Episodes

  • S2 Ep5: The Gift of Addiction with David Smallwood

    S2 Ep5: The Gift of Addiction with David Smallwood
    Mar 6 2025
    In this episode of This Is Powerful, Paul welcomes renowned therapist and author David Smallwood to explore addiction, recovery, and the deep roots of trauma. With 37 years of sobriety, David shares his personal journey—from growing up in a challenging home environment to struggling with anxiety, alcohol, and benzodiazepine dependence. He discusses how early childhood trauma shapes addiction and why addressing core emotional wounds is crucial for long-term recovery.

    David and Paul dive into the concept of cross-addiction (why so many in recovery swap alcohol for tobacco, sweets, exercise, etc), the impact of fear on mental health, and the importance of connection in the healing process. He describes the impact of sensitivity in response to trauma and how his transformative experience in relapse prevention training reshaped his approach to treatment. Along the way, Paul and David swap personal stories of recovery, touching on moments of joy, fear, and the surprising gifts that come with addiction, if approached with the right mindset.
    Please let us know your thoughts on our listener feedback form:
    https://forms.gle/AFptgi3mMJKTZdYg8

    If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

    Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor

    Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

    Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor
    Find David online davidsmallwoodtherapy.co.uk
    Find David’s book on Amazon https://amzn.eu/d/64QLZkQ
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    49 mins
  • S2 Ep4: Millie Mackintosh On Fame, Family and Her Book, Bad Drunk

    S2 Ep4: Millie Mackintosh On Fame, Family and Her Book, Bad Drunk
    Feb 27 2025
    For this episode we welcome Millie Mackintosh - Made in Chelsea alum, style icon, entrepreneur and mother of two. Millie has spent the past three years redefining her relationship with alcohol and shares how her struggles with self-worth, bullying, and binge drinking began in her teenage years and followed her into adulthood. We get some honest banter about the realities of fame, the pressure and problems with seeking perfection and the wake-up call that left her reaching out for sobriety.

    In Millie’s new book, Bad Drunk, she lays bare the highs and lows of her drinking years and offers insight into what helped her break free from the cycle. The driving force behind writing the book is for Millie to help others feel less alone and to provide practical advice for anyone curious about a life with less alcohol.

    Connecting over the power of vulnerability and the importance of having sober friends, Paul and Mille also cover the surprising role that an intimacy coach can provide and the simple joys in life that begin with waking up each morning without regret.

    Please let us know your thoughts on our listener feedback form:
    https://forms.gle/AFptgi3mMJKTZdYg8

    If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

    Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor

    Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

    Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

    Find Millie on Instagram @milliemackintosh

    Bad Drunk by Millie Mackintosh is out now in Hardback, eBook and Audio, https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/millie-mackintosh/bad-drunk/9780349443812/

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    55 mins
  • S1 Ep28: Finding Strength in Storytelling with Laura Hearn

    S1 Ep28: Finding Strength in Storytelling with Laura Hearn
    Feb 20 2025
    This week, Paul sits down with Laura Hearn—renowned BBC journalist, host of the Flip It podcast, and fierce advocate for mental health. Laura shares her journey through childhood isolation, an eating disorder that took hold in her late teens, and the life-changing experience of seeking treatment in the U.S. She reflects on the challenges of returning to work after recovery, the moment she chose to leave the BBC, and how storytelling became her most powerful tool for healing. Paul illustrates how the most impactful help can come from those who have shared experiences to us by sharing the colourful Addict in a Hole anecdote. With a mix of vulnerability and humor, Laura and Paul discuss trauma, grief, and the small moments of human kindness that can change everything.

