SMART Recovery® Podcast

The range of recovery support has been expanding rapidly at the intersection of an individual's personal experience and the larger world of AI recovery companions. To catch up with the latest trends and impact we welcomed Alex Weber of OpenRecovery, the Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships for this digital first recovery platform. OpenRecovery unapologetically declares, "Recovery should be accessible, effective, and engaging." They are also a strong supporter of SMART Recovery and have incorporated our self-empowering principles and practices into Kai, their AI companion.

March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month, an annual campaign aimed at increasing awareness of gambling-related risks, reducing stigma, and promoting prevention and supportive help. This episode features two guests: Kitty Martz, the Executive Director of the nonprofit Voices of Problem Gambling Recovery and Brian Ward, the organization's board president. Both Kitty and Brian share their journey of consequences that resulted from gambling activities and the positive role SMART Recovery has played in their lives. They also share their professional backgrounds and thoughts on providing accessible and affirming meetings that are highly inclusive of individuals working on compulsive behaviors unrelated to substance use. One insightful thought that was shared is the idea that attending support meetings can be seen as an effort to build a life you don't want to escape from, rather than the usual idea of "recovering a life" one has lost. And there are many more insights and interesting conversation in this episode. Enjoy! Additional Resources: Link to SMART Webinar on problem gambling and inclusion with Kitty Martz and Brian Ward National Problem Gambling Hotline

Karen Bernetti is founder of Mindful Family Recovery, an organization dedicated to family recovery coaching, workshops, and building a supportive community for family and friends of those sturggling with addictive behaviors. She is also a SMART Recovery Family & Friends meeting facilitator and is involved with mindfulness efforts that include trauma-informed yoga and self-care practices. Karen also authored a blog post about language in recovery that sparked some productive conversations among SMART participants: The Words We Use: Why Saying "Addict" Helps Some People and Hurts Others. Click here for information on the 2026 SMART Conference in Orlando Florida April 9-10

Joel Walkowski facilitates SMART meetings in New York city, and is a huge proponent of using the practical tools that SMART provides as an effective way to navigate the stages of change in recovery. He unabashedly credits SMART with adding an incredible amount of substance to his journey of addressing trauma and substance use that ultimately led to homelessness. He is also the author of a recovery memoir called Honolulu Blues, which uses the lens of his love of the Detroit Lions football team to explore themes of family relationships, perserverance, and becoming the person you always wanted to be when you grew up.

After a ton of hard work, SMART Recovery completely revised our training program under the leadership of Gus Curran, SMART's Senior Director of Training and Program Development. As it has been rolled out to the SMART community, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. In this podcast Gus and Erin Clarke, the Director of L&D Client Relationships for Endurance Learning, our partner in this effort, talk about all aspects of the new training. This includes its origin and development, the challenges faced and overcome, how it has been such a great example of collaboration, and how it relates to SMART's 2026 focus on the idea of being increasingly accessible, adaptable, and affirming in all we do. Additional links: Webinar that features Gus and Erin: From Drab to Fab: Trick Out Your Existing Learning SMART Recovery Training Page

Jeff Jones is a licensed professional counselor who focuses on helping families navigate the road to recovery. He firmly believes that when families change, individuals change, and he runs an organization called The Family Recovery Solution In this podcast, Jeff talks about how he decided to focus on families, what other recovery pathways seem to miss when it comes to families, and the role of recovery nutrition in helping those who want to make positive changes.

Rick Kuplinski credits SMART Recovery with changing his life in profound ways. He says he has never been happier and more satisfied with his life since he started applying the principles and practices of self-empowered recovery. He started writing about his experiences in brief essays and has been a SMART Blog contributor since 2022. Now he has collected his essays and packaged it in a book called Supercharge Your Recovery: 30 Essays on Beating Addiction with SMART Recovery. In this podcast Rick talks about how he ended up reaching a point where he knew he had to make changes and why SMART worked for him when other pathways didn't. He shares his thoughts on the process of journaling and the need for reflection, and how he believes that you don't have to be a "writer" to benefit from writing.

When it comes to talking about research in the field of substance use and recovery, Dr. Sarah Zemore is always an excellent source of solid information. She has previously appeared on the program and now returns to talk about the latest research into some of the social and psychological aspects of treatment-seeking and recovery. Dr. Zemore has an extensive record of research on mutual-help groups for addiction and has led multiple studies that examine the nature, benefits, and mechanisms of action of all kinds of these groups, including SMART. Also joining the conversation is SMART's Executive Director Pete Rubinas. He offers SMART's perspective on the latest research and confirms the value of applying this research in pursuit of helping the most individuals possible. Helpful links: Alcohol Research Group Recent Study on Mutual Help Groups

Dre Richards is a SMART Facilitator in Edmonton, Canada. He also is the Executive Director and Founder of Healthy Aligined Living, a community agency serving youth who are facing mental health and substance use issues. In this podcast, Dre shares his personal journey to recovery, how he decided to address the negative behaviors that were impacting his life, and what he believes are the best ways to help youth who are facing the same challenges he once did.

