Genuine Life with Jodie Stevens

Courageous Conversations: Childhood Trauma, Faith, & Healing - Pt 1 (Ep. 181)

Listen and watch for an honest and compassionate conversation with author and recovery leader David Zailer as we explore the impact of childhood trauma and the long road toward healing.

David opens up about surviving sexual abuse within the church, growing up with a narcissistic parent, and carrying the emotional fallout of a deeply dysfunctional home. Together, we talk through the coping mechanisms he developed, the shame and confusion he carried for years, and how these early wounds helped shape his addiction.

We also dive into the realities of gaslighting, family dynamics, and that moment in recovery when Scripture and faith finally began to feel real. David shares how therapy, safe people, and spiritual awakening became turning points in his healing journey.

This episode is raw, hope-filled, and deeply relatable for anyone navigating their own recovery or supporting someone they love. It’s the first in a two-part series — with Part 2 focusing on the Christian 12 Steps and David’s book Our Journey Home.

The God Who Became Bread: A True Story of Starving, Feasting, & Feeding Others (Ep. 180).

Join us for this powerful episode of Genuine Life Recovery, with author and speaker Emily Wierenga, who nearly starved to death as a young girl but now feeds bodies and souls with the love of God. Emily shares her remarkable journey from battling anorexia and fear to finding healing, identity, and purpose through Christ.

As the author of The God Who Became Bread: A True Story of Starving, Feasting, and Feeding Others, Emily opens up about the moment God met her in a hospital room, the deep faith lessons she learned in Africa, and how those experiences led her to found The Lulu Tree, a nonprofit ministry serving mothers and children in Uganda and Sierra Leone.

Her story reminds us that God still works miracles — in our hearts, our families, and across the world. Through surrender, grace, and community, we can all learn what it means to be truly fed.

Learn more about Emily’s ministry and writing at www.emilywierenga.com. 

From Overdose to Encounter: How Jesus Met a Heroin Addict at IHOP – Adam Vibe Gunton’s Recovery Story (Ep. 180)

After years of heroin addiction, homelessness, and a near-fatal overdose caught on camera, Adam Vibe Gunton was out of options—until a supernatural encounter in an IHOP changed everything. In this episode of Genuine Life Recovery, I talk with Adam about his dramatic journey from despair to purpose, his powerful vision of Jesus, and how that moment set him free from addiction for good.

Adam now leads Recovered on Purpose, a national movement helping others share their stories, eliminate shame, and find lasting hope through faith and recovery. This raw and redemptive conversation dives deep into fentanyl’s deadly grip, the broken treatment system, and how God’s grace can reach anyone—no matter how far they’ve fallen.

About Adam’s Work:
Through Recovered on Purpose, Adam and his team provide a free 50-state resource guide for people seeking addiction treatment—especially those on or eligible for Medicaid. His for-profit agency, Behavioral Health Partners, helps ethical, mission-driven treatment centers grow and serve clients with excellence. Adam is also a partner in Radix Recovery, opening 68 new detox beds to help people begin their healing journey.

 

Recovery, Relationships, & Real Life with Josh and Heidi (Ep. 179)

In this special episode of Genuine Life Recovery, I’m hanging out with my husband, Aaron, as we co-host an honest conversation with Josh and Heidi Case from The Sober Buzz Podcast. Since Aaron and I have been married in sobriety for nearly two decades, it was powerful to talk with another couple navigating marriage, recovery, and real life.

Josh and Heidi’s story is full of every emotion—roller-coaster highs and crushing lows. We talk about the pain of relapse, the lies we tell ourselves in addiction, and what it looks like to keep rebuilding even when everything seems broken. Heidi shares about her 18-year misdiagnosis with bipolar disorder, the devastating side effects of unnecessary treatments, and how her true healing began when she finally stepped away from the medications that masked her pain. Josh opens up about spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on rehab, trying geographical moves to escape his problems, and the breaking point that finally led him to lasting sobriety. 

Together we laugh, reflect, and talk about codependency, family dynamics, and the surprising joy of marriage in recovery.

👉 Learn more about Josh and Heidi at sober.buzz and check out their podcasts Sober.Buzz: Spreading the Good Buzz and Swarm Up.

