Episode 68: SHE RECOVERS Every Day with Dr. Dawn NickelEpisode 68: SHE RECOVERS Every Day with Dr. Dawn Nickel
SHE RECOVERS Podcast
Dr. Dawn Nickel shares the origins of SHE RECOVERS, her multi-layered recovery journey, and how inclusive, identity-based support helps women and non-binary people heal. The conversation also touches on family recovery, infant loss, intergenerational trauma and the power of online community during the pandemic.
45:23•16 Feb 2023
SHE RECOVERS Every Day: Inclusive Healing with Dr. Dawn Nickel
Episode Overview
- Recovery can include substances, relationships, work, trauma and grief all at once, and many women need spaces where they can talk about "all the things" together.
- Labeling violence, assault and family dysfunction as "outside issues" can block healing; bringing these stories into the open reduces shame and stigma.
- Recovery is often a family journey, and stepping in early with love, boundaries and support can be safer than waiting for a child to "hit bottom."
- Grief over infant or child loss is valid and ongoing; speaking their names and sharing stories can create healing spaces for long-silenced pain.
- Online gatherings and flexible, low-pressure meetings make recovery support more accessible for women and non-binary people with busy or complex lives.
“Just step into something true about yourself.”
Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of recovery, grief, and community as SHE RECOVERS Co-Founder Dr. Dawn Nickel sits down with new host Dr. Tiffany Wynn. Aimed at women and non-binary people who feel like they’re "recovering from all the things", this conversation centres on inclusive, identity-based support and why connection matters so much.
Dawn shares how her own journey through substance use disorder, codependency, workaholism and intergenerational trauma led her to dream up a space where women could bring their whole selves. She jokes about the "garbage bag experience" of trying to treat one issue while another pops out, and describes how traditional 12-step spaces sometimes labelled domestic violence and sexual assault as "outside issues".
That frustration became the seed for SHE RECOVERS, a community where, as Dawn puts it, "I'm just recovering from all the things." The episode also touches on recovery as a family affair. Dawn speaks honestly about her daughter Taryn’s addiction as a teenager, the decision not to wait for her to "hit bottom", and the intense mix of paralysis, guilt and fierce love that followed. Dr.
Tiffany mirrors this with her own experience parenting a daughter in crisis, making the conversation feel like a safe kitchen-table chat many will relate to. One particularly powerful moment comes when Dr. Tiffany reads the "Recovering from infant loss" meditation from Dawn’s book *SHE RECOVERS Every Day*. The passage honours parents who have lost children and stresses that "grief lives on as long as love does" – a line that will resonate deeply with anyone carrying unspoken loss.
You’ll also hear how the pandemic pushed SHE RECOVERS online, opening doors for mums, carers and anyone who needs low-pressure, camera-optional connection. If you’ve ever wished for a recovery space where you can show up exactly as you are, this conversation might be the nudge you’ve been waiting for. What truth about yourself are you ready to step into today?
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