformed their lives, and why they believe no one should ever be counted out—no matter how many times they've relapsed or how hopeless their situation may seem.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, this conversation is a reminder that recovery is possible, and that sometimes one person willing to keep showing up can change everything.

In this episode of Recovery Centered, Tim Roberto sits down with Captain Jim Heisler, an Army medic, fire captain, and advocate for first responder mental health. Jim shares how the loss of a mentor to suicide transformed the way he thinks about leadership, vulnerability, and supporting those who serve others.

Together they discuss:

• Why first responder mental health requires cultural change—not just awareness
• The lasting impact of losing a colleague to suicide
• Building trust before asking firefighters to seek help
• Creating wellness programs that address mental, physical, and emotional health
• Leading the next generation through curiosity instead of command
• Why great leaders invest in people before the mission

Jim also reflects on his own commitment to lifelong learning, his pursuit of a PhD, and why leadership is ultimately about leaving the profession—and the people in it—better than you found them.

Whether you're a first responder, healthcare professional, leader, or someone supporting a loved one in public service, this conversation offers practical insight into resilience, purpose, and the courage to ask for help.

If this conversation resonates with you or someone you know, don't wait to reach out. Sometimes one conversation can change everything.

When a child struggles with addiction, the entire family is affected.

In this episode of Recovery Centered, Tim Roberto sits down with Kim Porter and Michelle, two advocates whose personal experiences with addiction in their families led them to help thousands of other parents navigate similar challenges. Both women share the fear, confusion, and isolation they experienced while trying to save their children, and how learning about addiction, boundaries, and family recovery changed their lives.

Kim discusses her son's journey into addiction and his eventual recovery, which inspired her to help launch Be a Part of the Conversation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education, support, and family recovery. Michelle shares the story of her daughter's battle with alcohol addiction, the toll it took on her family, and the lessons she learned about letting go, setting boundaries, and finding support from other parents who understood what she was going through.

Together, they explore why addiction is often called a family disease, how parents can unintentionally protect addiction while trying to protect their loved one, and why recovery is possible not only for the individual, but for the entire family system.

Whether you're a parent, spouse, sibling, or friend of someone struggling with substance use, this episode offers practical guidance, hope, and reassurance that you don't have to face it alone.

Three years ago, Charles arrived at treatment feeling defeated, ashamed, and uncertain about his future. After decades of alcohol use and a twenty-year meth addiction, he had reached a point where the life he was living was no longer sustainable. In this candid conversation, Charles sits down with host Tim Roberto to reflect on the moments that changed everything—from asking for help and entering treatment, to finding a sponsor, making amends, and rebuilding trust with the people he loves most.

Charles shares how recovery taught him accountability, vulnerability, and the importance of doing things he didn't want to do. He discusses sponsorship, the power of community, repairing family relationships, and what life looks like today as a trusted husband, father, grandfather, and mentor to others in recovery.

This episode is a reminder that recovery is possible, that people can change, and that sometimes the most important step is surrendering the idea that you can do it alone.

In this episode of Recovery Centered, Tim Roberto sits down with registered dietitian and soon-to-be PhD Marianne Walsh for a wide-ranging conversation about nutrition, mental health, recovery, and the small habits that create lasting change. Marianne shares her personal experiences with ADHD, anxiety, motherhood, and burnout, while explaining how proper nourishment can support emotional well-being, recovery from addiction, and overall quality of life.

Together, they explore the dangers of nutrition misinformation, the influence of social media "experts," the importance of meeting basic needs before pursuing bigger goals, and why consistency matters more than perfection. The conversation also touches on purpose, self-esteem, relationships, recovery, and learning to build a life based on what truly works for you—not what others say you should be doing.

Whether you're navigating recovery, looking to improve your health, or simply trying to find more balance in a noisy world, this episode offers practical wisdom and a refreshing reminder that meaningful change often begins with the smallest steps.

What happens when recovery becomes the foundation for an entirely new life?

In this episode of Recovery Centered, Tim Roberto sits down with longtime friend Jared B., a veteran, entrepreneur, father, and person in long-term recovery whose journey is a testament to perseverance and personal growth. Jared shares his experience growing up in a home affected by alcoholism, finding recovery at 23, navigating divorce after a decade of sobriety, confronting unresolved childhood trauma, and ultimately taking the leap to start his own business.

