Meet the Voices of No Alcohol Needed

Julie Miller, RCP

Author | Alcohol-Free Life Coach | Podcast Host

Julie Miller is an author, recovery and emotional wellness coach, and podcast host, and the founder of Create A Life So Full, a coaching and education practice focused on building meaningful, alcohol-free lives. With years of lived sobriety and professional coaching experience, Julie works with individuals at all stages of an alcohol-free journey, including those who are sober but feeling stuck, restless, or unsure how to move forward. Her work centers on emotional sobriety, self-trust, and creating a life that feels genuinely worth staying sober for.

Julie is the co-host of the No Alcohol Needed podcast (formerly Through the Glass Recovery Podcast), where she explores the inner work of recovery through honest conversations about identity, relationships, emotional regulation, shame, anxiety, and personal growth. The podcast reaches listeners around the world who are sober-curious, newly alcohol-free, or years into sobriety and seeking more than surface-level change.

In addition to one-on-one coaching, Julie facilitates workshops and educational experiences focused on values-based living, emotional awareness, and navigating major life transitions without numbing or avoidance. Her teaching blends lived experience, reflective practices, and practical tools designed to help people build resilience, reconnect with themselves, and develop a deeper sense of purpose. Julie’s approach emphasizes curiosity, self-compassion, and sustainable growth rather than rigid rules or quick fixes.

Julie lives in Colorado, where she embraces a slower, values-led life shaped by creativity, time outdoors, and meaningful connection. She believes sobriety is not the finish line, but the foundation for a life that feels expansive, grounded, and fully lived.

Steve Knapp, RCP

Podcast Host | Alcohol Free Living and Men’s Emotional Intelligence Advocate

Steve Knapp is the co-creator and cohost of No Alcohol Needed Podcast. His primary focus is the belief that personal growth and emotional intelligence is key to living an amazing alcohol-free life.
Steve is no stranger to staring down life’s challenges, stepping into uncomfortable situations, trying things he used to avoid, going back to school, changing careers, and rebuilding his life with greater intention. His approach is rooted in the belief that growth/change happens when we are willing to question old experiences instead of allowing them to define what comes next.

As a recovery coach and podcast host, Steve brings unique curiosity, vulnerability, and willingness to share self-reflection without pretending to have it all figured out. His has a special hate for having a fear of doing something he knows that is good for him, which gives him that much more drive to experience something new.
For Steve, living an alcohol-free life isn’t about removing something and making life smaller. It’s about creating and discovering how much it can expand.

R. Sean Rollinson, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor | Emotional Intelligence Educator | Founder of Enso Counseling & Coaching

R. Sean Rollinson, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, educator, and emotional-intelligence specialist with over two decades of personal recovery and clinical experience in mental health and addiction treatment. He is the founder of Enso Counseling & Coaching in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the creator of the Mastering Emotional Intelligence™ (MEI) system—a transformative framework that helps individuals build deeper self-awareness, emotional stability, resilience, and healthier relationships.

Sean is also a TEDx Speaker, delivering the talk “Listen to and Understand Your Emotions—Because They Are Going to Change the World,” which centers on the idea that world peace isn’t political—it’s personal, and emotional healing is the foundation for meaningful transformation.

Sean earned his Bachelor of Science in Human Communication and a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling, grounding his work in a blend of evidence-based therapeutic models including mindfulness, attachment theory, cognitive behavioral therapy, EMDR-informed principles, and Pia Mellody’s emotional development framework.

Drawing from his own long-term recovery journey, Sean brings a relatable, real-world understanding of the emotional patterns that drive addiction, relapse, and healing. His experience gives him a unique ability to help clients break through shame, fear, avoidance, and long-standing self-protective patterns that interfere with sustainable recovery.

In addition to his core MEI curriculum, Sean is the developer of Relapse Prevention Through Mastering Emotional Intelligence™, a specialized six-week program designed for substance-abuse treatment settings. This curriculum blends emotional-regulation skills, core-belief work, mindfulness, and identity development to support long-term sobriety and reduce recidivism. It is currently being offered as both a stand-alone aftercare program and an integrative add-on for inpatient, outpatient, residential, and PHP treatment centers.

Sean lives in Scottsdale with his soulmate Jana (pronounced Yana) and their three children—Parker (30), Payden (26), and Paulina (17)—who are his greatest joy and the true calling beneath everything he does. At the end of the day, his family is his purpose, inspiration, and grounding force.

Barclay Mullins

Barclay Mullins grew up in Louisiana. He’s a single dad raising a 10 year old daughter. He’s had various stretches of sobriety, starting his journey in 2006. He’s now fully embraced an alcohol free life, and has been sober since 2019. 

Barclay’s had a lot of ups and downs, and along the way he’s worked to find the happiness of sobriety. From everything to working in a sober center, being a health coach, pursuing acting, and a franchise owner, he’s explored many roles throughout his life.

