SMART Recovery® Podcast

Courtney Anderson insists on having plenty of fun in life. After she quit drinking, she wasn't quite sure what that really meant or how to make it happen. Now 11 years later, Courtney not only continues to have fun in life, she coaches others about how to make the most of their new sober lives.

Courtney's website, https://www.courtneyrecovered.com/, includes links to all kinds of resources. In this podcast, Courtney shares how she ended her "toxic relationship with alcohol" and the key role her rescue cat played. She also talks about her new book and the great satisfaction she gets from hosting her own podcast, Sober Vibes.

September is National Recovery Month and we welcome Keegan Wicks to the podcast. Keegan is the National Advocacy and Outreach Manager for Faces & Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington D.C.

Keegan has worked in the recovery field for 10 years as an advocate and counselor, and has been in long-term recovery since 2009. He works with policy makers and legislators at both state and federal levels and speaks regularly on recovery topics before a variety of organizations.

In this podcast Keegan shares some of his personal story of recovery and what keeps him motivated to work in the field. He also introduces FAVOR's new partner organization, International Recovery Day, and shares the exciting global fireworks planned for September 30th.

Besides being SRUSA's Executive Director, Pete Rubinas is a SMART Family & Friends meeting facilitator. He says he reaps many benefits by joining with others to share experiences and work on developing positive responses to challenging circumstances.

SMART Family and Friends meetings are available both in-person and online, and provide participants with the tools they need to effectively support their loved one, without supporting the addictive behavior.

In this podcast Pete talks about the healing that takes place in meetings and the practice of self-compassion, pointing to the work of Dr. Kristin Neff as a great resource.

For more information about SMART Family & Friends, visit here

Dr. Steven Proctor is the founder and principal consultant of PRO Health Group and a Senior Program Director for Thriving Mind South Florida. He is also a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who has studied and written about Contingency Management programs, most notably in his Annals of Medicine article, Rewarding recovery: the time is now for contingency management for opioid use disorder.

Contingency Management, simply put, is rewarding people, often with money, for achieving their recovery goals. While much research indicates that well-structured and adequately funded Contingency Management programs are successful, barriers persist to widespread adoption. These barriers include outdated attitudes, along with ethical and economic concerns. In this podcast, Dr. Proctor illuminates the issues surrounding Contingency Management and advocates for increased utilization of this important treatment strategy.

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, Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching." In this podcast she describes how paying attention to life in the skies can keep us firmly grounded in a positive life here on earth.

For more information about Tammah and her new book, visit HERE

Dr. Alison 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 things out, we can make things better.

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 kinds of physical illnesses in terms of acceptance and treatment.

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 connection and transformed lives.

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 filled with practical tools for combating addictions of all kinds.

In this podcast Micheal talks about how changing our thinking can change our lives, how motivation is the key to long-term recovery, and why being bold and direct is the best way for him to facilitate meetings.