Redefining Recovery: Inside The Sanctuary at Sedona with Dean TaraborelliRedefining Recovery: Inside The Sanctuary at Sedona with Dean Taraborelli
I Love Being Sober
Tim Westbrook talks with Dean Taraborelli about a non-12-step, holistic approach to addiction recovery that blends neuroscience, energy medicine and ancient practices. The discussion focuses on trauma, brain change, nutrition and psychedelics as tools for building a sustainable, wellness-centred life beyond alcohol and drugs.
1:01:05•5 Mar 2024
Redefining Recovery with Science, Spirit and Energy at The Sanctuary at Sedona
Episode Overview
- Recovery can be approached as a holistic wellness journey, not just the act of stopping substances.
- Thought patterns like "I’m an alcoholic" can strengthen unhelpful neural networks; changing language and beliefs supports brain change.
- Trauma is stored primarily in the unconscious mind and nervous system, so methods like breath work, energy psychology and ceremony can be useful.
- Nutrition and gut health significantly affect mood and brain function; reducing sugar and ultra-processed foods may support recovery.
- Psychedelics and ketamine, used in structured, ceremonial contexts, are presented as tools to quiet the usual mental chatter and open new perspectives.
“"If I keep saying I'm an alcoholic and I'm never going to get better, I'm reinforcing a neural network I may not want to reinforce."”
How do different strategies aid in addiction recovery? This conversation between host Tim Westbrook and guest Dean Taraborelli offers a fresh, science-backed look at getting well and staying well. Dean shares his own journey from early trauma, heavy drinking and massive opiate use to years of trying "the best treatment money can buy" and shamanic healing across 60 countries. Sitting in yet another treatment centre, he realised, "Oh my God, that was my training.
We need a different model of treatment." That moment led to The Sanctuary at Sedona and its Integrative Addiction Recovery programme. You’ll hear how this non-12-step residential centre blends neuroscience, energy medicine and ancient practices. Dean explains core ideas like neuroplasticity and epigenetics in plain language: every thought reshapes the brain, and your environment and habits influence how your genes are expressed.
He challenges the belief that people must always identify as addicts, saying that reinforcing "I’m an alcoholic and I’m never going to get better" only strengthens unhelpful neural pathways. The episode breaks down how trauma lives in the unconscious mind and nervous system, and why tools like breath work, sweat lodge, ketamine-assisted sessions and energy psychology can help release "charge" from old experiences so real change becomes possible.
Dean’s philosophy is clear: recovery is about a whole-being upgrade—mind, body, heart and soul—rather than just stopping drinking or drugging. Tim and Dean also touch on nutrition, biohacking, and why feeling good naturally can become "the drug" that keeps people engaged in recovery. Dean’s practical encouragement? It’s rarely as bad as you think: once you start, you’re on a path of self-discovery that can improve your health, relationships and daily life.
If you’re curious about a different path to recovery that treats you as more than a diagnosis, this episode might spark some new questions about what long-term wellness could look like for you.
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