From professional actor, through extraordinary personal growth, to ordained Buddhist priest, his service to others kept focus on his sobriety. 

Tom Ratcliffe was born in London and trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His early life followed the familiar arc of a working actor, but then his encounter with legendary American acting teacher Sanford Meisner in the early ‘90s not only reshaped his craft but ignited his search for truth and his dedication to mindfulness and acceptance.

From working in the Calais Jungle, to caring for family through illness, loss, and relapse, Tom’s story is one of radical compassion born from chaos. Now retired from teaching, he stands at another threshold. In this raw and intimate conversation between two friends, Tom reflects on what it truly means to live in service, to heal, and to begin again.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

‘ Hemingway was a drunk and we love that about him. He also put a shotgun in his mouth and ended his life, but somehow we leave that part out of it.’ 

In this frank and often funny conversation about getting sober and rediscovering your creativity, internationally known theater director, writer, and Artistic Director Sean Daniels challenges the myth that we often have to suffer in order to make great art.  Known for new work and innovative community-based leadership, Sean is the Executive Director of the Recovery Arts Project and a leading voice in the mission to use the arts to defeat addiction.

Sean’s play, The White Chip has recently finished playing commercially in London. The NY Times Critics Pick play that doesn’t shy away from the messiness of recovery has been performed around the world as a catalyst for community conversation and connection.

In the arts world, Sean has been named “one of the top fifteen up & coming artists in the U.S.” and “One Of 7 People Reshaping and Revitalizing The American Musical” by American Theatre magazine. We had a great conversation about addiction within the creative industries and why producing great things needn’t be a deal with the devil. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

Find Sean online https://linktr.ee/seanddaniels

Andy grew up an only child, set up a property business at 21 and became a proud and very happy dad at 30. Over time, however, things became difficult. One daughter stopped attending school and disappeared from his life for some time while he became the sole-full time parent to his younger daughter. He later discovered that his daughters’ mother (his ex) had developed severe bipolar disorder and a drug addiction, which naturally caused complications.

As a result of appearing on My Mum, Your Dad, ITV’s ‘relationship show with a difference’, Andy realised the value of opening up in men’s groups and talking through issues that men often bury, therefore embracing a new chapter in his life. Now he is able to be emotionally honest and resilient. Paul and Andy speak about the complexity of fatherhood, missed opportunities when pride gets in the way and how it is never too late to start addressing trauma from the past. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

Find Andy on Instagram @andypearcea1

To fight an illness as powerful as addiction, he knows what’s needed: strong ammo and likeminded people who have felt the pain and have seen the dark side.

Mark Dempster, published author and highly successful Harley Street practice counsellor with over 28 years of sobriety. Mark’s life started in Glasgow with an alcoholic father and a mother who worked long hours, leaving him to seek escape in alcohol, drugs, sex, fighting, and crime. His drive to become a major drug trafficker took him from Scotland, London, the Himalayas, Spain, Amsterdam, and Goa, with stints in prisons and interrogation rooms along the way. Eventually, the lifestyle left him homeless, addicted to heroin, and destitute on the streets.

At his lowest point, Mark sought help and began the long journey of recovery. With determination and support, he turned his life around and has since dedicated himself to helping others forge the same path. Today, as a highly successful counsellor, he remains a committed member of a 12-step programme, using his lived experience to inspire and guide those still struggling with addiction.

Please let us know your thoughts on our listener feedback form:

https://forms.gle/AFptgi3mMJKTZdYg8

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

Find Mark online https://markdempstercounselling.com/

Find Mark’s book here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nothing-Declare-Confessions-Unsuccessful-Smuggler/dp/0957430507

She is one of the UK’s foremost voices on sex and pornography addiction.

A Sexual and Relationship Psychotherapist with over three decades of experience, Dr Paula Hall has spent the last twenty years at the forefront of helping individuals, partners, and couples navigate the mysterious world of compulsive sexual behaviours.

