Have an episode suggestion? Text us!

In this Mindset Monday, Matt sits down with the questions men usually ask in private. These are the messages he gets from guys in crisis who are trying to get sober, repair their marriage, and figure out what it actually means to be a good man.

We'll go rapid fire through questions like:
 • “Why do I have to be the one to change first?”
 • “If I am sober, why is she still angry?”
 • “How long is she supposed to stay mad after I apologized?”
 • “Why do I feel like the bad guy even when I am trying?”
 • “Do I get to have needs too, or is it all about her healing?”
 • “How much of her triggers are my responsibility?”
 • “What is the difference between her boundary and her controlling me?”
 • “Why does everything still get blamed on my addiction, even when I am sober?”   • “Why does she shut down about sex?”

Matt shares the mindset shifts that helped him get and stay sober for nearly 13 years, rebuild his marriage, become a better father, and stop seeing himself as the victim of his own past. If you are a man who is trying to change, or a partner who wants to understand what might be going on in his head, this one will give you language, perspective, and a challenge to rise to.

Find video clips and full length video from this episode on YouTube and our other social media pages!

On the web:
www.twfo.com

Support the Show:
Buy Us a Coffee!

Online Program:
www.independentlystrong.com

Soberlink Device:
www.soberlink.com/wheels

Check out our blog:
https://twfo.com/blog

Follow us on TikTok:
https://tiktok.com/@twfo_couple

Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/twfo_couple/

Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TWFOCouple

Follow us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@twfo_couple

Find Taylor Counseling Group:
https://taylorcounselinggroup.com/

Donate to Counseling for the Future Foundation:
Donate Here

Have an episode suggestion? Text us!

In this Paige’s Perspective, I talk about something I see online all the time. There is a lot of content that normalizes staying stuck. People laugh about being overwhelmed or blame survival mode for how they treat others, and it removes the accountability that actually creates change.

I share my own experience with anxiety, panic disorder, depression, OCD, and the season this summer when I slipped back into survival mode. I explain how I decided to treat those moments as a challenge instead of a permanent identity. You can understand your struggle and still choose to rise from it.

This episode is a reminder that your symptoms are real, your pain is real, and your potential is real too. You are capable of more than you think, and you do not have to shrink to make other people comfortable. You can grow, you can heal, and you can stand back up.

Find video clips and full length video from this episode on YouTube and our other social media pages!

On the web:
www.twfo.com

Support the Show:
Buy Us a Coffee!

Online Program:
www.independentlystrong.com

Soberlink Device:
www.soberlink.com/wheels

Check out our blog:
https://twfo.com/blog

Follow us on TikTok:
https://tiktok.com/@twfo_couple

Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/twfo_couple/

Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TWFOCouple

Follow us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@twfo_couple

Find Taylor Counseling Group:
https://taylorcounselinggroup.com/

Donate to Counseling for the Future Foundation:
Donate Here

Have an episode suggestion? Text us!

In this episode Matt breaks down why people struggling with addiction and people in relationships with addicts keep their standards low and stay stuck in the same cycles. He explains why so many men fear success more than failure, why sobriety feels terrifying even when you know you can do it, and how comfort becomes the enemy of long-term recovery.

Matt shares his own story of keeping the bar on the floor for years and how Paige’s unrelenting standards for honesty, integrity, and showing up as a good man forced him to confront the life he was hiding in. He talks about burning the boats on the old life that was easy but destructive, raising the bar, and finally committing to the hard work that recovery requires.

This episode also speaks directly to spouses and partners of addicts, explaining why they lower expectations, avoid enforcing boundaries, and silence themselves to avoid conflict, abandonment, or disappointment. Matt shows the parallel between men avoiding effort and spouses avoiding expectations, and how both create long-term pain and resentment.

If you are trying to get sober, rebuilding trust, fighting for your marriage, or trying to find yourself again after years of addiction-related chaos, this episode will give you clarity, direction, and a push toward the higher standards that lead to real change.

Find video clips and full length video from this episode on YouTube and our other social media pages!

On the web:
www.twfo.com

Support the Show:
Buy Us a Coffee!

Online Program:
www.independentlystrong.com

Soberlink Device:
www.soberlink.com/wheels

Check out our blog:
https://twfo.com/blog

Follow us on TikTok:
https://tiktok.com/@twfo_couple

Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/twfo_couple/

Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TWFOCouple

Follow us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@twfo_couple

Find Taylor Counseling Group:
https://taylorcounselinggroup.com/

Donate to Counseling for the Future Foundation:
Donate Here

Have an episode suggestion? Text us!

