Skip to content
Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery podcast artwork

Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery

by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Presents Let's Talk Addiction and Recovery w

Hear what leading addiction and recovery experts are talking about—addiction trends, topics and challenges as well as research, practices and advances that point the most promising way forward. Author and recovery advocate William C. Moyers serves as host of this thought-provoking interview series, brought to you by the renowned Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Listen in on Moyers' conversations with his colleagues who work at the forefront of addiction treatment, recovery and prevention, including noted clinicians, researchers, academics and other thought leaders. With equal parts information and inspiration, Let's Talk Addiction and Recovery opens the door to help, healing and hope.

From the show's RSS feed, refreshed Apr 15, 2026. Source feed.

Subscribe Bookmark

Episodes

  1. Hope Takes Center Stage

    Writer Maggie Moe and composer Joshua Vranas are telling a new story about addiction and recovery that does away with shame and stigma. Instead of normalizing old stereotypes and outdated archetypes, Moe and Vranas wrote and scored a musical, My Pet Dragon, that tells a different story–one that's...

  2. A Fountain of Hope for At-Risk Students

    Susie Brooks, PhD, founder of Veritas Academy, felt powerless when students came into the classroom with substance use issues, or knew someone struggling. She recognized addiction as a disease—one that injures every community—but she didn't know how to help. So she attended the Graduate School of...

  3. Bullying Prevention and Community Solutions

    Bullying causes long-term damage on students' mental health, often resulting in anxiety, depression or PTSD during a critical developmental stage. But evidence-based approaches provide healthy solutions to complex situations—involving parents, teachers, administrators and other community members…

    more
  4. All-Star Willie Burton – In a League of His Own

    When Willie Burton was taken ninth in the 1990 NBA draft, he lost his defenses against addiction—a sensational talent through high school and college, his teammates and coaches looked out for him. But then the coping mechanisms he learned as a child in Detroit came back to haunt him when he hit…

    more
  5. Story of Hope

    On set, Dedee Pfeiffer hears from other actors, crewmates and directors who are inspired by her forwardness—fearless in her pursuit of love and light and publicly accepting her disease of addiction. Tune in as she shares everything she's learned about loving recovery, why she's so vocal about her...

  6. Native Dads: Recovery through Reconnection Part 2

    Intergenerational trauma. Unresolved grief. Stigma and isolation. Such complex and compound stressors can make recovery from substance use and other mental health conditions all the more challenging. But there are successful paths forward. Listen in to learn about the life-changing work of the...

  7. Flipping the Script on Addiction

    Addiction is often surrounded by shame and stigma—and both have dominated the different arenas of public discourse for much of human history. No more. Join experts Jeremiah Gardner, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, and Emily Piper, Chief Legal, Advocacy and Compliance Officer, as…

    more
  8. The Next Workplace Revolution

    The next workplace revolution will likely hinge on employers' efforts to empower recovery. Post-covid, 20 percent of employees reported drinking during work. Last year, more people died from alcohol than ever before while the opioid epidemic waged on. What are top employers doing? How do they...

  9. Walking the Red Road of Wellness

    Honesty. Compassion. Respect. Humility. Many of the guiding values of the Red Road way of life—a Native American path of wellness, balance and spirituality—parallel Twelve Step recovery principles and practices. "The Red Road is a path of human wellness, and everyone is invited," says clinical...

  10. Radical Love and a Place to Belong

    Philip Robert won't stay silent about the exploitation of his Native brothers and sisters: in Arizona, unregulated sober houses are taking advantage of vulnerable people. But Blue Sage Healing, where Philip works, is providing a safer home for recovery, a place of belonging, with a rich cultural...

  11. A Life Spent Helping and Healing

    Serving as Chair of the American Indian Advisory Council and spending the past twenty years as an addiction counselor for his Native brothers and sisters, Donald Richard Wright, Elder of the Leech Lake band of Ojibwe, is still finding ways to lift people up and bring them home. Now he joins host...

  12. Signs of Teen Fentanyl Use

    Parents are rightly terrified of fentanyl. But what behaviors should set off alarm bells? And how can parents keep the conversation pointed in the right direction when panic and big emotions start arriving? Clinician Sarah Polley, MD, joins host William C. Moyers to explain what teenagers are...

