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Former Program Participant Series - Episode 292: Hard Earned Recovery: Cultivating Self-Awareness and Grace for the Ups and Downs Along the Way with Fred Palmer
May 27, 2025 · 31 min

On this episode of Success is Subjective, Joanna brings you another story from our special former participant series where she extends the opportunity for the former participants who feel comfortable, to share their journey with others. Today’s former participant is Fred Palmer. Fred is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and certified recovery coach, who also works as a career educator at Colorado State University. While he’s found stability in his life and is using his education and personal strengths to now help others, it took many years of his own treatment journey to arrive where he is today. As a young adult, Fred decided to take a gap year before attending college. Once enrolled and attending CU Boulder, it was only a matter of weeks before fear of failure along with underlying mental health issues, caused Fred to drop out of school and move back in with his parents. From then on, the war for his sobriety was in full force. Going back and forth from treatment center to treatment center, he finally admitted to himself that there was a part of him that didn’t want recovery. Tune in to hear the key pivotal moments that led to Fred’s sobriety, as well as his encouragement to those who have been sober but later found themselves relapsing. 

NOTE: The podcasts in this series can include sensitive subjects such as suicide, self-harm, substance abuse, hospitalizations, psychotic episodes, and other traumatic experiences which include parts of the treatment journey. No topic is off limits and not all stories are positive but they are real, raw, and transparent.

**Listener discretion is advised**

Fred’s Resources:

Fred Palmer

Addiction Treatment of Maryland 

Foundation House

The Strathmore House 

Outward Bound

SMART Recovery

Connect with Joanna Lilley  

Therapeutic Consulting Association

Lilley Consulting Website

Lilley Consulting on Facebook 

Lilley Consulting on YouTubeEmail joanna@lilleyconsulting.com

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