Recovery isn’t always a straight line—and sometimes, real healing happens in the gray space between sickness and full recovery. In this episode of Genuine Life Recovery, we jump in with journalist, professor, and author Mallary Tenore Tarpley, whose powerful memoir Slip explores her journey through anorexia, binge eating, and the lifelong process of reclaiming health and identity.

Mallary opens up about losing her mother at a young age, how grief and control fueled her eating disorder, and why she now embraces what she calls the “middle place” in recovery—where slips and setbacks are not failures, but part of the healing process. Together, we discuss the overlap between eating disorders and addiction, the importance of vulnerability, and the daily practices that can help move us toward more recovery—even when it’s messy. 

Learn more about Mallary’s work, her book Slip, and her ongoing advocacy for those in recovery at mallarytenoretarpley.com

From Binge to Balance: Food Addiction Recovery for High Achievers (Ep 177)

“Are you hustling your way to success… with a side of secret snacks?”

In this episode of Genuine Life Recovery, we dive into the surprising truth about food addiction—especially in the world of busy entrepreneurs. Is it really just about overeating, or is something deeper at play?

Licensed therapist Jennifer Schrappe joins me to unpack:

• The difference between a sweet tooth and a true addiction 

• How stress, dopamine, and those late-night hustle sessions fuel compulsive eating

• Why high-achievers are so prone to emotional eating during launches, deadlines, and financial stress

• Practical ways to break the shame cycle and build a healthier relationship with food—without sacrificing your goals

We also explore the connection between food, mental health, and faith—because your body isn’t a stress dumpster; it’s part of your calling.

If you’ve ever told yourself, “I’m just too busy to eat right,” this episode is for you.

Not a Caretaker? You Might Still Be Codependent (Ep. 176)

Are you codependent — but not in the way everyone talks about?

Most people think codependency is only about caretaking, rescuing, and sacrificing yourself to meet everyone else’s needs. And yes, that’s one form — but it’s not the only one. For me, codependency showed up in my career, performance, and need for approval. My identity rose and fell with ratings, audience feedback, and what people thought of me. If the show was a hit, I felt worthy. If the phones were silent or the criticism loud, I felt like a failure.

In this video, we explore hidden forms of codependency — not just the fixer or caretaker, but the performer, the people-pleaser, the overachiever. You’ll discover:

• How codependency can show up in parenting, ministry, volunteering, and the workplace
• Why our self-worth often gets tied to others’ expectations or achievements
• The connection between codependency, perfectionism, and people-pleasing
• The psychological roots of codependency — from low self-esteem to attachment wounds
• How faith and biblical truth can break the cycle of performance-based identity

Whether your codependency comes from childhood trauma, dysfunctional family dynamics, or a lifetime of chasing approval, this episode will help you see that God’s love isn’t performance-based. Galatians 6 reminds us to carry our own load, not live someone else’s life — and to stop finding our worth in what we produce or how much we please others.    

If you’ve been over-performing, over-pleasing, or over-sacrificing just to feel “enough,” it’s time to let that go. You are already loved. Already worthy. Already enough — in Him

If You Keep Relapsing, It Might Be an Identity Issue (Part 5 Ep. 175)

In this episode, we explore how identity is at the heart of recovery. It’s not just about resisting the next drink or behavior—it’s about confronting the deep, often hidden beliefs you hold about who you are. And many of us, especially in early sobriety, don’t realize we’ve been living from a false self shaped by trauma, shame, and survival. We unpack the core idea from Gabor Maté—that our two basic human needs are authenticity and attachment, and how many of us traded our authenticity to be loved. That trade-off, often made in childhood, can leave us fractured and unaware of who we really are.

Recovery is where that false identity begins to crack—and where God begins to reveal the true self He created. You’ll hear teachings and insights woven from my own personal story plus: Henri Nouwen on belovedness and the lies we believe David Benner on discovering your identity in Christ—not in what you do or how others see you Dallas Willard on spiritual formation and surrender Peter Scazzero on the “Wall” and the dark night of the soul Eugene Peterson on obedience and calling in hidden seasons All rooted in the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:17—“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…”

This episode will help you recognize the old patterns and labels trying to keep you stuck, and invite you to begin walking in your true name, your God-given identity, and your purpose in sobriety.