Hello, For much of my life I struggled with high levels of anxiety, chronic pain, and bouts of depression. The inability to manage these experiences well led me to cope through alcohol and drug use for more than 20 years. Growing up in a challenging home environment, I started using marijuana at 14, eventually turning to alcohol and harder substances in my later teens. Sobriety began at 37 years old, when my daughters were 4 and 6, motivated by a desire to be a better father and experience life sober for the first time as an adult. I’m happy to say it’s been 10 years now. I’m a divorced father of two teenage daughters and have developed a successful co-parenting relationship with my ex-wife. I’ve also worked hard to build a healthy relationship with my new life partner and integrate a family dynamic with my children. I continue to support my health with attention to mindfulness & meditation practice, exercise, nutrition, sleep and talk therapy. With these methods and disciplines in place and in sync, I've found a new sense of clarity and balance that allows me to live a more intentional life. I am a certified peer recovery specialist and mindfulness teacher with many years of practice using my lived experiences to support and encourage healing and growth for myself and others.