We live in a world that is obsessed with asking, “Why am I like this?” and “Why are they like this?” Trauma, childhood wounds, addiction, nervous systems, attachment. All important pieces of the puzzle. But at some point, just understanding the why stops moving your life forward. It can quietly turn into a hall pass for staying stuck.

In this episode, Matt and Paige talk about the missing piece in so many trauma and addiction conversations. The how. How do you start responding differently when your nervous system is wired for survival. How do you stop pouring your pain onto your kids and partner. How do you move from “this is why I am the way I am” to “this is what I am going to do about it.”

Together they explore:
 • Why insight and validation alone do not rebuild a marriage or keep you sober
 • How too much compassion without boundaries can keep both spouses and addicts in victim mode
 • Practical ways to create a pause between reaction and response, especially with kids
 • What it really looks like to break generational patterns, even when it feels unfair and impossible
 • Why you do not have to fully understand your trauma before you start healing it

If you are tired of overanalyzing, tired of feeling broken, and ready to actually do something different, this conversation will challenge you and remind you that you are not powerless.

Find video clips and full length video from this episode on YouTube and our other social media pages!

On the web:
www.twfo.com

Support the Show:
Buy Us a Coffee!

Online Program:
www.independentlystrong.com

Soberlink Device:
www.soberlink.com/wheels

Check out our blog:
https://twfo.com/blog

Follow us on TikTok:
https://tiktok.com/@twfo_couple

Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/twfo_couple/

Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TWFOCouple

Follow us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@twfo_couple

Find Taylor Counseling Group:
https://taylorcounselinggroup.com/

Donate to Counseling for the Future Foundation:
Donate Here

Have an episode suggestion? Text us!

If you’ve been stuck in your head replaying old memories, planning out future disasters, or living on autopilot, this one’s for you. This week I sat down at my drum set and, for the first time in a while, felt my brain quiet down and my body wake up. It reminded me how powerful presence really is.

In this short episode, we talk about getting out of your head, dropping into the moment, and why doing something that makes you feel alive can shift your entire day. This is your reminder to eff some ish up in the best way possible and come back to yourself.

Find video clips and full length video from this episode on YouTube and our other social media pages!

On the web:
www.twfo.com

Support the Show:
Buy Us a Coffee!

Online Program:
www.independentlystrong.com

Soberlink Device:
www.soberlink.com/wheels

Check out our blog:
https://twfo.com/blog

Follow us on TikTok:
https://tiktok.com/@twfo_couple

Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/twfo_couple/

Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TWFOCouple

Follow us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@twfo_couple

Find Taylor Counseling Group:
https://taylorcounselinggroup.com/

Donate to Counseling for the Future Foundation:
Donate Here

Have an episode suggestion? Text us!

Replay. Originally aired in July 2024. We’re bringing this back because the tools here (resilience, boundaries, timelines, and real talk about equal partnership) stay relevant.

This is an episode designed more like a charcuterie board than a main course. We discuss Independently Strong because we don't think we've really ever done a great job at communicating what it's about and the value to someone in a relationship with a person struggling with addiction. We then get onto topics that are beneficial to you right here, right now. We discuss emotional resilience and ways to increase resilience through mental frameworks, as well as self-care activities. When you feel like you've given all you can in life, remember that you have survived 100% of your hardest days and you're actually MUCH stronger than you think.

Find video clips and full length video from this episode on YouTube and our other social media pages!

On the web:
www.twfo.com

Support the Show:
Buy Us a Coffee!

Online Program:
www.independentlystrong.com

Soberlink Device:
www.soberlink.com/wheels

Check out our blog:
https://twfo.com/blog

Follow us on TikTok:
https://tiktok.com/@twfo_couple

Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/twfo_couple/

Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TWFOCouple

Follow us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@twfo_couple

Find Taylor Counseling Group:
https://taylorcounselinggroup.com/

Donate to Counseling for the Future Foundation:
Donate Here

Have an episode suggestion? Text us!

Addictive traits aren't bugs, they're features.

When I first got sober, I was terrified I’d become boring.
No more adrenaline. No more chaos. Just… normal life.I thought I’d be the “square dad” mowing the lawn in tucked-in polos while everyone else was still out living. What I learned was the opposite. Addiction didn’t kill my personality, it just hijacked it. The same intensity, obsession, and risk-taking that once burned my life down are now the same traits that built it back up. In this episode, I’m proving that your edge doesn’t disappear in recovery, it actually sharpens.

