Shows / Behind The Smile with Ash Butterss
Behind The Smile with Ash Butterss
Behind the Smile is a mental health, recovery and personal growth podcast hosted by TEDx speaker and coach Ash Butterss. Exploring alcohol, addiction, sobriety, trauma and emotional wellbeing, it reveals the raw reality behind the facade of people's "perfect lives." After getting sober in 2020 and leaving corporate life, Ash now shares raw conversations, expert insights and powerful stories to help you heal, grow and reconnect with your true self. Expect honesty, practical tools and real talk…
Episodes
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 189. The Secret That’s Kept Sanjay Sober for 21 Years
My guest this week is Sanjay, a father in recovery who has been sober for 21 years. Born in Uganda, raised in London and now living in Melbourne, Sanjay grew…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 188. The Unexpected Gift of Trauma and Pathway to Post-Traumatic Growth, with Dr. Edith Shiro
My guest this week is Dr. Edith Shiro, a clinical psychologist and author who has spent more than three decades working with trauma survivors, refugees, and…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 187. The Spiritual Thread Between Recovery and Yoga, with Mark Purser
My guest this week is Mark Purser, a yoga teacher, meditation guide, and founder of the Yogic Meditation Institute, based in Byron Bay. With over 20 years of…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 186. How Sobriety Revealed the Truth About Her Sexuality, with Alexandra McRobert
Getting sober gave Alexandra McRobert more than freedom from alcohol, it gave her the clarity to explore who she truly was. Despite having dated men and…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 185. She Nearly Lost Her Life: Addiction, Violence and Recovery, with Shannan Walsh
My guest this week, Shannan Walsh, lived in the grip of addiction for 18 years. It took her from alcohol and drugs to crime, prison, homelessness and a…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 184. Ask Me Anything: Sobriety, Spirituality, Purpose & Relationships, with Ash Butterss
What does rock bottom really feel like? How do you find your purpose, build a life that keeps you grounded, and learn to trust that even your hardest…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 183. The Transformational Power of Meditation, with Tom Cronin
This week, Ash sits down with Tom Cronin, meditation teacher and international speaker, for a deeply honest conversation about what it really looks like to…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 182. Have You Had Enough? Why Your Old Ideas Are Keeping You Stuck, with Ash Butterss
How much longer are you willing to suffer before something changes?In this powerful solo episode, Ash explores a recurring theme she’s been discussing with…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEpisode 181. How to Truly Love Your Life, with Danni Carr
This week, Ash welcomes back her sober soul sister Danni Carr, for a wide ranging chat on Bali, yoga, and the spiritual practices that underpin their sobriety…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 180. Come Back to Yourself: A Mini Life Update + 10 Minute Guided Meditation with Ash Butterss
This week, Ash drops in with a mini solo episode to share a life update from her recent trip to Bali and to offer something she herself has been craving - a…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 179. Burnout, Breathwork and Being Guided By Your Intuition, with Shanaye Kuntze
This week, Ash sits down with psychic, healer and mindset coach Shanaye Kuntze for a raw conversation about burnout, self-worth, intuition and the journey back…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 178. Solo Episode: What Does Spirituality Have To Do With Sobriety?
This week, Ash shares a sneak peak into her memoir she's currently writing, tracing how her spiritual life has evolved in recovery. What began as skepticism…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 177. What It Takes To Be A Sober Solo Mum, with Alisha Burns
This week, Ash sits down with Alisha Burns, founder of Solo Mum Society, to talk about the deeply personal road that led her to motherhood on her own terms…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 176. What Really Went Down at The Embodied Woman Retreat, with Ash & Laura Corcoran
This week, Ash sits down with holistic psychologist Laura Corcoran to unpack what really happened inside The Embodied Woman retreat. Over four days on the Gold…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 175. A Rapid Road to Rock Bottom and Finding a Life Worth Living, with Rosie Eldershaw
This week, Ash sits down with Rosie Eldershaw, a country girl turned Melburnian who recently celebrated three years of sobriety after multiple rehabs and…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 174. Learning to Surrender, Why Acceptance is the Pathway To Inner Peace, with Ash Butterss
This week, Ash returns with a solo episode that’s felt long overdue. After a season of slowing down and stepping back, she’s back behind the mic on her own…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 173. Dancing Through the Dark, Depression and Psychosis, with Taylah King
This week, Ash sits down with embodied dance artist and coach Taylah King, whose journey from darkness to rediscovery is both heart-wrenching and deeply…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 172. How to Value Yourself and Start Living Differently, with Blake D. Bauer
This week, Ash sits down with author Blake D. Bauer, whose book You Were Not Born to Suffer has helped thousands rethink the way they relate to themselves…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 171. Behind the Spotlight, Naomi Eyers on Life from the Stage to 31 Years of Sobriety
