In this episode of the Well Aware Podcast, we’re joined by Aware Recovery Care alumni Chandra for an honest and deeply personal conversation about trauma, alcoholism, shame, and recovery later in life. Chandra shares how unresolved trauma and perfectionism slowly led her toward alcohol dependence, and how difficult it was to ask for help after years of trying to manage everything on her own. Together, we explore the unique challenges older adults can face when seeking treatment, the importance of privacy and individualized support, and how recovery can help people reconnect with themselves and the people they love. This episode is a reminder that it is never too late to make a change and begin healing.

In this episode of the Well Aware Podcast, we’re joined by Tim Walsh, outdoor educator, instructor trainer, and experiential recovery leader, for a conversation about healing through nature, connection, and personal transformation. Drawing from more than 30 years of work in outdoor education, substance use recovery, youth development, and mental health, Tim shares how outdoor experiences can help people reconnect with themselves, navigate life’s challenges, and build resilience in recovery. This episode explores the role of purpose, community, mindfulness, and experiential learning in supporting long-term healing and growth. 

In this episode of the Well Aware Podcast, we’re joined by Holly Hiles, who’s a leadership and emergence coach, keynote speaker, and a person in long term recovery, for an honest conversation about alcoholism in recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month. Together, we will explore how alcohol use disorder develops and progresses, how it can be misunderstood or minimized, and what it truly means to live in recovery one day at a time. Drawing from both lived experience and professional work, Holly shares meaningful insights on the role of community, the importance of understanding alcoholism as a disease, and how individuals and families can move toward lasting change. This episode truly highlights the power of awareness, connection, and hope in recovery. 

In this episode of the Well Aware Podcast, we’re joined by Sarah Allen Benton, author of Parents in Recovery: Navigating a Sober Family Lifestyle, who also serves as a licensed clinician and Chief Clinical Officer at Waterview Behavioral Health, for a thoughtful conversation on recovery and family life. We’ll explore the unique challenges parents in recovery face as they balance sobriety, family life, identity, and long-term healing. Drawing from research, lived experience, and clinical insight, this episode highlights how recovery can strengthen family systems, reduce shame, and create space for connection, resilience, and growth across generations. 

In this episode of the Well Aware Podcast, we’re joined by Tom Farley, recovery advocate and Community Outreach Director at Recovery.com, for a grounded conversation about stigma, compassion, and the realities of long-term recovery. Drawing from decades of advocacy and outreach work, Tom shares insights on prevention, grief, and how families and communities can better support individuals impacted by substance use. This episode emphasizes the power of empathy, honest dialogue, and human connection in the recovery journey. 

In this episode of the Well Aware podcast, we sit down with Matthew McManus, a financial advisor for Triplecrown Wealth Management, to explore the connection between financial stress and recovery. With the holidays often bringing added pressure around money, Matthew shares insights on how financial strain can impact mental health and recovery, along with practical financial literacy tips to help listeners navigate this season with greater confidence and stability. 

This episode of the Well Aware Podcast explores how recovery impacts families and loved ones. Our guests include Kathy Wrenn, Executive Director of Illume Family Recovery and Certified BALM Recovery Coach, and Shelly Young, Executive Director of the Chris Atwood Foundation. Addiction creates waves in relationships, reshapes dynamics, and challenges families in profound ways, but with those challenges, there is also resilience, love, and healing. 
In this episode, Kathy and Shelly share what it means to walk alongside a loved one in recovery, how family involvement can transform the healing process, and the advice they have for those just beginning this journey. Let’s get started!  

In this episode of the Well Aware Podcast, our host Dr. Lauren Grawert, Chief Medical Officer at Aware Recovery Care, is joined by Lisa Smith, host of the Recovery Rocks podcast, author of Girl Walks Out of a Bar, and former practicing lawyer. 

Together, they discuss the complexities of high functioning addiction, navigating alcohol in a field with a heavy drinking culture, and Lisa’s unique recovery tool, The Sobriety Deck.  

This episode is for everyone, but especially for those who have struggled with perfectionism or know what it’s like to balance a successful career with a hidden addiction. 

This edition of the Well Aware Podcast features Aware Recovery Care’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lauren Grawert and Dr. J. Craig Allen, Board-Certified addiction psychiatrist and Vice President of Addiction Services at Hartford Healthcare.  

Together, Dr. Grawert and Dr. Allen explore a range of pressing topics in the addiction treatment landscape, including his work with Aware’s in-home care model, the treatment offered at The Ridge Recovery Center, and how nicotine and vaping fit into evolving definitions of sobriety. They also discuss the role of emerging technologies like AI in behavioral healthcare and the impact of expanding medication-assisted treatment in Connecticut’s correctional facilities. 

Tune in for a wide-ranging, insightful conversation between two experts in addiction treatment that will expand your knowledge of what’s possible in behavioral health.  

In this episode of the Well Aware Podcast, hosted by Aware Recovery Care’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Lauren Grawert, we meet Rachel Hechtman, peer recovery specialist and the voice behind the Instagram account @soberincentralpark.

They explore the link between ADHD and addiction, the usage of stimulant medication while in recovery, and how Rachel rebuilt her life through movement, community, and advocacy, including her work with Brooklyn’s first non-alcoholic bar, Soft Bar.

Tune in for an honest conversation about sobriety, neurodivergence, and the strength it takes to step away from substance use to build a new life.