Matthew Federrici

Matthew Federrici

Curious about how others manage their wellbeing beyond diagnosis and clinical care? This Recovery Talks episode brings together long-time colleagues Jim and Matthew Federrici, Executive Director of Doors to Wellbeing, to talk about "Taking Action for Whole Health and Wellbeing" – a peer-led curriculum that has been taking shape for around 30 years. Rather than another classroom-style training, Matthew explains that Taking Action works more like a lifestyle practice.

He compares it to yoga: you would never want a yoga teacher who just read the book, and the same goes for peer support. The people leading groups are expected to use the tools in their own lives, day in, day out. As Matthew puts it, "Taking action is a lifetime thing.

You have to take action your whole life." The conversation walks through the roots of the curriculum in SAMHSA-funded recovery work and how it grew from people with lived experience sharing what actually helped them stay well. Key ideas include hope, self-determination, self-esteem, personal responsibility, connection, and community participation. Rather than medical language, the focus stays on real-life feelings and situations – things like isolation, work, relationships and finding ways to be included in everyday community life.

You’ll hear how participants build a "wellness toolbox", create a daily maintenance plan, and think ahead about triggers, early warning signs, crisis planning and what happens after a crisis. Jim and Matthew also talk about why group safety and shared decision-making are so important, and how strong bonds form when peers learn together. This episode suits anyone interested in peer support, mental health or addiction recovery, and people who like the idea of practical structure rather than theory.

It might leave you asking yourself the same question Matthew poses at the end: what are you going to do today to take action for your whole health and wellbeing?