This week, Ash sits down with powerhouse performer Naomi Eyers, whose four-decade career has taken her from session singer to London’s West End, global tours…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 170. Long-Term Sobriety and What It Takes to Keep Growing, with Campbell Butterss
This week’s episode is four years in the making, as Ash sits down with her brother, Campbell Butterss, for a conversation that is both deeply personal and…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 169. The Energetics of Grief, How to Heal and Keep Going, with Jade Donegan
This week, Ash sits down with principal consultant and founder of the Energy Collective Co, Jade Donegan, to explore what it really means to care for your…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 168. Alcohol-Induced Vomiting, The Radical Therapy That Got Ian Fee Sober
This week, Ash sits down with sobriety advocate, author, and entrepreneur, Ian Fee, for a conversation that challenges everything you think you know about…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 167. I’ll Try Anything Twice: Recovering from Depression and Addiction, with Carly Schwartz
This week, Ash sits down with Carly Schwartz, author of I’ll Try Anything Twice, to talk about what it really looks like to live through the darkest corners of…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 166. How Mindfulness Builds Resilience, with Melo Calarco
In this inspiring episode, Ash sits down with TEDx speaker and award-winning author Melo Calarco—a man who has quite literally cycled to the edges of the world…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 165. Grief, Sobriety and Transformation: Rebuilding a Life After Loss, with Edwina
This week you’re invited to listen in as Ash sits down with her lifelong friend Edwina, to explore what it means to remake your life in the wake of loss…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 164. Solo Episode: 6 Mistakes I've Made in 6 Years of Sobriety
In another deeply honest solo episode, Ash reflects on the six biggest mistakes she’s made across six years of sobriety and how each one became a turning point…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 163. The People Who Win Use Pain Differently, with Performance Advisor Mark Dobson
In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Ash is joined by her mentor and high performance advisor, Mark “Dobbo” Dobson, for a thought-provoking…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 162. Love Addiction, Codependency, and the Patterns We Inherit, with Rod Butterss
In this episode, Ash is joined again by her dad, Rod, for a candid conversation about the real complexities of love and relationships. They unpack topics many…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 161. What It Really Takes to Get Sober in a Drinking Culture, with Vim Verma
In this episode, Ash has a raw conversation with husband, father, and sober human Vim Verma as they discuss addiction, identity, and what happens when you…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 160. Finding Freedom in Recovery, with Ash Murray
In this special episode, Ash is joined by her longtime friend Ash Murray. For years, both women battled addiction silently, only sharing the full depths of…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 159. From Self Destruction to Self Discovery: How Almost Losing Everything Saved Him, with James Date
In this episode, Ash sits down with husband, father, and business owner James Date to explore what life looks like after addiction—and how recovery has…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 158. Solo Episode: How to stop the hustle while still creating your dream life
In this solo episode, Ash challenges the myth that hustle creates happiness and asks a better question: what if the dream life is built through alignment and…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 157. Unpacking the Meaning of Life and Developing Emotional Responsibility, with Rick Watson
After years of living with a debilitating condition, Rick Watson has learned what it truly means to face fear and find freedom on the other side. In this…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp. 156 How to Make 2026 Your Best Year Yet, with Holistic Psychologist Laura Corcoran
To kick off the new year, Ash sits down with holistic psychologist Laura Corcoran for a soulful and grounded conversation about how to truly create a powerful…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 155. The Raw Reality of Recovery, Relapse and Rebuilding with Gabby Williamson (Part Two)
In part two of this conversation, Gabby opens up about what happened after her first attempt at recovery, when alcohol crept back in and the old patterns she…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 154. The Raw Reality of Recovery, Relapse and Rebuilding with Gabby Williamson (Part One)
In this two-part episode, I sit down with my close friend Gabby Williamson to lift the lid on the reality of living life in recovery. In part one of this…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 153. How Your Energy Shapes Your Life and Protecting Your Peace, with Rod Butterss
Back by popular demand, this father daughter episode brings the conversation close to home, as Ash sits down with her dad, Rod, to explore what it truly means…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 152. Surviving the Silly Season Sober (and enjoying it!) with Abby Calabrese
In the heart of New York City, Abby Calabrese was living the dream on paper but the reality was she was quietly unravelling behind the scenes. Long days, late…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 151. From the Streets of London to a Quiet Sober Life, with Damo H
Growing up on the streets of London, Damo H learned at an early age how to outrun pain, but it always caught up. In this candid and moving episode, Damo traces…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 150. The Real Reason You Don’t Feel Enough: How Facing Your Inner Critic Is the Key to Self Acceptance, with Ash Butterss