SMART Recovery's Director of Outreach, Jasmine Hilbert, recently appeared on an Ohio-based podcast to share her recovery journey. In this special collaboration with the Rooted in Hope Podcast and Producer Kurt Kleidon, we proudly offer this episode here on our platform. About this podcast: Rooted in Hope is a podcast that shares the real tales of those who are impacted by substance use disorder or mental illness with the intention of breaking the stigma. We are rooted in Ohio and driven to make a difference in and around our state. Thanks to our allies at Rooted in Hope for permission to share this compelling story of a woman who had reached a point in her life where she didn't want this to be her narrative, so she rewrote her story.

Maureen O'Conner is going through every parent's nightmare--the loss of a child. Her son Cody died after an opioid overdose and her world was shattered. After a time, she decided to write a book about her experience and filled it with prose, poetry, journal entries and stories. The book, titled Shadows of Me, is an honest exploration of what it took her to come back from such trauma and regain hope. It also includes pictures of shadows, which became a powerful metaphor in her search for meaning in the middle of this new, painful reality. In this podcast espisode Maureen talks about Cody's journey alongside her own, and reads a moving passage about "hoodie girl" from her book, which marked a shift in her perspective. She also talks about the value of SMART Recovery's Family and Friends program, where she found community when she most needed it. WARNING: this episode deals with traumatic events that may be difficult for some listeners. Shadows of Me book Crisis Line--988

Public policy work can sometimes be seen as too theoretical and detached from the real world of concerns about things like addictive behaviors and the consequences. In this conversation with Amber Lashbaugh we find out that practical application of public policy work amounts to more than just ideas. It can result in making resources more accessible and people able to work toward greater health of mind, body, and spirit. Amber is co-president of the college based initiative Hoyas for Recovery, a SMART facilitator, community outreach worker, and is pursuing her master's degree in addiction policy and practice at Georgetown University. She combines lived experience with policy application with great success. In this podcast we talk about her interest in political science, her personal recovery journey, working in the addiction field, and her involvement with SMART. We also touch on the concept of "decriminalizing survival," a more nuanced way of looking at how society treats woment who have substance use disorders. Helpful links: Hoyas for Recovery Amber's article in Ms. Magazine Amber Lashbaugh LinkedIn

Dr. Amy Krentzman is an Associate Professor and Director of Research at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work. Her research interests include alcohol and other substance use disorders, positive psychology, spirituality, and journaling to support addiction recovery. Dr. Krentzman coauthored an article that was recently published in the Journal of Positive Psychology titled, Happiness with recovery from alcohol and substance use disorders predicts abstinence and treatment retention. In this podcast Dr. Krentzman talks about her interest in the field of recovery, the results of her study of happiness, and the concept of "North of Neutral," which is a core principle in Positive psychology. This principle means that just trying to fix problems is not enough of a goal, instead it suggests that a person's well-being can extend into a state characterized by flourishing, pursuing passions, and finding a sense of meaning in life. Helpful links: Summary of Happiness With recovery research study Positive Recovery Journaling Dr. Amy Krentzman video on gratitude in recovery

As theory and practice evolve in both the addiction recovery and mental health fields there is a growing recognition of the intersection between treatment in both areas. One organization that has recognized this for quite some time is A Positive Alternative in Seattle. They are all about empowerment and choice for their clients and definitely subscribe to the view that recovery is not one size fits all. In this episode we talk with their clinical director Kaitlyn Braile. She is a licensed mental health and substance use disorder counselor who received her training at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, developing a psychodynamic perspective that also incorporates her experience in community mental health settings. One fascination of Kaitlyn's is the area of motivation--how people both gain and lose it in the flow of making life changes.

Markita Renee is a dynamic recovery advocate, coach, sought after speaker, and SMART facilitator. She runs the national BIPOC meeting that has positively impacted so many. In this podcast, Markita talks about her personal recovery journey, the happy accident of finding SMART, her quest for knowledge, and the fact that her life is so full she has no time for negative pursuits.

Great question! In a nutshell, Volunteer Support Coordinators (VSCs) are experienced SMART Recovery volunteers dedicated to mentoring and supporting meeting facilitators. VSCs foster a welcoming and accessible environment for local volunteers to build connections and thrive. On this podcast we are joined by three VSCs, each representing a different state: Kenzie Smith (North Carolina), Tammy Ginader (Florida), and Chris Gatewood (Virginia). Each of them shares their discovery of SMART, what lit their fire about it, and why they decided to give back by taking on the role of a Volunteer Support Coordinator. Helpful links: More information about VSCs Nationwide Roster of VSCs

Wheeler is a nonprofit agency that provides comprehensive human services across the state of Connecticut. Their vision is, "All people will have the opportunity to grow, change, and live healthier, productive lives." In this podcast we have a conversation with two representatives of Wheeler initiatives: Heather Clinger, a Program Manager at the Connecticut Center for Prevention, Wellness, and Recovery and Laura Zeppieri, Project Coordinator for Youth Recovery Connecticut. Both Heather and Laura share their passion for providing effective strategies for breaking into cycles of addictive behaviors and offering resources for individuals who might be coming from many different perspectives and backgrounds. They affirm SMART Recovery as an effective pathway to recovery, but offer a wide array of support tailored to individual needs.