The Hanley Effect
The Hanley Effect
Podcast Description
Welcome to the Hanley Effect, a podcast by Hanley Foundation designed to educate, change minds, and save lives. Our goal is to inspire you, showcase our innovations, and change the conversation about addiction and mental health. Join us as we unravel stories of resilience, recovery, and hope.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
This podcast focuses on themes of addiction recovery, mental health, and trauma-informed care. Episodes explore topics such as the complexities of treating older adults, the intersection of spirituality and recovery, and innovative programs like Casa Flores, which supports mothers in recovery. Specific episodes highlight personal recovery journeys, community support mechanisms, and the critical role of family involvement in healing.
The Hanley Effect is a weekly addiction recovery and mental health podcast hosted by Dr. John Dyben, Chief Clinical Officer at Hanley Center, and Dr. Rachel Docekal, CEO of the Hanley Foundation.
This trauma-informed podcast explores substance use disorder (SUD), addiction treatment, neuroscience, co-occurring mental health disorders, overdose prevention, adolescent mental health, and long-term recovery through evidence-based conversations with leading experts, clinicians, policymakers, and individuals with lived experience.
Featured guests include leading neuroscientists, healthcare executives, policymakers, law enforcement leaders, and nationally recognized advocates shaping the future of addiction treatment and prevention.
Produced by the Hanley Foundation, a nonprofit leader in prevention, education, treatment, and advocacy, The Hanley Effect delivers trusted insight, practical tools, and real-world perspectives for behavioral health professionals, educators, first responders, families, and people in recovery.
Grounded in science and compassion, this podcast helps listeners better understand addiction, reduce stigma, and build stronger, healthier communities.
What happens when love crosses the line into enabling? How can families support a loved one struggling with addiction without unintentionally making the disease worse?
In this episode of The Hanley Effect, Dr. Rachel Docekal sits down with Matt Grace, author, speaker, recovery practitioner, and founder of Saving Grace, for an honest conversation about addiction, family dynamics, boundaries, and the transformative power of recovery.
With more than 21 years of sobriety and thousands of hours spent mentoring individuals and families, Matt shares his deeply personal story of addiction, growing up in privilege, and how well-intentioned enabling nearly cost him his life. Drawing from his own experiences and the lessons captured in his book, God Doesn’t Relapse: Sex, Drugs, and the Life That Almost Killed Me, Matt explains why setting healthy boundaries is one of the greatest acts of love a family can offer.
Together, Matt and Dr. Docekal discuss the unique challenges faced by affluent families, the importance of family involvement in treatment, and why recovery is about far more than simply stopping substance use; it’s about finding purpose, accountability, and connection.
Whether you’re a parent, family member, clinician, or someone in recovery, this conversation offers practical insights and hope for anyone affected by substance use disorder.
In This Episode:
- Matt Grace’s journey from addiction to more than 21 years of recovery
- Growing up with privilege and how enabling delayed recovery
- Why healthy boundaries can save lives
- The difference between supporting and enabling a loved one
- How family dynamics influence addiction and recovery
- Why consequences matter in the recovery process
- The role of service, purpose, and giving back in long-term sobriety
- Helping families recover together, not just the individual
- Addressing stigma surrounding addiction, especially in affluent communities
- Why mentoring and peer support remain some of the most powerful recovery tools available
About Matt Grace
Matt Grace is an author, speaker, recovery practitioner, and transformational recovery expert dedicated to helping individuals and families break free from addiction and rebuild their lives with purpose. With more than two decades of sobriety, a degree in Addiction Studies focused on Integrative Healing, and thousands of hours mentoring families across the country, Matt has become a trusted voice in the recovery community.
He is the author of God Doesn’t Relapse: Sex, Drugs, and the Life That Almost Killed Me, a memoir and practical guide that explores addiction, enabling, family healing, and the life-changing power of service. Through his organization, Saving Grace, Matt works with families navigating addiction, trauma, and generational dysfunction while advocating for honest conversations, healthy boundaries, and lasting recovery.
Learn more about Matt Grace and his work at www.mattgrace.com.
Resources
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or a co-occurring mental health disorder, help is available.
Learn more about Hanley’s treatment, family support, and recovery programs at HanleyCenter.org.
Listen, Subscribe & Share
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Disclaimer
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