  13. How Kathryn Burgum is Reinventing Recovery

    Shame and stigma kept Kathryn Burgum silent about her recovery for fifteen years. After she became First Lady of North Dakota, she learned from host William Moyers himself after an event where they both spoke: "The solution is so simple—we end stigma by talking about it." Now she's leading head…

    more
  14. In Harm's Way: Health Risks of Teen Vaping

    Marketed as safe and cool with fun flavors and clever devices, vapes are hooking a new generation on nicotine. Health experts warn that it's not only water vapor and nicotine surging into the lungs: All kinds of other chemicals are ingested too. Psychiatrist Sara Polley, MD, talks with host…

    more
  15. John Solomon Gives Voice to Healing and Hope

    Out on tour after getting sober, indie-rocker John Solomon made a point of hosting conversations about addiction, mental health and recovery wherever he went. The experience inspired his next career move: Going to graduate school and becoming an addiction and mental health counselor. Today he...

  16. Finding Hope When Addiction Takes Your Son

    His birthday. His death day. Holidays. Family celebrations. That's when Linda Morrison feels the loss of her youngest son, Mike, most profoundly. But with time, she is finding more space in her heart for gratitude and hope—for the happy life Mike wanted for her. Morrison's achingly honest...

  17. Practicing Recovery from "All the Things"

    As author and advocate Dawn Nickel likes to say, "we're all recovering from something." For her, those somethings include alcohol, cocaine, anxiety, marijuana and workaholism. Tune in as the co-founder of the global SHE RECOVERS movement talks with host William C. Moyers about the inspiration...

  18. How'd You Do It, Steve? A Personal Story of Hope and Recovery

    Steve thought the world would come crashing when he packed his bags for treatment. A savvy businessman and CEO, he considered himself too successful, or perhaps too important, to go to treatment: after all, three families relied on him for financial support. Now he admits that was only an excuse,...

  19. How to Help Someone Who's Addicted (Spanish)

    Cómo ayudar a alguien que tiene una adicción Nuestro primer impulso es ayudar y proteger a nuestros seres queridos. Pero cuando tienen una adicción, ese impulso no es el correcto: puede que nos lleve a hacer cosas con las que no estamos cómodos, y cuando protegemos a nuestros seres queridos de…

    more
  20. Protecting Our Families and Communities from Addiction (Spanish)

    Proteger a nuestras familias y comunidades de la adicción Aunque disponemos de más recursos para hispanohablantes que en años anteriores, la cantidad de muertes por adicción en nuestra comunidad latina sigue siendo mucho más alta que en las comunidades de raza blanca. ¿Cómo podemos protegernos?...

  21. How to Choose the Right Outpatient Treatment Program

    The search for addiction treatment is exhausting. How do you differentiate one program from the next? What factors are most important? This is uncharted territory, meaning it's okay to feel lost or overwhelmed. To provide some much-needed clarity and guidance, a panel of experts joined host…

    more
  22. Why New Mexico Leads the Country in Alcohol-Related Deaths

    What did journalist Ted Alcorn learn during his seven-part investigation into drinking trends in New Mexico? From uncovering why the state leads the U.S. in alcohol-related deaths, to discovering laws and policies that ignore and even encourage alcohol use, Alcorn spotted gaps in the system that...

  23. Most Common Obstacles to Recovery

    Some obstacles to addiction recovery for the Native community are obvious and well documented, like underfunded health systems. But other, less obvious challenges are just as sticky and prevent just as many people from seeking help. These obstacles, in turn, lengthen "the journey from the head to...

  24. How to Relieve Stress and Anxiety without Substances

    Millions of Americans are trying to medicate their anxiety with alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. This might work for a short time, but it opens the door for addiction and produces even more anxiety in the long run. Having seen this same sequence of events over and over again, clinician Sarah...

  25. The Story of a Healing Spirit

    This is the recovery story of Daisy Vanslyke, a gentle spirit who spends most of her time healing other people. In her every word and wisdom, she speaks from the heart: she has endured some of life's greatest adversities and hardships, but she still finds beauty and purpose in herself, her…

    more
  26. Coordinating the Care My Community Deserves

    Chandell Boyd, LADC, joins host Andrew Williams to discuss her work with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, where she's an associate director for the Substance Use Disorders Department. Boyd is also an alumnus of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies. And although she dreams of...