Find Barclay online:

Teresa McLellan, MACP RCC

Teresa McLellan MACP RCC is a trauma therapist, somatic practitioner, university
professor, author, speaker, and the founder of The Sacred Journey Counselling
Consulting Services. Her work explores the intersection of addiction, trauma,
psychology, emotional wellbeing, healing, wholeness, and personal transformation.
She holds a master’s degree in counselling psychology and weaves together
attachment theory, child development, family systems, neuroscience, somatic
approaches, and depth psychology, alongside contemplative practices and ancient
wisdom traditions.

Teresa also brings 36 years of sobriety, giving her a unique perspective on the
difference between simply getting sober and learning how to live without the
coping strategies that once helped her survive. Her personal and professional
experience has guided her interest in the deeper emotional and psychological work
that continues long after the early stages of recovery. Thus, she believes that
recovery can become more than just the absence of alcohol. It can be an
opportunity to understand ourselves more deeply, break patterns that have shaped
our lives, and create a life that feels meaningful, authentic, and fully our own.
Teresa lives in British Columbia, Canada, close to her children and grandchildren.
Outside of her professional work, she loves spending time in nature, practicing
meditation and yoga, reading, writing, and the ongoing practice of living with
curiosity, presence, and a deep connection with life itself.

Janice Johnson Dowd, LMSW

Author | Speaker | Social Worker

Janice’s work focuses on family-centered recovery, generational healing, and rebuilding relationships impacted by addiction.

She is the author of Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery (North Atlantic Books) and co-host of the Recovering Relationships podcast, where she helps families navigate boundaries, communication, and relational repair with compassion and clarity.

Janice frequently speaks at professional social work and addiction conferences to help educate other mental health professionals, as well as at 12-step conferences to inspire and support individuals and families in recovery.

David Herrera

CPFS | Founder of The AIR Collective

Email: SoberDad430

Facebook: facebook.com/david.l.herrera.5

Instagram: @david.lee.79

TikTok: @recoveringdavid

David is a grateful recovering alcoholic with a sobriety date of April 30, 2023. He serves as a Peer Specialist (SUD) with San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group in southern Colorado and is the founder of the AIR Collective (Addicts In Recovery), a community that provides alternative pathways to connection through peer support groups, community events, and hybrid recovery opportunities throughout the San Luis Valley.


While completing his Master of Divinity and serving in ministry, David’s life was quietly unraveling under the weight of alcoholism. Alcohol ultimately cost him his ministry, his marriage, and nearly his relationship with his children before he found the courage to seek treatment at Harmony Recovery in the Rockies (proudly).

Today, David is passionate about “recovering out loud,” openly sharing his story to help remove the shame often associated with addiction. Drawing from his background in theology, world religions, and philosophy, he encourages others to explore spirituality in a meaningful and authentic way as part of their recovery journey.

Outside of his recovery work, David’s greatest joy is being a husband and father. Alongside his beautiful wife, Kecia, he is raising their blended family of six children while building a homestead beneath the breathtaking backdrop of Mount Blanca in southern Colorado. Together, they are creating a life centered on faith, family, community, and the belief that it is possible to smile, thrive, and celebrate life with no alcohol needed. 

Matt Shambo

#soberdaddoingsoberdadthings

Matt’s Instagram @shamman780

Support Matt in the NYC Marathon: https://fundraisers.nyrr.org/matthew-shambo

Matt Shambo, is a 40 year old father of two from Burnt Hills, New York.  He celebrated 34 months on December 5th. Matt always believed he would get sober but at the same time feared it may never come.  He spent five and half years stuck in the up and down battle with alcoholism before finding a better way.  He wants to thank you everyone for sticking with him through all this. 

Matt was first introduced to Julie and Steve through Instagram when he was about three months sober.  He first joined Through the Glass as a guest on the Season 2 premiere, since then he has been on eleven times over the last three seasons. Over that time he’s been able to share his experiences in recovery about topics including: alcohol cravings, vulnerability, sobriety being worth it, spirituality and more.   Each episode has been challenging and rewarding in its own way.

Matthew would like to personally thank Julie and Steve for allowing him to share with them, the Through The Glass Recovery Podcast family and now No Alcohol Needed the Podcast group his recovery journey.  They have played a major role in his recovery and many others.  They provide the recovery world a unique look every week into guest’s personal experience with getting sober and their constant journey with personal growth. 

Dave Rushing

@rushfactorfitness

@djsobershorts 

After 19 years in the same career, I decided to take a chance on myself and become part of the fitness community, and today I work at Supplement Superstores.

I was born into addiction and spent nearly 20 years struggling with an unhealthy relationship with alcohol while trying to hide from childhood trauma, abandonment, and abuse. Today, I’m four years sober, and fitness has become a huge part of the foundation I’ve built my recovery on.

