Sobriety, Now What? with Stuart Cline
Most sobriety podcasts tell you to stay sober. This one helps you figure out what to do with the life you're building.
Sobriety Now What? is for people who are sober — or trying to be — and ready to go deeper than just not drinking or using. Each episode explores what it actually looks like to build a life worth staying sober for.
I'm your host, Stuart Cline — a licensed therapist, addiction counselor, and one of the few board-certified art therapists working in addiction recovery. I've spent over 25 years in clinical practice — from a locked inpatient psychiatric unit early in my career, to leading an intensive outpatient program, to 18 years of hospital-based clinical work alongside a private practice. I've trained professionally at Betty Ford and taught counseling and art therapy at the graduate level. In New Mexico I hold three active licenses: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADAC), and Licensed Art Therapist (LPAT). Nationally, I'm a Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) and Registered Board-Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC).
That combination isn't accidental. Recovery isn't just behavioral — it's emotional, creative, and deeply personal. That's the lens I bring to every episode.
I also bring something no credential can give you. I grew up with two alcoholic parents — one who got sober, and one who didn't. The difference between those two paths shaped my life and my purpose. I know what recovery can cost, and I know what it can give back.
Each episode offers practical tools, honest conversations, and real strategies for navigating the emotional terrain of sober life — cravings, stress, relationships, purpose, identity, and everything in between. You'll hear from authors, musicians, teachers, business owners, and recovery experts, alongside solo episodes where I break down what works, why it works, and how to apply it.
There's no single right way to recover. But there are principles that help people thrive — and that's what we explore here.
This podcast exists to help you avoid unnecessary suffering and discover what's possible when sobriety becomes a foundation, not a limitation.
You're not alone — and you don't have to figure this out by yourself.
🌐 www.sobrietynowwhat.com ✉️ sobrietynowwhat111@gmail.com
Sobriety Now What? — Let's explore what comes next.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not establish a therapeutic or counseling relationship.
Everything in there is accurate to what you've told me. Nothing overstated, nothing invented. Cut and paste ready.
Sobriety, Now What? with Stuart Cline
Ep 35: Getting Sober and Thriving: How David Hanley Wrote His Way Through Recovery
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Ep 35 Getting Sober and Thriving: How David Hanley Wrote His Way Through Recovery
Getting Sober and Thriving: How David Hanley Wrote His Way Through Recovery
What did it take for David Hanley to finally stop drinking? The answer includes years of alcohol dependency, pacing outside a liquor store at 6:45 in the morning, multiple ICU visits, a wheelchair on a runway, and a rehabilitation center he'd never heard of in a town he'd never been to. But what happened next is what makes David's story unlike anything you've heard before — six weeks sober, raw and uncertain, he picked up a pen and started writing.
In this episode David shares the journey that led to his memoir The Streetlight Chronicles — written in real time during his own recovery in a raw, unfiltered style called Gonzo journalism, think Anthony Bourdain telling the truth about addiction with zero fluff and zero filter. You'll hear how David translated the 12 steps into street-level language that finally made sense to him, guided by a character he created called the Barstool Prophet. Host Stuart Cline reads powerful passages from the book aloud, and together they explore one of the most compelling concepts in the book — the idea that you don't need a yes and you don't need a no to start your recovery. You just need a maybe.
Whether you're newly sober or years into your journey, this conversation will remind you of something worth holding onto — how far you've already come, and how much is still possible.
In this episode you'll hear:
- How COVID on the island of Maui took David's drinking from social to life threatening
- What finally made recovery click after multiple attempts
- The story behind the Barstool Prophet and what he represents
- How writing in the moment of vulnerability changed everything
- The power of approaching recovery with maybe instead of certainty
Resources mentioned:
- The Streetlight Chronicles by David Hanley — available on Amazon
- Amazon- Streetlight Chronicles
- www.streettalk.live
Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.
HI! If you are looking for me - Stuart Cline. You can find me below. I would like to hear from you.
🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com
🎓 Courses & Programs: https://stuartcline.podia.com
🌱 Evolving Fully Institute: www.evolvingfully.com
🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com
📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com
Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
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Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.
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