Celeste Bowman was 23 when she was diagnosed with HIV. In the early years, the diagnosis felt less like a medical reality and more like a verdict—she says plainly that it was hard for a 23-year-old to grapple with something so tied, in most people's minds, to death. For a while, it was almost like the diagnosis had a voice of its own, telling her she'd never even cared about living before it showed up.

She didn't let that be the end of the story. Celeste became a licensed therapist and addiction professional—the person other people call when their world is falling apart. She's spent nearly three decades doing that work: as a family interventionist, a counselor, someone clients trust with the hardest parts of their lives.

She's just as honest about what that role has cost her. She talks about carrying dozens of clients at once, about telling herself she'd do "anything for anyone," about how easy it is for someone in her position to cross a line while telling themselves they're just trying to fix the world. She's candid about the boundaries she didn't hold early in her career, and about the ongoing, intentional work of holding them now.

With host Michael Herbert, she moves between two hard-won truths: how she survived being told her life was already over, and how she learned, sometimes the hard way, that being everyone's helper isn't the same as taking care of herself.

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This episode is sponsored by Guardian Recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, Guardian can help. Visit https://www.guardianrecovery.com or call 888-721-3790 for confidential support and guidance.