In this powerful and heartfelt conversation, Donna sits down with Kerry Norton, co-founder and Executive Director of Hope on Haven Hill, a recovery residence program serving pregnant and parenting women.

Kerry shares her personal journey as a mother navigating her son’s heroin addiction, the heartbreak of trying to access treatment, and the hard lessons learned about boundaries, family unity, and hope. What began as a mother fighting for her child’s life became a mission to ensure other women and babies would not be left without support.

Together, Donna and Kerry talk about recovery, generational healing, healthcare barriers, and the power of community.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

- The “punch in the stomach” moment of discovering a child’s heroin addiction

- The struggle to access treatment—even with insurance and resources

- Why families must get on the same page when setting boundaries

- The importance of support systems for parents (Al-Anon, therapy, community)

- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and breaking stigma

- How trauma impacts women in addiction

- The founding and growth of Hope on Haven Hill

- Why safe housing is critical for long-term recovery

- Celebrating milestones and honoring recovery journeys

- Holding onto hope—even when it feels impossible

About the Guest: Kerry Norton

Kerry Norton is a maternal-child nurse and the passionate co-founder and Executive Director of Hope on Haven Hill in Rochester, NH. After navigating her own sons’ journeys through addiction and recovery, Kerry turned her pain into purpose by creating a recovery residence dedicated to pregnant and parenting women.

Today, Hope on Haven Hill offers residential treatment, recovery housing, outpatient services, MAT, childcare, healthcare, and affordable housing—supporting over 1,000 women on their path to healing.

Learn more:

🌐 www.hopeonhavenhill.org

👉 Learn more about Donna’s work and resources at ⁠sharingwithoutshame.com⁠

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide. here: ⁠https://sharing-with-out-shame.kit.com/690016dc78⁠

Sponsors:

Experience Inner Peace with Calming Therapy Bracelets

Website: ⁠⁠https://snappbandz.com/⁠

Use SWOS or SharingWithoutShame code

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.

Shame, guilt, and addiction don’t have to define your story.

In this episode, Donna Marston welcomes Dr. Tom Horvath, a board-certified clinical psychologist, co-founder of SMART Recovery, and pioneer in science-based addiction support. Together, they explore the role of shame and guilt, why recovery is not one-size-fits-all, and how families can support a loved one without losing themselves in the process.

Dr. Horvath shares decades of insight on self-empowered recovery, alternatives to the traditional “rock bottom” narrative, and practical tools families can use to create healthier dynamics. This conversation offers hope, clarity, and reassurance for anyone navigating addiction, whether personally or through someone they love.

Topics Covered:

- The difference between shame and guilt and how each impacts recovery

- Why there are many valid pathways to recovery

- SMART Recovery vs. 12-step programs

- The importance of choice and self-empowerment in healing

- How families can support recovery without controlling it

- Common myths about addiction and “rock bottom”

- Practical ways to communicate with a loved one in treatment

- Building a meaningful life beyond addiction

About the Guest

Dr. Tom Horvath is a board-certified clinical psychologist, Navy veteran, and internationally recognized expert in addiction recovery. He is the co-founder and former president of SMART Recovery, a science-based, self-empowering recovery network, and the founder of Practical Recovery in San Diego. Dr. Horvath is also the author of Sex, Drugs, Gambling, and Chocolate, a practical workbook for overcoming addictive behaviors.

Quotes:

“A little guilt can help us change, but too much shame keeps us stuck.”

“Recovery works best when people have a choice.”

“There isn’t one right way to recover, only the way that works for you.”

🔗 Guest Resources:

Website: https://smartrecovery.org/

👉 Learn more about Donna’s work and resources at ⁠sharingwithoutshame.com⁠

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide. here: ⁠https://sharing-with-out-shame.kit.com/690016dc78⁠

Sponsors:

Experience Inner Peace with Calming Therapy Bracelets

Website: ⁠⁠https://snappbandz.com/⁠

Use SWOS or SharingWithoutShame code

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.

In this episode of Sharing Without Shame, Donna Marston sits down with Anne Peshka to explore how trauma, shame, addiction, and grief can be transformed into healing, purpose, and gratitude.

Anne shares her powerful life story, including childhood trauma, addiction, recovery, motherhood, grief, and the moment she realized she was worth fighting for. Together, Donna and Anne have a compassionate, real conversation about letting go of labels, releasing shame, and learning how to truly hold space for ourselves and the people we love.

✨ Topics Covered:

- How childhood trauma fuels shame and addiction

- Why substances are a Band-Aid—and healing starts with the “why”

- Releasing labels like “addict,” “victim,” and “survivor”

- Grieving the living and loving without control

- The importance of boundaries vs. unhealthy helping

- What it really means to “hit your enough”

- Turning pain into purpose and trauma into wisdom

- Learning to believe you are worthy of a good life

💛 Key Takeaway:

Healing begins when shame is brought into the light—and when you start believing you are worth the fight.

🔗 Guest Resources:

Book: Trauma, Recycled (available in print and audiobook) https://annepeshka.com/book/

Website: https://annepeshka.com/

👉 Learn more about Donna’s work and resources at ⁠sharingwithoutshame.com⁠

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide. here: ⁠https://sharing-with-out-shame.kit.com/690016dc78⁠

Sponsors:

Experience Inner Peace with Calming Therapy Bracelets

Website: ⁠⁠https://snappbandz.com/⁠

Use SWOS or SharingWithoutShame code

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.