Rachel Quast is a Master's level counselor, author, national speaker, and counseling group leader. Surviving anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and spiritual and family trauma paved the path for her career in counseling. Rachel specializes in eating disorders, emotional eating, relationship struggles, issues with faith and spirituality, and depression and anxiety. 

Because of her life experience, she has a heart to help others through their healing journey. She is the founder of SHED (Self-Healing through EDucation) where she offers individual counseling, health coaching, and group counseling.

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The Episode Short is back for our brief mid-summer break! In this bite sized episode format, you’ll hear audio clips from one of our favorite episodes.

This week you'll hear short clips from Mike McAllister's story which was originally shared in Season 2 Episode 39. You'll hear Mike discuss feeling like his skin was too tight as a child. He'll share a crazy story of how is dad got him out of a place for troubled youth, and you'll hear how Mike finally reached a place where he could be honest with himself and honest with others at the beginning of his recovery journey. 

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The Episode Short is back for our brief mid-summer break! In this bite sized episode format, you’ll hear audio clips from one of our favorite episodes.

This week, we’re sharing clips from Jodie Sweetin who melted our hearts and made us laugh for eight years as cherub-faced, goody-two-shoes middle child Stephanie Tanner. In this episode short, we share clips covering everything from her childhood anxiety, to self-sabotage, to adoption, to what her sobriety journey has entailed thus far.

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The Episode Short is back for our brief mid-summer break! In this bite sized episode format, you’ll hear audio clips from one of our favorite episodes.

This week, we’re going all the way back to the beginning by featuring our very own Ashley Loeb Blassingame. You’ll hear three clips from Season 1 Episode 1 including why Ashley calls cocaine the drug of more, how a meth induced hallucination turned into a beautiful story of restoring relationships after finding recovery, and how Ashley realized there was fun in recovery after going to her first Southern California AA meeting. 

Episode Resources

Connect with Ashley Loeb Blassingame

• Ashley's Instagram | @ashleyloebblassingame

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Producer Christiana Kimmich is back for this After the Episode. CK and Ashley Jo review clips from the stories of Don Cummins, Lyon Herron, Titus Gardner, and Alison Haase. 

E106 | Don Cummins

Don Cummins is a bank robber turned bank software developer. At a young age, he witnessed the tragic suicide of a family friend. Throughout this ATE, CK and AJB review the story Don shared and discuss ways to navigate difficult conversations - especially as parents. 

E107 | Lyon Herron 

Lyon Herron is a fifth generation Angelino who was born with Gardner Syndrome. CK and ABJ review a clip where Lyon talks about using pain meds to cope with pain. They also provide listeners with a medical update to share how Lyon is doing today.

E109 | Titus Gardner

As Titus Gardner entered a life of recovery, he began discovering different areas of his life that needed healing. You'll hear a clip where Titus talks about discovering an area that needed healing that he was not at all aware of. CK and AJB discuss the beauty of recovery as you walk through each different layer. 

E110 | Alison Haase

Alison Haase is an author who discusses the pitfalls of her addiction to drugs, alcohol, work, food, and people. In the After the Episode, you'll hear a clip where Alison discusses the first time she met a sexy, savvy, female alcoholic.

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Alison is an author, athlete, and recovery advocate. Her success comes from rising above the ashes and pitfalls of addictions which included drugs, alcohol, work, food, and people pleasing. This inspired her to take hold of her own journey and quit using external validation to fill her deep wounded soul. Using fitness, 12 steps, community, hard work, and accountability as her catalysts for change, she has since maintained nearly two decades of sobriety. Alison wrote her first book, ‘The Addict in Aisle 7’, to shine a light on the stigma that is both addiction and recovery, and to help women quit shaming themselves and step into their fullest potential.

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Titus Gardner was born in Portchester, NY and raised by a man who he later found out was not his biological father. This news devastated Titus and he found himself in the throes of an identity crisis. Later in life, when he was a teenager, both of his parents were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, a disease that ultimately ended both of their lives. 

Following the death of his parents, Titus found himself on the streets as a high level drug dealer who 'always had a place to stay.' Alcohol became his outlet to cope with the stress life threw his way. It wasn’t until March 31, 2020 that Titus began a journey of self-healing and recovery. He has since started an Instagram account to encourage and help others to find strength and share their stories. 

Titus currently serves as the Vice President for a Fortune 1000 company overseeing the Arizona market. When he’s not working or connecting with others in recovery, Titus enjoys spending time with his wife and children.

Connect with Titus Gardner

• Titus' Instagram | @tmgmotivation

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Dr. Louise Stanger focuses on strength-based solutions and invitational change. As the 2019 Interventionist of the year, she is not only an Ivy League Award winner but also an educated social worker, author, internationally renowned clinician, and speaker on mental health, addiction, process disorders, and chronic pain. She has performed thousands of family interventions throughout the United States and abroad. 

In addition to her years of experience, Dr. Louise is a published author whose work covers a range of topics including mental health, substance abuse, and well-being, the opioid epidemic, marijuana and other drugs, parenting, high wealth clients, finding happiness, spirituality, failure to launch, chronic pain and pain management, family and many more. Her latest book, Addiction in the Family: Helping Families Navigate Challenges, Emotions, and Recovery (2020) is a #1 bestseller on Amazon. 

Dr. Louise lives in Marina Del Rey with her husband John and their doodles, Teddy and CoCo. Together, they have 7 grandchildren ranging from kindergarten to a senior in college. In her free time Dr. Louise loves having overnights with grandchildren swimming, soul cycling, and traveling.

Episode Resources

• Dr. Louise's Books Addiction in the Family, Learn to Thrive, Falling Up: A Memoir of Renewal, Aging & Addiction: The Silver Tsunami, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Intervention: A Collective Strategy | allaboutinterventions.com/books/

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Online Support Meetings

• View Lionrock.life's comprehensive meeting schedule here, and find a meeting to join today!

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Lyon Herron is a fifth generation Angeleno whose family first came to LA in the late 1800’s. At the young age of 7, Lyon was diagnosed with Gardner Syndrome, an extremely rare disease that puts individuals at high risk for developing colorectal cancer and desmoid tumors. Lyon was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer and embarked on a healing journey that included a variety of conventional and alternative treatment methods. He has had countless surgeries, including the removal of a six pound tumor, stem cell therapy, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and traveled near and far to see the top doctors in the world. 

Somewhere along the way, Lyon discovered the power of drugs and alcohol, began feeling he was invincible, and found himself entrenched in addiction. Lyon committed to sobriety after his health took a turn for the worse. Throughout his healing journey, he has discovered how to harness the power of the mind realizing that our bodies can often endure much if our mind allows. While his battle with Gardner Syndrome is ongoing, he is surrounded by an amazing community of people who provide ongoing support. Lyon ultimately knows that his suffering will help others.

Episode Resources

Connect with Lyon

• Lyon's Instagram | @lyon_herron

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Online Support Meetings

• View Lionrock.life's comprehensive meeting schedule here, and find a meeting to join today!

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Our Pride month bonus episode features School of Rock child star Rivkah Reyes. 

Rivkah Reyes (they/them) is a Filipina-Jewish actor, writer, musician, comedian and self-acceptance warrior from Chicago. Riv has been performing since the age of 4 and made their film debut as Katie in the beloved film School of Rock in 2003. Since then, Riv has performed in plays, sketch revues, TV, and film all over the country. They currently reside in Los Angeles and spend their days writing and hosting a podcast called Where Are We Now?

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Coffee, Coffee Alternatives, & Support Meetings

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