I talk about everything I’ve done since getting sober: parties, snowboarding, fitness, business, raising kids, pranks, coaching, music, even officiating weddings. My life was getting started when I thought it was over.

The energy never left. It just changed shape.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you can still be fun, wild, or interesting without substances, this one’s your answer.

Find video clips and full length video from this episode on YouTube and our other social media pages!

On the web:
www.twfo.com

Support the Show:
Buy Us a Coffee!

Online Program:
www.independentlystrong.com

Soberlink Device:
www.soberlink.com/wheels

Check out our blog:
https://twfo.com/blog

Follow us on TikTok:
https://tiktok.com/@twfo_couple

Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/twfo_couple/

Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TWFOCouple

Follow us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@twfo_couple

Find Taylor Counseling Group:
https://taylorcounselinggroup.com/

Donate to Counseling for the Future Foundation:
Donate Here

Have an episode suggestion? Text us!

Paige opens up about one of the most powerful questions she’s ever asked herself: “Why not me?”

In this raw and empowering episode, she shares how that simple question pulled her out of self-doubt and helped her become the woman she never thought she could be. A leader. A podcaster. A motivator. Someone who keeps showing up even when it’s uncomfortable.

This isn’t about perfection or pretending to have it all together. It’s about remembering that change doesn’t happen when life gets easy. It happens when you finally decide you’re done sitting on the sidelines.

If you’ve ever looked at someone thriving and thought, “That could never be me,” this one’s for you.
Paige is here to remind you that it absolutely can.

Find video clips and full length video from this episode on YouTube and our other social media pages!

On the web:
www.twfo.com

Support the Show:
Buy Us a Coffee!

Online Program:
www.independentlystrong.com

Soberlink Device:
www.soberlink.com/wheels

Check out our blog:
https://twfo.com/blog

Follow us on TikTok:
https://tiktok.com/@twfo_couple

Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/twfo_couple/

Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TWFOCouple

Follow us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@twfo_couple

Find Taylor Counseling Group:
https://taylorcounselinggroup.com/

Donate to Counseling for the Future Foundation:
Donate Here

Have an episode suggestion? Text us!

In this episode, Matt and Paige take a deep dive into the difference between coping and healing. From self-care routines to emotional boundaries, they explore how coping can be both a bridge and a trap—necessary for survival but not meant to last forever. They share personal stories about burnout, triggers, and stress, discuss concepts like allostatic load and polyvagal theory, and offer real-world examples of when it’s time to stop managing chaos and start creating change. This conversation is a reminder that while coping helps us find peace, only change allows us to keep it. 

Find video clips and full length video from this episode on YouTube and our other social media pages!

On the web:
www.twfo.com

Support the Show:
Buy Us a Coffee!

Online Program:
www.independentlystrong.com

Soberlink Device:
www.soberlink.com/wheels

Check out our blog:
https://twfo.com/blog

Follow us on TikTok:
https://tiktok.com/@twfo_couple

Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/twfo_couple/

Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TWFOCouple

Follow us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@twfo_couple

Find Taylor Counseling Group:
https://taylorcounselinggroup.com/

Donate to Counseling for the Future Foundation:
Donate Here

Have an episode suggestion? Text us!

Rehab is a reset, not a miracle. In this straight talk Q&A, Matt answers the questions we hear most from spouses, partners, and people heading to treatment. What actually happens day to day, how detox works, why some centers involve family and others do not, what to expect while they are inside, what to plan for after discharge, and the red flags that predict a quick return to old patterns. You will hear Matt’s 30 day inpatient experience, the lessons that stuck, why aftercare matters more than the stay, and how families can support without micromanaging or losing themselves. Clear expectations, simple next steps, and real hope tied to action.

Find video clips and full length video from this episode on YouTube and our other social media pages!

On the web:
www.twfo.com

Support the Show:
Buy Us a Coffee!

Online Program:
www.independentlystrong.com

Soberlink Device:
www.soberlink.com/wheels

Check out our blog:
https://twfo.com/blog

Follow us on TikTok:
https://tiktok.com/@twfo_couple

Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/twfo_couple/

Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TWFOCouple

Follow us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@twfo_couple

Find Taylor Counseling Group:
https://taylorcounselinggroup.com/

Donate to Counseling for the Future Foundation:
Donate Here