In this milestone 150th episode of Behind The Smile, Ash dives into a deeply personal conversation about healing, self perception, and the ever evolving…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 149. The Shame That Nearly Broke Her Became Her Purpose, with Sober Coach Shannon Leigh Mccabe
For Shannon McCabe, hitting rock bottom became the beginning of everything. Once living a life that looked “fine” on the outside yet was quietly ruled by…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 148. Beyond Codependency: The Truth About Self-Worth and Healing with Psychotherapist Jackson Goding
What happens when self-worth becomes the missing piece in healing? In this episode, Ash sits down with Trauma Specialist and Psychotherapist, Jackson Goding…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 147. Paralyzed at 21: Rhiannon Tracey on Hope and Defying the Impossible
One moment changed everything for Rhiannon Tracey, but it didn’t define her spirit. In this heartfelt conversation, the motivational speaker, TEDx presenter…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 146. Haunted by the Badge: Jay Prothero’s Battle with PTSD and Redemption
After decades on the front line, retired police officer Jay Prothero found himself fighting a different kind of battle—the one inside his own mind. In this raw…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 145. Psychologist Dr. Julia Nicholls Opens Up About Her Personal Battle with Psychosis and Post-Natal Depression
Psychosis is one of the most misunderstood experiences in mental health, often clouded by fear, stigma, and silence. In this powerful episode, Ash sits down…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 144. How 14 Minutes Can Change Your Life, with Mental Health Advocate, Cooper Chapman
In this episode, Ash sits down with former pro surfer turned mental health trailblazer, Cooper Chapman, for a raw and inspiring conversation about purpose…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 143. Healing as a Mother: Rebuilding Trust After Addiction and Starting Over with Jo Kinna
In this heartfelt episode, Ash is joined by breathwork facilitator and sober mum, Jo Kinna, for a powerful conversation about rebuilding life after addiction…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 142. Why Outward Success Will Never Be Enough, with Nick Jonsson
In this episode, we’re joined by Nick Jonsson, a global keynote speaker and mental health advocate. Nick shares his inspiring journey from reaching the heights…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 141. I’ve Been in a Dark Place: A Raw Reflection with Ash Butterss
In this raw and unfiltered solo episode, Ash opens up about what really happened after returning from a powerful retreat in Bali. She shares the unexpected…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 140. From Not Leaving the House to Living Fully: Justine Youl on Recovering from Addiction and Abuse
In this episode, Ash welcomes Justine Youl, who shares her remarkable journey of recovery and transformation after facing an abusive relationship, crippling…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 139. Choosing Life Over Alcohol: Chris Gimpel’s Honest Journey
In this episode, Ash is joined by Chris Gimpel, a passionate advocate for sobriety and mental health, who shares his courageous journey of overcoming alcohol…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 138. Not Letting Trauma Define You, with your Self-Love Bestie, Sarah Viliamu
In this deeply inspiring episode, Ash sits down with Sarah Viliamu, founder of The Self Love Supply, to explore her extraordinary journey of resilience…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 137. Numbing the Pain: Alcoholism and Sharp Edge Eye Syndrome with Ryan Bayly
In this episode, Ash is joined by Ryan Bayly, who courageously shares his story of 19 years of sobriety, the mental health battles he has faced, and the…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 136. The Healing Technique That Changed Everything for Elle McBride
In this inspiring episode, Ash is joined by Elle McBride, a Certified Havening Techniques® Trainer, who opens up about her personal journey through trauma and…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssAsk Us Anything: Surprise Elopement & Honeymoon Edition!
In this heartfelt episode, Ash sits down with her now husband Damian, one week after returning from their surprise elopement and European honeymoon. You guys…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 134. Healing Out Loud: Carlo La Marchesina on Grief, Growth and the Gifts of Sobriety
In this episode, Ash welcomes back Carlo La Marchesina for an honest conversation about the realities of recovery and the power of emotional resilience. Carlo…
- Behind The Smile with Ash Butterss
Ep 133. Breathing Back To Life: Healing, Purpose, and the Power of Vulnerability with Bryce Maher
In this inspiring episode, Ash sits down with Bryce, founder of The Breath Code, to explore a journey marked by adversity, healing, and purpose. Bryce opens up…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 132. The Raw Path to Wholeness: How Blythe Langford Transformed From the Inside Out
In this episode, Ash sits down with Blythe Langford, a holistic business mentor, trauma-informed healer, and the definition of resilience. From drowning in…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 131. The Ego Collapse: How Losing Millions Gifted Him a New Perspective, with Kyle Stagoll
In this episode, Ash is joined by Kyle Stagoll, a crypto trader whose world came crashing down overnight with the collapse of FTX, one of the largest…
Behind The Smile with Ash ButterssEp 130. Burnout, Betrayal & Healing Through the Body, with Psychotherapist Rachel Pfeiffer
In this episode, Ash speaks with Rachel Pfeiffer, a psychotherapist and yoga teacher, who shares her journey of healing from trauma, the importance of…