Some people don’t just walk into your life, they pour into it.

For me, that person is Flo Hilliard.

Flo has been more than a mentor. She’s been a trusted friend, a fierce advocate, and a steady light through seasons when hope felt far away. Her decades of work in women’s advocacy and recovery have helped shape not only my path, but the path of so many others fighting for healing and dignity.

Today, Flo continues to lead with bold compassion, working to ensure that women who are pregnant or parenting aren’t criminalized for substance use disorders, but supported with care, dignity, and evidence-based recovery resources.

Her message is clear: Addiction is not a moral failure. It’s a health issue.
And motherhood should never be used as a weapon against women who are trying to heal.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, is coming Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com

This week on Circle of Chairs Conversations, I’m sharing a powerful conversation with Nubia Tarango from Mothers Against Addiction.

This mission is deeply personal for Nubia. Having grown up watching her own mother struggle with addiction, she understands the sleepless nights, the fear, and the helplessness that can consume a family. At just 15, she became a mother herself—an experience that shaped her identity, building resilience, responsibility, and a fierce love that fuels everything she does today.

Nubia’s story is a powerful one as she shares about her work with the organization and also her why. Her personal experience to help support hanging lives others, one story, one support group, one mother at a time.

Addiction doesn’t just affect the person struggling, it impacts the entire family. And for many moms, it can feel like an invisible grief. MAA was created to change that.

Here’s what makes MAA so special:

• Weekly “Mothers Share” Zoom meetings – a safe space where moms gather to cry, laugh, and heal together.
• Hope Mentors – one-on-one calls with a mom who’s walked a similar road.
• Free therapy sessions – no insurance required.
• Guest speaker Saturdays – featuring experts in recovery, grief, and healing.
• “Spread the Red” movement – wearing an MAA shirt becomes a public stand for hope.

MAA reminds us that being a mom in the middle of addiction doesn’t mean you're powerless. It means you are love in action.

🧡 If you or someone you love is facing addiction, you don’t have to go through it alone. Visit mothersagainstaddiction.org to join a meeting, book a session, or simply find hope.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, is coming Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.

Subscribe to her Circle of Chairs Substack community at carolinebeidler.substack.com

This week on Circle of Chairs Conversations, I’m diving deep into a topic that feels more urgent than ever: resilience.

If you’ve been feeling worn down by the pace of life, struggling to bounce back from hard seasons, or simply wanting to strengthen your own mental and emotional foundation, this conversation is for you.

As the American Psychological Association puts it, resilience is “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress.” Or as I like to think of it, building the kind of backbone, grit, and perseverance that helps us move forward with courage, even when life feels uncertain.

In this episode, we explore:

• The science of resilience—how trauma impacts the nervous system and what it really means to “self-regulate”
• Practical, evidence-based ways to strengthen your resilience starting today
• How movement, mindfulness, and community connection can help repair what trauma has disrupted
• Why leaning into your feelings—yes, even the hard ones—can be a powerful act of healing
• The link between caring for your physical health and building emotional fortitude

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, is coming Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.

Ericka’s story will resonate with anyone who has ever juggled motherhood, work, faith, and the expectation to “hold it all together.” She talks about the quiet cycle of making promises to herself she couldn’t keep. The fear of telling anyone in her church community what was really happening. And the way alcohol noise often drowned out the very voice she wanted to hear most.

She also names something so many feel but rarely articulate: that subtle invisibility of women who struggle at home, in the quiet, without anyone noticing until the burden becomes unbearable.

A few threads we explore in this episode:

• What it means to recover out loud as a Christian woman

• The rising yet hidden crisis of alcohol use among women

• The cultural narrative that mothers “need” wine

• The gentler first steps toward change that don’t rely on self punishment

• How faith, curiosity, and small shifts helped her turn toward freedom

Ericka offers a simple encouragement for the woman listening who feels stuck: start by increasing what is good. More connection. More Scripture. More honest conversations. More space for God’s voice to rise above the static. No ultimatums. No perfect timeline.

If you’ve ever wondered whether life might feel lighter without the nightly glass that keeps getting heavier, this episode will meet you with compassion and clarity.

You can find more of Ericka’s work at erickaandersen.com and freelysober.com.

Let’s keep pulling up more chairs.

💬 Have a story to share or know someone doing meaningful work in addiction recovery or mental health? Reply or reach out. This community grows because of you. Email hello@carolinebeidler.com

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Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide to Understanding Addiction, is coming Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, is coming Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.

