Recovery Nuggets Podcast

Dr. Higgins joins David Clemen on the podcast to discuss new technologies that are helping people with addiction in their lives. We hope you enjoy the conversation!

Check out her website at

The new workbook is Available August 29, 2023

Dr Jamie Marich and Dr. Stephen Dansiger hop on to discuss the new workbork for Trauma and The 12 Steps. We discuss all things recovery as well as how this workbook can enhance your recovery.

David is reunited with former Manager and all around good dude Mike Fecht. Mike has come on to share his story of dealing with the grief, after the loss of his spouse Shani. He has written a book that chronicles his life after one phone called changed his life.

This episode is dedicated to Shani Fecht and her brilliant spirit.

Famous athletes and their agents. South Beach. After a tumultuous young adulthood, Mike Fecht finally found the job and life of his dreams. Managing a sports performance facility for some of the world’s most famous athletes in South Florida, life was looking up for thirty-five-year-old Mike and his wife of eight years, Shani. Then during the process of relocating from Atlanta, Mike received a call that would change his life forever.

His wife had been murdered in Atlanta.

Dark depths of despair and rage consumed Mike. The grief was overwhelming. But in healing from her own mother’s death, Shani left the blueprint for Mike to follow. At times it seemed as if she might just be throwing nuggets of clues from the other side.

A regular yoga practice was one of Shani’s final gifts to Mike. Although Mike avoided it for years, Shani convinced him to take up yoga a couple of years before her death. In his grief, the yoga mat became Mike’s rabbit hole into a spiritual journey of healing, transformation and connection to his late wife.

Mike let go of all he thought he knew to become something he never imagined.

An Unlikely Yogi takes the reader through an at-times intense journey of grief and loss to hope, healing and recovery on the other side.
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“Mike has truly created a masterpiece! Doing what he does best: finding strength through the discomfort and creating calmness through the breath. An Unlikely Yogi empowers anyone who has gone through some form of trauma to keep flowing. It's an example of what we're capable of overcoming when inner work is our focus. Namaste.”

Jelani Jenkins
5-Year NFL Veteran
Founder/CEO, Postseason
"I cried, then I smiled. I cried some more, then I laughed. This beautiful memoir of hope after tragedy is something everyone can learn something from. Reading about the impact yoga had on Mike’s life has inspired me to create my own yoga space in my home because of the powerful benefits."

Shannon Furman
7-Time Emmy Award-Winning Producer and Director With NFL Films

“Mike’s ability to feed life into others is a gift that has blessed my life wholeheartedly. Mike’s story not only encourages others that have been through adversity, but also how to connect with your inner being. Through yoga and meditation, Mike has taught me to 'let it be.' Mike, I want to thank you, because what we did in Miami changed my life forever! Love the book and love what you stand for!"

Jamar Taylor
8-Year NFL Veteran

"I’ve known Mike for a decade and have found his story and journey inspiring on many levels. Mike pushes himself to not only find his own path to peace but takes the time to help those around him in the process. Having the opportunity to get to know Mike has been a gift, and I look forward to following his growth for many years."

Kathryn Petralia
Cofounder and Chief Keeper, Keep Financial
Cofounder and Former COO, Kabbage.com
Forbes Magazine Top 100 Most Influential Women in the World

You can find out more about Tara's offerings, retreats, and reiki here:

Ryan jumps on the podcast to discuss design, sobriety, and keeping busy in recovery. Ryan has his own style and motivations that help keep him sober. On top of being a full time tech designer, he has his own clothing apparel where the design is CLEN and top notch. Thanks Ryan for being on the show!

Quint visits the podcast all the way from the UK. It was a wonderful conversation about recovery, mental health related animations and much more. Thanks Quint!

Writer/Producer/Director

Video creator

Brittany Shelton is an author and hops on the podcast to discuss recovery from complex childhood trauma and self destruction. Thank You for listening. 

Martin Lockett is a writer and speaker whose words have impacted thousands of people, even before leaving prison. He served almost 18 years for manslaughter, caused by an accident one New Year’s eve where he drank excessively and drove through a stop light, colliding with a car carrying three people. Upon learning that the two people who died that night were volunteers in the drug and alcohol recovery community, Martin chose to honor them by dedicating his life to helping others through addiction counseling and drinking and driving prevention.

Martin has made the most of his incarceration by striving to achieve an education and certifications to become a counselor. His list of educational accomplishments includes:

• Earned his high school GED
• Earned a Certificate of Human Services from Louisiana State University
• Graduated from Indiana University: Associate of Arts
• Graduated from Colorado State University-Pueblo: Bachelor of Science in Sociology with honors
• Graduated from California Coast University: Master of Science in Psychology with honors
• Became a member of the Delta Epsilon Tau International Honor Society
• Completed comprehensive substance abuse treatment program
• Interned and earned state certification as a substance abuse counselor (CADC I)

While in prison, he worked in the educational programs for inmates where he:

• Moderated DUI victim impact panels for three years that included offenders and victims and told his own story
• Recorded detailed account of the night of the crash for use at various online panels during the pandemic
• Mentored and trained inmates to become mentors for addictions recovery
• Tutored inmates through the GED curriculum
• Counseled inmates through addictions treatment

As a writer, Martin has used his time behind bars to write in various forms, all with the intention of helping others with his story and life experiences.