    Please let us know your thoughts on our listener feedback form:
    https://forms.gle/AFptgi3mMJKTZdYg8

    If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

    Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor

    Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

    Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

    Find Laura on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/laura_lhearn/

    Laura’s Flip It podcast: https://podfollow.com/1727182763

    Flip It website: https://www.flipitglobal.com/
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    58 mins
  • 27: Kevin Bishop: Celebrated British Actor, Writer and Award-Winning Comedian

    27: Kevin Bishop: Celebrated British Actor, Writer and Award-Winning Comedian
    Feb 13 2025
    Kevin Bishop is a British actor, writer and award-winning comedian known for his roles in Grange Hill, Muppet Treasure Island, The Kevin Bishop Show, and Porridge. With a career spanning three decades, he has always stood out with his sharp wit and fearless performances.

    This episode has its fair share of laugh aloud moments as Kevin shares his journey with sincerity and wry self-reflection. After enjoying a few years living life in the fast lane like his hard-drinking idols, Kevin was shocked to find he needed help and after giving up alcohol, a relapse was the gift that ultimately tested his commitment to sobriety. Kevin also opens up about the role alcohol played in his marriage—and how getting sober changed the relationship dynamic in ways he never expected. With plenty of honesty and humor, Kevin recounts anecdotes that reveal what he's learned along the way and illuminate what sober life feels like now. And why there is still plenty to laugh about.

    If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

    Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor

    Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

    Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

    Find Kevin on Instagram @iamkevbish
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    57 mins
  • 26: Calum Best on Healing Children of Addiction and Breaking Generational Cycles

    26: Calum Best on Healing Children of Addiction and Breaking Generational Cycles
    Feb 6 2025
    Welcome back to the podcast! Kicking off the second season is this deeply personal episode featuring entrepreneur, model, and NACOA (National Association for Children of Alcoholics) patron Calum Best. Known to many as the son of football legend George Best, Calum opens up about his own struggles, healing and daily choice of purpose over destruction.

    Calum recounts the moments that shaped him, from his wild years in Hollywood to the loss of his father and the spiral that followed. But this isn’t just a story of hardship—it’s one of resilience, self-discovery, and a relentless drive to help others. Through his work with NACOA (National Association for Children of Alcoholics), Calum is using his experiences and voice to support the millions of children impacted by parental addiction, ensuring they are seen, heard, and given the help they deserve.

    If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

    Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor

    Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

    Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

    Find Calum on Instagram @mrcalumbest

    Find Calum on X @calumbest
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    47 mins
  • S1: End of Season One Special Announcement

    S1: End of Season One Special Announcement
    Jan 9 2025
    We have come to the end of season one, after 25 powerful episodes. Here's a special announcement from Paul to you.

    If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

    Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor

    Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

    Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor
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    2 mins
  • S1 Ep25: Jack Curran

    S1 Ep25: Jack Curran
    Jan 2 2025
    It is the first episode of the New Year and we are featuring our youngest guest so far. Jack Curran speaks to us candidly about his ketamine addiction and by way of his account of the catastrophic mental and physical damage it caused him personally, gives a rather ominous warning to anyone even considering the drug.

    Jack has been featured on The Guardian and on other media outlets, speaking out about genZ’s recreational drug of choice in the UK that at times made him feel like he ‘was peeing glass’. Jack is a recovery worker at Step By Step Recovery and is training to become a fully licensed counsellor. Having repaired a critically damaged relationship with his father and turned around much of the physical deterioration, Jack is an image of gratitude and inspiration.

    If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

    Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor

    Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

    Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

    Find Jack on Instagram @j.curran95

    Find Jack on Facebook Jack Curran

    Find Jack on Tik Tok @addicted.333
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    55 mins
  • S1 Ep24: Paul’s Festive Toolkit

    S1 Ep24: Paul’s Festive Toolkit
    Dec 23 2024
    As we are approaching the season of parties, cheer, family, friends, temptation and a whole minefield of disturbances to our serenity, we are sharing some of the ways in which Paul has handled the festive season over the years.

    We cover the gifts of Christmas present, the pain of Christmas past, the tips for Christmases future and unrealistic New Year’s resolutions.

    Just a taste of what’s to come- you aren’t wearing concrete shoes, phone a friend and why leaving a turkey in the oven and driving to Vegas is just not a good idea.

    If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

    Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor

    Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

    Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor
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    36 mins