I’ve pushed myself through Spartan races, half marathons, HYROX-style events, 75 Hard, and Live Hard. For me, none of it is really about medals or finish times. It’s about continuing to become a better man, husband, and father and showing my kids what it looks like to lead by example.

Now I want to use my story, recovery, and fitness to give back. This September, I’m launching a Recovery Month challenge with the goal of bringing people together to walk, run, or ruck 1,000 miles and support a local sober living organization.

Amber Fenner

  • Instagram: Demon_Slayer1224

Oh Amber is a 43 year old former east coaster who now calls the mountains of the western slope in CO home. She has a cat named Jack, loves to cook, is slowly learning how to let her creativity loose and is thriving in her new career as a banking consultant with a local and growing credit union. The latter coming as a result of stepping far outside of her comfort zone and applying for a position outside her previous experience wheelhouse. Something pre-sobriety Amber wouldn’t have done. 

Amber grew up in Massachusetts as an only child in a highly toxic family dynamic. From a young age she learned how to people please, self abandon and manipulate others emotions for her own emotional safety. As a young adult and into her late 30’s she bounced from one toxic romantic relationship to another, re-creating her deep mother wound with each new partnership, subconsciously seeking the love and validation she craved as a young girl. She secretly hated the girl she saw in the mirror and alcohol was the only thing that could mask her pain, fear and self loathing. 

After many years of pain and suffering and feeling empty and exhausted, she decided on Christmas Eve ‘21 to check herself into a 3 day medical detox, spending Christmas isolated from everyone and everything she knew and unsure of what life would be going forward. At the very least she imagined life would be the same, a little better without abusing alcohol surely, but mostly the same. 

Today at just over 4 years sober, life looks nothing like she predicted. She has dug deep, faced fears, taken responsibility for what was hers and tossed what was not. She attributes much of her success to finding a solid community of like minded people, many of whom are from the No Alcohol Needed community. People who didn’t want to just stop at sobriety, but create a life filled with joy and fun and adventure. A life where alcohol simply doesn’t fit in. 

“Today, my life looks nothing like it did when I began this journey. I owe all of it to strangers who became family and also…..to myself, for having the courage to face what was underneath the mask I wore and the determination to heal and rise above it”. I hope my story and my journey to healing offers someone like me the chance to see that none of us are too broken, too far gone or too hopeless. We all have what it takes to kick everyone else out of the drivers seat and bring our bus back home, to ourselves”. I love you and I believe in you! 

BethAnn Reas, LPC

Website: gspacecounseling.com 

IG: @graceandspacecounselingllc

BethAnn Reas is a licensed therapist and woman in recovery who brings both professional and personal experience to conversations about sobriety, emotional wellness, and personal growth. As a therapist, BethAnn works with individuals navigating anxiety, self-worth, shame, identity, and the process of becoming more fully themselves. Her work is rooted in curiosity rather than perfection, self-compassion rather than shame, and the belief that recovery can be the beginning of discovering who you are when you stop living on autopilot. She is passionate about making space for the complicated, uncomfortable, messy, and deeply meaningful parts of life. 

BethAnn’s own journey of recovery has deepened and expanded the way she understands it. Recovery has been more than simply removing alcohol from her life. It’s been an opportunity to examine the beliefs, patterns, and relationships that existed underneath it. Her perspective on recovery is holistic and deeply human; exploring emotional sobriety, nervous system regulation, self-trust, spirituality, identity, and what it means to build a life you no longer need to escape from.

BethAnn lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Alex. She finds her purpose in building community, embracing creativity, and laughing along the way. Life can be messy, but she’s enjoying every part of it. 

Kara Teague

Kara Teague is a Colorado native with her roots in the western part of the state.

She is a wife of almost 29 years and mother to two adult children.  Having spent the last several years working dilligently on her sobriety much of her time is spent investing in the family she was giving away in addiction.

She spends her free time outdoors, and finds great peace in photography. She is a writer, devoting much of her effort to addiction and it’s subsequent recovery.

She believes it is her responsibility to recover out loud. Shining the light into the dark for those still suffering, because those before her cared enough to shine their light into her dark, so that she could see her way free.

Facebook: Choose to Rise!

Corina Dootjes

Corina Dootjes is an educator and writer with a past life for every decade: singer, actor, council member, and corporate survivor. These days, she pours that collective mileage into teaching high schoolers who don’t fit the standard mold, while dabbling in poetry, stand-up comedy, and creative nonfiction.

A student of sobriety since 2022, her work interrogates what happens after the demolition: how we heal, connect, and make art out of the wreckage. She lives and writes in Vancouver’s West End alongside two imperious Egyptian rescue cats named Fitz and Vince.