Shelly Dimitrijevic

Shelly Dimitrijevic’s professional and philanthropic activities have always focused on improving the lives of others. She began her nursing career at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis and went on to become a LifeFlight nurse specializing in neonatal, pediatric, and cardiovascular intensive care.

Shelly has been involved with numerous charities focusing on children and education including the Charlee and the Chocolate Factory gala, The Venus Orbit, Design For A Cure, Jackson Memorial, and Impact Oasis. In 2010 she founded the Lotus program, a program that focused on educating parents on the nutritional needs of children and basic child development. Shelly also served on the Frost Science Museum gala committee for 7 years before Co-Chairing the event in 2015.

After a diagnosis of Celiac disease and subsequently receiving Certification as a Nutritional Consultant, Shelly recognized that topically applied products have an effect on her Celiac Disease and overall health. She turned her focus to developing skincare that was free of toxic and hormone-disrupting ingredients.

Since she lost her only sibling in 2012 Shelly has been determined to find a way to contribute to the recovery community in a way that can make a great impact and ensure that others have the resources necessary when they are struggling.

Shelly's substantial contributions to SHE RECOVERS of both time and resources have been instrumental and deeply appreciated.

Kirsten Newquist

As a result of being introduced to SHE RECOVERS through retreats and meet-ups, Kirsten will be starting her yoga teacher training in the fall. These retreats also led her to become more deeply involved with SHE RECOVERS in a volunteer capacity. Kirsten was instrumental in setting up some of the Foundation's grassroots groups and currently volunteers her time helping SHE RECOVERS Foundation to design and implement the Volunteer Chapter Network. Kirsten and her husband recently moved from Southern California to Roswell, Georgia to be closer to Kirsten's sister and two young nieces. When she isn't spending time being an aunt, you can find Kirsten hanging out with their rescue Labrador or exploring their new state.

Mary Beth O’Connor, BA, JD

BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE
she / her

In addition to being a board member, Mary Beth is a founding member of SHE RECOVERS Support for Legal Professionals and is active at the local level with SHE RECOVERS in the Bay Area. Mary Beth has been living a sober life in recovery since 1994. She has a history of trauma and abuse, from which she’s worked hard to recover as well. Six years into her recovery, Mary Beth attended Berkeley Law. She worked at a large firm in Silicon Valley, then litigated class actions for the federal government. In 2014 Mary Beth was appointed an Administrative Law Judge, from which she retired in 2020.

Mary Beth’s award-winning memoir, From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction, was published in 2023. She also writes opinion pieces, such as I Beat Addiction without God for the Wall Street Journal and I was a federal judge, and I support Safehouse. Here’s why for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mary Beth advocates about multiple topics related to trauma, substance use disorder, and recovery. She has appeared on television, radio, and podcasts; speaks at conferences and other events; and trains judges, attorneys, and medical professionals.

Taryn Strong, RYT, CPRC

FOUNDER AND BOARD VICE-CHAIR
she / her

Taryn Strong is co-founder of the SHE RECOVERS® Foundation and a Certified Recovery Coach, Somatic Coach, and Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher. Her work is grounded in the belief that healing must include the body.

Through somatic practices, Taryn supports others in reconnecting with their bodies, releasing patterns shaped by trauma and survival, and expanding their capacity to feel embodied, present, and alive. This approach is deeply personal, rooted in her own recovery and reconnection after years of disconnection.

She is also a Certified Aromatherapist, AromaPsychologist, Botanical Perfumer, and Community Herbalist, with a deep respect for the emotional and psychological power of scent.

Teaching yoga since 2007, Taryn has hosted over 60 women’s recovery retreats, presented internationally, and co-taught with leading voices in the field of behavioral health. She currently leads the SHE RECOVERS Trauma-Informed Yoga Instructor Certification, SHE RECOVERS Embodiment Studio, and SHE RECOVERS Podcast.

Susan Carter

CEO
she / her

I am recovering from:
Alcohol use disorder, codependency, disordered eating.

The Identity-based group I belong to:
Chronic pain & auto-immune disorder, healthcare & allied professionals.

My personal definition of recovery:
My personal definition of recovery is the continual process of expanding my awareness to grow spiritually, mentally, and physically enhancing my life-long journey to wholeness.

What led me to SHE RECOVERS:
A desire to give back what I have been so graciously given that has led to an amazing life of sustained recovery and spiritual growth. I truly believe that every moment in my life has led me here. One of my favorite stories to share is how I came to find SHE RECOVERS - or rather, how they found me. In short, it involves a spark of curiosity over coffee and a remarkable moment at a SHE RECOVERS Conference that changed the trajectory of my life both professionally and spiritually. You can hear all about it here.