  27. What Happens in Outpatient Treatment? Am I a Good Fit?

    Much has changed in the world of addiction treatment. The standard model of care used to revolve around a 28-day stint inside a treatment center. But residential care isn't optimal for everyone, and with kids, careers and other responsibilities, sometimes it's not even an option. Enter outpatient...

  28. Dispelling the Myths Native Communities Recovery Equity

    In this episode of Let's Talk Recovery Equity, journalist Ted Alcorn talks about his investigation into alcohol use in New Mexico, which has the worst rate of alcohol-related deaths in the country. He focused on the small town of Gallup in McKinley County, which is sandwiched between Navajo, Hopi...

  29. The Veteran's Guide to Fighting Pain and Addiction

    In this episode of Let's Talk, licensed psychologist and military veteran Dustin Brockberg, PhD, and his wife, Kerry Brockberg, PhD, also a psychologist, talk about their new book, End Your Covert Mission, with host William C. Moyers. They share some tangible advice with other veterans who want…

    more
  30. How to Heal and Recover from Shame

    Shame and addiction go hand-in-hand. Because of that, some of the most important work in recovery deals with the transformation of shame into something lighter and more actionable—guilt. Then a person can understand, "I did bad things, but I am not a bad person." And they can forgive themselves…

    more
  31. Aida's Recovery Story - Trapped in the Eye of the Storm

    Aida was addicted to crystal meth and too sick to evacuate when hurricane Katrina battered the coast. Her daughter and family had sheltered in Dallas, but she had to wait out the destruction alone in Baton Rouge, praying for help from helicopters flying overhead. Unbeknown to Aida, a twist of…

    more
  32. How Trauma and Migration Affect the Treatment Process

    Immigrants and refugees are often forced to flee from unimaginable crisis—their lives torn apart by war and other humanitarian disasters. Unfortunately, that trauma doesn't disappear when they arrive in the States. Plus, with no experience, they have difficulty navigating our health systems. To...

  33. Great Work: the Cook Inlet Tribal Council

    Daisy VanSlyke from the Cook Inlet Tribal Council shares how they're promoting recovery among Native Alaskan communities. Using culturally-sensitive care and native models of wellness, their organization is able to spread the messages of recovery that really stick and resonate with local...

  34. A Family's Multigenerational Story of Hope and Recovery

    Addiction passes from one generation to the next. But so too does the hope of recovery. This was the case for Judy and her family: Her mother was the fourth patient to ever receive treatment at the Betty Ford Center. Then Judy, her brother and her son later followed in those healing footsteps,...

  35. Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Addiction

    Indigenous children were stolen from their homes, sent to boarding schools and forced to assimilate. Thus began the cycle of trauma and addiction. Today, the Wellbreity movement responds—providing a cultural framework for healing from those injustices and breaking the cycle.

  36. The Role of Historical Trauma

    Host Andrew Williams speaks with his colleagues Cecelia Jayme, Director of Clinical Services, and Sarita McGowan, PhD. As two proud Native women in long-term recovery, Jayme and McGowan, PhD, share their personal and professional insights into addiction within Indigenous communities. And they...

  37. The Medicine of Community: Native Strong Men Project

    Food. Touch. Connection. Music and Laughter. These are medicines, and when a person is healthy and whole, they become good medicine to others. That's how Celina Mahinalani Garza is bridging the health equity gap for Native communities. Tune in to hear her fascinating outlook on healing.

  38. Teaching the Language of Recovery

    Emi and Lina didn't have the tools to process and make sense of their loved one's addiction. They're just kids, after all. But once they attended the Children's Program, they started to speak the language of recovery—and they understood that they will never, ever be alone on this journey.

  39. Do I Have an Alcohol Use Disorder?

    Has your drinking become problematic? You're not alone: the headlines have focused on opioids and fentanyl, but alcohol remains the most used and abused substance in the country. And the pandemic made things worse. So if you're wondering whether you might have an alcohol use disorder, learn these...

  40. A Message of Hope for Parents with Addicted Children

    A beautiful and fun-loving boy transformed when he began to experiment with substances. His father, Stephen, could hardly recognize him: he became "nasty and combative," and their home life was marred by conflict. Willing to do anything, Stephen retired from Wall Street to learn everything he…

    more
  41. Gridiron to Guardian: Student Athlete Inspires Change at His Alma Mater

    Mike Heuerman's football career at the University of Notre Dame took a heavy toll on his body. He needed surgery to repair the labrum in his hip and the torn muscles in his lower abdomen. But, as is often the case, the prescription opioids introduced him to addiction. Now Mike is five years sober...

