In this episode, Tanya Gioia sits down with Rev. Rachel Harrison — spiritual coach, ordained minister, and host of the Recover Your Soul Podcast — for a raw conversation about codependency, people-pleasing, and what it really means to feel safe. Rachel shares her own journey through alcoholism, a marriage marked by addiction, and raising sons who struggled with their own battles, and how a 2018 moment of grace led her into recovery, ordination, and eventually her own 9-Step Recover Your Soul process. Together, Tanya and Rachel unpack the difference between trust in people and trust in God, why "self-care" goes far deeper than nails and hair, and how healing yourself ripples out to heal your whole family.
Key Points:
- Rachel's story: codependency, "gray area" drinking, and marrying into traditional alcoholism
- Why she reframes the 12 Steps' "character defects" as protectors of the heart
- The difference between trusting people and trusting God — and why leaning on human trust creates control, not safety
- Letting her son be "entitled to his suffering" — releasing the urge to save her children
- Creating safety in relationships through honesty, not control
- Forgiveness of self as parents, and holding space for adult children's differing memories of the same household
- Overview of the Recover Your Soul 9-Step process, starting with "Ready for Awakening" instead of "powerlessness"
Resources & Links:
Free Gfit : Get this free list of Christian affirmations that spell out who you are in God – actual in God’s own words. Repeat these biblical affirmations and replace these truths with the lies currently in your head! - https://www.tanyagioia.com/affirmations
👋🏼 GET IN TOUCH
💻 Website - www.tanyagioia.com
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Are you caught in the chaos of addiction, constantly cleaning up emotional, spiritual, and physical messes that aren't yours? Welcome to Faith Over Addiction, where faith meets real life. Hosted by Family Recovery Coach Tanya Gioia, this podcast is designed to offer Christian women hope, healing, and practical tools to navigate the challenges of loving someone with addiction.
Through biblical truths, heartfelt stories, and actionable guidance, you’ll learn how to set healthy boundaries, find peace in the mess, and reclaim your God-given identity. You don’t have to carry what was never meant to be yours. It’s time to shift from “this is happening to me” to “this is happening for me,” and let God transform the chaos into something that glorifies Him.
Every week, I’m here to encourage you, offer clarity, and remind you that as a daughter of the King, You Always Have Other Options (YAHOO). Together, we’ll embrace faith as the foundation, boundaries as the bridge to healing, and God’s truth as the ultimate guide to freedom, strength, and grace.
Blessings,
Tanya Gioia 🌸
🎵 Music Credit:
Track: Luz Solart
Artist: Luna Cantina
Album: Luz Solart
Released: 2024