Why I love being a part of this team:
It brings me immense joy to work alongside such smart, passionate and committed colleagues and volunteers. I learn so much from them. Not a day goes by where I am not deeply inspired by this team and community.

Those that know me best might describe me as:
Tenacious, resourceful, and loving.

How these qualities show up in my everyday life:
Love is the foundation for all my thoughts and actions, I am resourceful when confronted with a challenge, and I am tenacious like a "dog with a bone" - I'll never stop chasing the dream.

Something unique you may not already know about me:
I have four kidneys and a double bladder. I have vitiligo, an auto-immune disease that destroys or suppresses pigment producing cells on the skin.

Something I am most proud of is…
Launching a global nonprofit for women in or seeking recovery from all things.

Radical self-care look for me looks like:
Being mindful of ease and learning to pause. And, pampering myself with modalities that foster a healthy body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and service to others.

What I wanted to be when I grew up:
An artist.

Something that is inspiring me right now:
Supporting people to find, create, and nurture a relationship with the God / Creator / Higher Power of their understanding.

The SHE RECOVERS Intention & Guiding Principle resonating the most with me right now is…
Connection is our sole (soul) purpose. We're stronger together.

My favorite SHE RECOVERS resource is…
The SHE RECOVERS Together Online Group where connection, support, and empowerment is available 24 / 7.

SRF Blogs I’ve authored:
sherecovers.org/a-peek-behind-the-curtain/

Dawn Nickel, PhD, CPRC, SRCD

ACTING CEO, CO-FOUNDER & BOARD CHAIR

she / her

I am recovering from:
Substance use, trauma including sexual assault, intimate partner violence, codependency, anxiety, and workaholism.

The identity-based group(s) I am a part of:
Healthcare & allied professional, cancer survivor, mature woman.

My personal definition of recovery:
It changes often, but these days my definition of recovery is simply that recovery is a lifelong journey of healing. I think that not having a solid, static definition is a good thing. It opens the door to empower us all to create individualized and diverse definitions for our own recovery, and it’s a reminder that recovery differs across populations, cultures, and settings.

What led me to SHE RECOVERS:
Taryn and I talk about SHE RECOVERS being our 'accidental movement.' So not sure what led me here other than a true desire to create a connective, supportive, and empowering space for women to think / talk about and experience recovery.

Why I love being a part of this team:
I want to leave behind a legacy of hope for women in or seeking recovery.

Those that know me best might describe me as:
Grateful, curious, and a survivor.

How these qualities show up in my everyday life:
I believe that I pass recovery on to express my gratitude, and I call upon my curiosity to figure out what else I can do to support women in recovery. Oh, and I have survived a few near death experiences including surviving cancer.

Something unique you may not already know about me:
I really dislike cilantro.

Something I am most proud of:
My daughters, more than anything.

Radical self-care look for me looks like:
Rest, hanging with other women in recovery, walking in fresh air, reading novels, long hot baths, and sweet, milky tea.

What I wanted to be when I grew up:
An actress.

Something that is inspiring me right now:
The women working or volunteering to help grow SRF.

The SHE RECOVERS Intention & Guiding Principle resonating the most with me right now is…
We are all recovering from something. It all started there!

My favorite SHE RECOVERS resource is…
Definitely the SHE RECOVERS Together Online Gatherings - they are such an amazing display of everything that we are about. Volunteerism and support, vulnerability, celebration, and information.

A few of the SRF Blogs I’ve authored:
https://sherecovers.org/recovering-from-intimate-partner-violence/
https://sherecovers.org/dear-women-in-twelve-step-programs/
https://sherecovers.org/we-are-all-recovering-from-something/
https://sherecovers.org/when-your-mother-dies/
https://sherecovers.org/do-you-know-what-workaholism-looks-like/

My recovery from drug addiction started in 1987, but my recovery from workaholism began just five years ago – in February, 2011.

The following is a very close-to-actual conversation that I had with my physician when I finally started to realize that I couldn’t go on working or “busy-ing” myself to death. I’ve made a lot of progress in the past five years. But I still have far to go.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Denial

Doctor:
I think you have exceeded the limits of your reserves.Me:
Sounds ominous.

Doctor:
Seriously, I think you need to take some time off of work and unwind, take care of yourself.

Me:
I just took two mental health days and today is my fourth Friday off in a row.