  42. Can We End the Epidemic? The History of Opioids and New Clinical Developments

    How did prescription opioids become a gateway to heroin and fentanyl? When did opioids become the gold standard for pain management, and why did regulation take so long? Chief Medical Officer, Alta DeRoo, joins host William C. Moyers to discuss the opioid epidemic in its entirety, including its...

  43. How Do We Contain the Fentanyl Crisis? A Panel of Experts Weighs In

    Host William C. Moyers speaks with four of his brilliant colleagues about the state of the fentanyl epidemic. Now linked to 70 percent of overdose deaths, the drug is appearing in non-opioids like benzodiazepines, MDMA and marijuana. How did we get here? How can parents and communities limit the...

  44. The Battle against Burnout: How to Rediscover Your Joy and Passion

    Burnout and compassion fatigue reached a fever pitch during the pandemic, but these problems have existed forever: caregivers and service providers get exhausted, then the beauty of their work—caring for and helping other people—is eclipsed by apathy. To help people return to self and rediscover...

  45. Where Is the Justice in the System? Helping Incarcerated Women Who Face Addiction

    Do we want to help incarcerated women, many of whom are locked up for non-violent crimes, or should we let them fend for themselves? Dr. Stephanie Covington has spent decades trying to help these women, providing them the tools and community resources they need to recover and reintegrate into...

  46. Addiction in the Workplace: Creating a Culture Where Employees Feel Safe

    Addiction doesn't discriminate based on income or employment. Employees in any work setting can be affected by the disease, and the culture of the workplace will either encourage treatment and recovery or passively endorse the disease of addiction—with very real effects to the business and, more...

  47. An Inside Look: Training the Next Generation of Addiction Counselors

    Dr. Kevin Doyle, the President and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies, joins host William C. Moyers to talk about the evolution of academia and the changing landscape for addiction counselors. They also discuss the urgent and increasing demand for counselors, and...

  48. The Journey Back to Self: How to Feel Okay Despite a Loved One's Addiction

    Is it possible to find peace and happiness when a loved one is addicted? Twenty years ago, prized author Beverly Conyers would have said "no." She thought acceptance meant giving up, and she would have sacrificed everything to keep her daughter safe. Now after two decades of learning and living,...

  49. Pregnancy and Substance Use: What to Know and How to Find Help

    Can pregnant women safely consume a small amount of alcohol or marijuana? How will prescription medicine affect the baby? Chief Medical Officer and board-certified OB/GYN Alta DeRoo, MD, sits down with host William C. Moyers to answer those questions and more, offering some really simple and...

  50. What to Make of Ketamine: Dangerous Drug or Miracle Medicine?

    Ketamine is the source of some controversy: it works wonders for depression, and fast. But it's also addictive and potentially triggering for people in recovery. It's proven to effectively treat severe depression that won't respond to other medications. But because it affects so many receptor…

    more

About this show

Hear what leading addiction and recovery experts are talking about—addiction trends, topics and challenges as well as research, practices and advances that point the most promising way forward. Author and recovery advocate William C. Moyers serves as host of this thought-provoking interview series, brought to you by the renowned Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Listen in on Moyers' conversations with his colleagues who work at the forefront of addiction treatment, recovery and prevention, including noted clinicians, researchers, academics and other thought leaders. With equal parts information and inspiration, Let's Talk Addiction and Recovery opens the door to help, healing and hope.

Hosted by

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Presents Let's Talk Addiction and Recovery w

Produced by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Frequently asked questions

How many episodes does Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery have?

Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery has 150 episodes on PodParley. The most recent episode was published on October 16, 2023.

What is Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery about?

Hear what leading addiction and recovery experts are talking about—addiction trends, topics and challenges as well as research, practices and advances that point the most promising way forward. Author and recovery advocate William C. Moyers serves as host of this thought-provoking interview series,...

How often does Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery release new episodes?

Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery publishes every two weeks, based on its 150 episodes since May 2018.

Who hosts Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery?

Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery is created and hosted by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Presents Let's Talk Addiction and Recovery w.
Link copied