In this heartfelt episode of Circle of Chairs, I sit down with Shelly Young to explore the deeply personal and transformative journey of family recovery. Shelly shares the moving story of her son's ten-year recovery milestone, her mother's struggle with alcohol use disorder, and how these experiences led her to immerse herself in the world of addiction treatment. She speaks passionately about breaking the cycle of generational addiction through understanding, connection, and compassion. Shelly emphasizes the importance of community support, contrasting the outdated 'tough love' approach with the more nurturing 'Invitation to Change' model. Her story is a testament to the power of unconditional love and steadfast support in healing. Tune in to discover the inspiring work Shelly is doing with the Chris Atwood Foundation and her latest project— an empowering documentary on family recovery. This episode is a beacon of hope for families navigating the challenging waters of addiction, underscoring that with love and community, recovery is always possible.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:28 Shelly's Personal Journey into Recovery

01:01 Family Dynamics and Generational Addiction

02:27 The Role of Community and Collegiate Recovery

03:41 Facing Addiction and Changing Perspectives

05:06 Understanding and Addressing Stigma

10:20 Invitation to Change vs. Tough Love

16:58 The Power of Community Support

20:27 Shelly's Work and Future Projects

24:57 Conclusion and Gratitude

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, is coming Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.

Gabe Cohen's Radical Transformation and the Birth of Discovery Cafe

Join me as I converse with Gabe Cohen, founder of Discovery Cafe, about his transformative journey from addiction and incarceration to becoming a beacon of hope and support for those in recovery. Gabe shares in detail his past struggles with substance abuse, his numerous incarcerations, and how a profound spiritual awakening in 2018 led him to establish Discovery Cafe—a nonprofit offering peer-to-peer recovery support. Emphasizing service and community, Gabe discusses the importance of multiple recovery pathways, the challenges of setting up a nonprofit, and his mission to help others navigate their own recovery journeys. His story highlights the power of faith, resilience, and the impact one person can have by turning their life experiences into a source of service for others.

00:00 Introduction to Circle of Chairs

00:15 Meet Gabe Cohen: A Journey of Transformation

01:32 Gabe's Early Struggles and Turning Points

05:59 The Road to Recovery and Service

13:28 Founding Discovery Cafe

19:23 Impact and Reflections

31:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, is coming Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.

In this week’s Circle of Chairs Conversation, I sit down with someone who truly embodies the power of redemption and the beauty of recovery—Ashlee Crouse.

Ashlee’s story is a testimony of purpose and what can happen when we step outside of ourselves and are of service with others. She also inspires through her journey of entrepreneurship and her love of photography.

After years of addiction, she was delivered and transformed by her faith in Jesus. Since then, she’s never looked back. Today, she’s a wife, mom, dog mom, and entrepreneur in long-term recovery. She’s also the founder of The Mustard Seed Studios in South Knoxville—a creative space that helps others share their stories through photography and podcasting.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Ashlee serves as the Faith-Based Community Coordinator for the State of Tennessee, partnering with churches and organizations around addiction, mental health, and healing. She’s not just building a business, she’s building community, helping others bloom where they’re planted.

In our conversation, we talk about:

• What it really means to be “delivered”
• How faith can change everything—even your career path
• Why storytelling is such a powerful tool in recovery
• The role of churches in helping people heal
• How Ashlee balances entrepreneurship, ministry, and motherhood

Ashlee’s mission is simple yet profound: to help others turn pain into purpose. One story, one photo, one soul at a time.

Visit her work at themustardseedstudios.com

Let’s keep pulling up more chairs.

Each week, I’m honored to share these real, raw, and redemptive conversations with women who are shaping the future of recovery. Ashlee is just the beginning.

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode: and if this touched you, please share it with a friend.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, is coming Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.

In this episode of Circle of Chairs Conversations, I talk with Dr. Branden Henry , a licensed counselor, who shares his journey from personal recovery to helping others overcome addiction. Dr. Henry discusses his unique approach using rock climbing to help men understand and face their fears, emphasizing the significance of secure attachments and emotional regulation. We delve into the often-overlooked topic of parenting in recovery and the critical role it plays in preventing vulnerabilities to addiction in children. Dr. Henry highlights the importance of receiving love and support in recovery, the value of being in safe and honest relationships, and offers resources for effective parenting while in recovery. The conversation provides invaluable insights for both individuals in recovery and those seeking to support them.

How do we raise kids while rebuilding ourselves?

How can we teach our children about recovery?

Will we be able to break generational cycles of addiction?

00:00 Introduction to Circle of Chairs

00:13 Meet Dr. Brandon Henry

01:23 Blending Personal Recovery with Professional Practice

01:47 Overcoming Fears Through Rock Climbing

02:25 The Importance of Secure Attachments

04:47 Parenting in Recovery

08:47 Breaking the Cycle of Addiction

12:14 Starting Your Recovery Journey

14:35 Dr. Henry's Personal Recovery Path

19:00 Final Thoughts and Resources

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, is coming Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.