Doctor:
When was the last time you took more than a couple of days away from work?Me:
Fourteen months ago, we went to Mexico for two weeks.

Doctor:
Did you do any work on that trip?

Me:
Just on the plane there and home. And emails. I checked emails, but just once a day.

Doctor:
And how many vacation days did you take in 2010?

Me:
Three and a half.

Doctor:
Are you ever able take a break from working or thinking about your job?

Me:
Which one? I don’t obsess over my teaching job because that is only one night a week. Plus class prep on weekends. But no, I always obsess over my full-time job.

Doctor:
And you’ve had high job stress for the entire four years that you have worked there, according to your file? You’ve been in here for stress related issues six times. Although…it looks like the last time we saw you was seven months ago. Did things get better for a while?

Me:
No. Worse. But I was too busy to take time off for doctor’s appointments.

Doctor:
What was happening just before you got this job?

Me:
I had stage three colon cancer and spent a year undergoing chemotherapy. I got my job the week after I was told I didn’t have cancer anymore.

Doctor:
So you had a year off, but you were fighting cancer.

Me:
Well, no.

Doctor:
No what?

Me:
I didn’t have a year off. I was teaching while I did chemo.

Doctor:
Full time?

Me:
No! Not for the first semester. Just for the second.

Doctor:
Okay. I am beginning to understand. What about…before cancer?

Me:
Well we were raising our family so I only worked part-time while going to school. Thirteen years of university in a row, the last six of them were spent on my PhD.

Doctor:
What was your thesis about?

Me:
History of care of dying cancer patients early twentieth century in North America. Ironic, hey?

Doctor:
So did you have any time off between finishing the doctorate and getting cancer?

Me:
Not so much.

Doctor:
As in?

Me:
I defended my thesis …in the hospital. One week after they yanked the cancerous colon.

Doctor:
It didn’t occur to you to postpone the defence?

Me:
No. I had to get it done because we were in the middle of a move to another province. I had to finish it and get out of the hospital so I could get our house ready to sell. It was fine. The nurses helped me figure out the timing of the pain control so I could make it through the two hours.

Doctor:
I hate to ask…but before your final run at the PhD…any break from “working?”

Me:
Well, at the beginning of the PhD I kind of took it easy on the studying for sixteen months. So that was for all of 1999, first quarter of 2000.

Doctor:

Great! And how did that feel?

Me:
Not very good. I was taking care of my mother who was dying from leukemia.

Doctor:
You really need a month off. To start.

Me:
Now isn’t the best time.

Doctor:
You are crying in executive meetings at work. You aren’t sleeping. You are having anxiety attacks and you think you have Alzheimer’s disease because you keep forgetting words. Now is a really good time.

Me:
You don’t think it’s Alzheimer’s? What do you think it is?

Doctor:
You’re going to need at least a month.

Me:
Can I keep my blackberry?

5 Comments

Sarah on February 16, 2016 at 9:35 am
Wow. I love this… Amazing how we can rationalize chaos in our lives, and how our bodies and minds will always scream at us until we take notice. I’ve experienced it with other things such as relationships, or taking on things that I don’t really want to do, and then am amazed at the energy which returns to me when I make the choice for my own soul, (which usually involves the word ‘no’. Then I’m waking up and going, ‘Oh my God, I feel… good!” and wondering what part of me thought it was normal to operate under such stress. It is a beautiful journey back to our Self. Thank you so much for sharing, Dawn!
Laurel Anne Stark on February 16, 2016 at 1:17 pm
Can I ever relate! Thank-you so much for sharing Dawn. It seems to me that while safely inside our heads these rationalizations can seem perfectly logical, but out on paper, well, notsomuch.
- Dawn Nickel on March 15, 2016 at 11:19 pm
  Thanks, dear friend. I guess I should say I am sorry you can relate – but – well – I’m glad you are part of my tribe.
Michelle Gould (Em) on October 28, 2016 at 2:46 pm
I loved reading this. I read it a few times. On the one hand, I can relate. I spent two years in and out of hospitals and worked on my first master’s degree the whole time. It took a few years after that and a lot of perseverance to get my life back on track. Now I’m working on my second master’s (thesis defense next month), I’ve got two “day jobs”, and I just started an online business. For me, your story is both an inspiration and a cautionary tale. Thank you for sharing your experience.
- Dawn Nickel on November 13, 2016 at 10:49 am
  I hope your defense went well, Michelle!

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Shelly Dimitrijevic

Kirsten Newquist