The conversation explores the realities of mental health, therapy, fatherhood, entrepreneurship, and the courage it takes to keep showing up when life gets difficult. Jared also discusses helping his father find recovery, breaking generational cycles, and learning that true strength often comes from vulnerability rather than self-reliance.

This episode is a powerful reminder that healing isn't about perfection—it's about continuing to move forward, one day at a time

Dr. Kate Smith, DSW, LCSW, joins the podcast to share her progression from early struggles with addiction to becoming a clinician, leader, and doctoral-level expert in trauma-informed care. Drawing from both lived experience and over a decade in the field, she offers a grounded perspective on what recovery actually requires—and what it does not promise.

The conversation examines the long-term realities of sobriety, including continued exposure to pain, stress, and life challenges without numbing. Dr. Smith discusses how trauma reshapes the brain and nervous system, why many individuals remain stuck in the past, and the sustained effort required to build new patterns of thinking and behavior.

Additional focus areas include clinician burnout, the psychological toll of working in treatment settings, and the gap between academic training and real-world practice. Dr. Smith also addresses stigma around asking for help—particularly among high-risk groups like first responders—and outlines the importance of vulnerability, discomfort, and consistency in long-term recovery.

Themes include trauma, identity, resilience, addiction, clinician fatigue, and the practical application of recovery principles in both personal and professional contexts.

Stephanie Weiss, an integrative wellness professional and soon-to-be licensed mental health counselor, joins the podcast to discuss her path from personal training to clinical work. She shares how years of working with clients in physical transformation revealed deeper mental health challenges, leading her back to counseling.

The conversation focuses on the connection between physical health and emotional recovery, the role of discipline and consistency, and why vulnerability remains a barrier for many people struggling with addiction and mental health. Stephanie also outlines her work with high-performing individuals who often lack safe spaces to process stress, and how she approaches care through a holistic, individualized framework.

Themes include recovery, identity, high-achiever burnout, the importance of movement in healing, and the practical reality of building a career in the mental health field. The episode closes with a direct message: ask for help and do not quit.

Natalia German, LMHC, focuses her work on first responders—law enforcement, firefighters, and dispatchers—addressing the cumulative trauma that develops from repeated exposure to high-intensity events. Drawing from both professional training and personal proximity to the field, she outlines how trauma presents differently in this population, particularly through disrupted sleep, avoidance patterns, and delayed emotional processing.

The discussion centers on what happens after the call—when the immediate crisis ends but the psychological impact remains. Natalia explains how many first responders operate in cycles of high activation followed by abrupt disengagement, often without structured decompression. Over time, this pattern contributes to burnout, emotional numbing, and increased suicide risk.

She introduces treatment approaches including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and EMDR, emphasizing efficiency and physiological regulation. The goal is not to erase memory, but to remove the physical and emotional intensity attached to it. The conversation also highlights the importance of cultural competence—clinicians must understand the operational realities and internal culture of first responders or risk losing credibility and trust.

Additional focus areas include:

• Why first responders often avoid care until symptoms escalate
• The role of peer support and informal “kitchen table” conversations
• Sleep disruption as a primary indicator of unresolved trauma
• Exposure-based approaches to reduce avoidance behaviors
• The limits of willpower in trauma and addiction
• Therapist self-care and secondary trauma management

Natalia positions accessibility and trust as central to effective care—meeting first responders where they are, both physically and psychologically.

Mary Young Olitzky, LMHC, brings nearly three decades of clinical experience and long-term personal recovery into a grounded discussion on what therapy actually looks like beyond textbooks. She explains how addiction operates despite insight, why “one day at a time” remains clinically relevant, and how genetics, environment, and lived experience interact in substance use and mental health.

The conversation examines therapist development in real conditions—learning directly from clients, managing uncertainty, and recognizing patterns that are not taught in training. Mary outlines the role of intuition, the limits of academic preparation, and the necessity of ongoing self-work for clinicians. She also addresses difficult realities, including client suicide, relapse cycles, and the emotional burden of long-term care.

Her book, A Therapist’s Little Guide to Sanity, is positioned as both a practical framework and a reflection on the profession—covering burnout, boundaries, and the unpredictable nature of treatment work. The discussion emphasizes that meaningful change often comes from small, repeatable actions rather than insight alone.