Dr Hall is the Founder and Clinical Director of The Laurel Centre, the UK’s leading therapy service for sex and porn addiction, and the driving force behind Pivotal Recovery, a not-for-profit making expert support free, low-cost, and accessible to anyone ready for change.

In this conversation, we talk about what it means to express your sexuality mindfully, how to recognise when help might be needed, and how to navigate the heartbreak and healing that can follow when addiction becomes apparent in a relationship.

  

Please let us know your thoughts on our listener feedback form:

https://forms.gle/AFptgi3mMJKTZdYg8

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor  

Find Dr Hall on Instagram @dr_paulahall - 

Her star shines so brightly for those in times of real darkness.  

Amy Dickson is a trustee of Nacoa (National Association for Children of Alcoholics) and has been involved with the charity since 2020 shortly after her father died as a result of long term alcohol addiction.

In 2024 she was asked to lead the Nacoa education outreach programme, an ambitious project that aims to address the problem of parental alcohol addiction with pupils and staff alike. This work is making a real difference to the children who Nacoa was established to support, and ensuring better outcomes for many of those affected. 

Amy is passionate about using her lived experience and her interest in education and social mobility to ensure that the next generation of COAs (children of alcoholics) have the support that she didn't. Amy tells her story and gives details of the resources in place if you are concerned about a child of a parent who might be struggling with addiction.

Please let us know your thoughts on our listener feedback form:

https://forms.gle/AFptgi3mMJKTZdYg8

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Find Amy on Instagram @coa_Amy

Find NACOA on Instagram @nacoauk 

We have a wonderful guest in the studio today. Michaela, professionally known as Kayla Wild, has been clean and sober for 11 years and currently works in the adult industry. Going from a hostile upbringing then living in a woman's refuge, to now being a homeowner, Michaela is raising her son as a single parent, giving him the upbringing that she never had.

Paul and Michaela speak about the power of honesty and Michaela’s dream of being a psychotherapist to those working in the sex industry. They have a real candid conversation and Michaela actually has quite a surprising truth bomb about her own sexuality.

Please let us know your thoughts on our listener feedback form:

https://forms.gle/AFptgi3mMJKTZdYg8

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Find Michaela on Instagram @iamkaylawild

She went from the brink of burnout to becoming "The Nervous System Whisperer;" a journey that taught her the transformative power of somatic movement.

Today we welcome Nahid de Belgeonne. After nearly losing her life to a gangrenous appendix, she went on a mission to help others break free from the cycle of chronic stress and anxiety she knew all too well.

Over two decades of experience and research led Nahid to develop The Human Method, her approach to rewiring the brain through movement. When she founded yoga and Pilates studios in central London, she saw so many high-achievers trapped in the same pattern she once lived: trying to think their way out of feeling states. 

Nahid’s work has been featured in the Oprah Newsletter, Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper, The Times, Sunday Times Style Magazine, The Guardian, Bazaar UK, Grazia and many others. Today we talk about practical advice you can use right now to ease anxiety, how our self image is not made up of cognitive thinking and how in terms of wellness, smashed avocado on sourdough and yoga alone just ain’t gonna cut it!

Please let us know your thoughts on our listener feedback form:

https://forms.gle/AFptgi3mMJKTZdYg8

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Sign up to Nahid’s newsletter: https://nahiddebelgeonne.substack.com/

Find Nahid’s book here:

https://www.waterstones.com/book/soothe/nahid-de-belgeonne/9781800817111

Download FREE guide 10 ways to regulate your nervous system :https://www.thehumanmethod.co.uk/thesootheprogrammeselfpaced

The Soothe Retreat in Lefkada, Greece 2026: https://www.thehumanmethod.co.uk/thesootheweekinlefkadagreece

Hi everyone. Welcome back to This Is Powerful season four. Can you Believe it? How wonderful. We've got some powerhouse guests this season and we can't wait to share these conversations with you starting next week. In the meantime, check out some of these great moments…

It is the end of season three and we are taking a break! But we'll be back...now is a great time to catch up on any episodes over the past year that you might have missed. See you back in time for Sober October.