• Wrote and published two books: his memoir, Prison to Purpose Pipeline and My Prison Life, his collection of essays
• Published hundreds of blog posts on adjusting to prison life, maximizing opportunities behind bars, the impact of incarceration on families and communities, and current social justice issues
• Published articles in the Oregonian: Honoring my victims every day (2019);Time to pull back on mandatory minimum sentences (2020); Returning to Portland from prison with a commitment to make amends (2021); and Ex-offenders seeking a fresh start need help finding a home base (2021)

While serving his time, Martin Lockett modeled exemplary behavior throughout the entirety of his sentence by not receiving a single disciplinary report. He has focused on achieving his pledge to take up the work of his victims, which he intends to do for the rest of his life.

This week Ingrid Clayton Phd hops on the podcast to discuss recovery from Narcissistic Abuse and Complex Trauma. 

With a Masters in transpersonal psychology and a PhD in clinical psychology, Ingrid has a holistic approach to psychotherapy, incorporating trauma-informed modalities like Somatic Experiencing, EMDR and other experiential ways of working with the nervous system.

Based on the belief that a therapist can’t take her clients further than she is willing to go, Ingrid has been using a relational approach to therapy since 2004, bringing her whole self to the work including her personal experience, intuition and education. This enables her to be in real connection and collaboration with her clients.

Joanna Free jumps on the podcast to discuss recovery from Nicotine and Vaping. This is a great topic for discussion as a lot of people in recovery are trying to break free from the chains of Nicotine. Thanks for listening. 

Lynn King rejoins the podcast to discuss her 1 year Anniversary of being Sober. She shares what it's like to hit a rough patch in early recovery 

and how she got through it. We also discuss learning about unmet expectations of other people and how that can be a disappointment. Lynn shares about big changes in her life and navigating moving to another country. Glad to have her back on the podcast. 

A bit about Gigi Langer:

I’m a presenter, retreat leader, and author of the award-winning book, 50 Ways to Worry Less Now: Reject Negative Thinking to Find Peace, Clarity, and Connection. I also have 34 years of sobriety.

Would you like to learn how to overcome your stress, anxiety, and negative patterns?  My goal is to help you become calm and wise, even during your most troubling times.

Rather than responding out of impatience, fear, judging, gossip, or self-sabotage, you’ll learn to connect with your own center of loving power so you can enjoy fulfilling relationships, creativity, vibrant health, and success.

Andrew Susskind, LCSW, SEP, CGP has been in private practice since 1992 specializing in the following areas:

• relationships
• sexual compulsivity and problematic sexual behaviors
• addictions & trauma
• grief & loss
• mid-life transitions

Andrew is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Brainspotting and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and a Certified Group Psychotherapist. In 1988 he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst before transitioning to the West Coast. After completing a Master of Social Welfare degree from UCLA in 1991, Andrew has worked with individuals, couples, families and groups in his practice.

Speaking, writing, and training are dimensions of Andrew's ongoing desire to learn and grow. He has given numerous presentations and workshops both nationally and locally in Southern California, and he was adjunct faculty in the UCLA School of Medicine Doctoring Program.

Andrew has mentored associates in his private practice since 1997 and serves as faculty for the Principles of Group Psychotherapy course, a prerequisite to becoming a Certified Group Psychotherapist. His recent book It’s Not About the Sex: Moving from Isolation to Intimacy after Sexual Addiction (Central Recovery Press, June 2019) joins his workbook, From Now On: Seven Keys to Purposeful Recovery which was released in 2014.

Stephanie is recently celebrating 13 years clean and sober! David welcomes Stephanie on the pod to share her story of growing up 

feeling like she didn't fit in. A myriad of situations contributed to her eventual turn toward the booze and the drugs. She also found the path of 

recovery at quite a young age. Her life is now immersed in recovery and helping others. 

Recovery is possible at any age! Enjoy the episode. 

Dr. Robb Kelly hops on the podcast to share his experience, his tips, his story, and lastly his Recovery Nuggets!

Robb Kelly, PhD – The Recovery Expert – was born in Manchester England. He grew up in a family of musicians and developed a strong love for music at an early age. He was performing on stage at the age of nine. During his early twenties, he worked at the elite and influential Abbey Roads Studio, as a session musician in London.Addiction was always close to his heart as Dr. Kelly was born into a family that had a history of alcoholism. He began drinking and using drugs at an early age, but he managed to stay on a path of success, moving to Oxford in the early 1980’s to pursue a PhD in Psychology at the prestigious University of Oxford. He continued to drink heavily during his time in Oxford – but still managed to complete his Doctorate studies, graduating with a PhD in psychology in 1984.Even though he was a heavy drinker – no one would have predicted, that he would be living on the streets of Manchester, homeless and alone. He recalls the night where he had a staggering revelation when it came to his own alcoholism. It would later coin two of his most popular catch phrases: “The Problem is not our Drinking, it is our Thinking” and “Step out of the Disease, and into the Solution.”Dr. Kelly was standing on a street corner one night in Manchester. His body was shaking from alcohol withdrawal, and he stood in front of a liquor store, trembling, desperately waiting for the store to open. He knew that as soon as he drank that first sip of alcohol, he would feel relief.As soon as the liquor store opened, he rushed into the store. The clerk grabbed a bottle of Vodka from the shelf, and placed it in a brown paper bag in front of him. As he lifted the bag in his hands his trembling stopped. His body stopped shaking and his mind rested at ease. He had not even taken that first sip; it was just the promise of alcohol that stopped his shaking and eased his restless mind.