FAQs

SHE RECOVERS Foundation (SRF) Sharing Circles are local community containers of support informed by the SRF Intentions & Guiding Principles. They are professionally facilitated, peer-supported, and intended for women and non-binary individuals who identify with women’s communities – who are in or seeking recovery – to connect, learn, heal, and share within a group of like-hearted individuals.

Intentions

Each SRF Sharing Circle plays an integral part of achieving the SRF Foundation’s mission and focuses on the following intentions:



Provide a holistic and unique recovery experience that is peer-supported, topic-focused, trauma-informed, and voluntarily facilitated by SRF Certified Professionals.



Create opportunities for women of diverse backgrounds and life experiences to connect, learn, heal and share about the practice of recovery with other like-hearted folks.



Celebrate diversity by embracing all recovery pathways and patchworks, all races, sexual orientations, body sizes, and all those differences of life situations, backgrounds, and abilities.



By supporting individualized recovery pathways we aim to help women build recovery capital and utilize all holistic practices and resources.



Serve as a free healing resource within a recovery-oriented system of care that complements other professional recovery supports such as, but not limited to, trauma therapy, counseling, addiction treatment, coaching services, psychiatric and/or medical care.



Foster co-created experiences built on a foundation of set intentions, agreements, and mutual respect for all participants, volunteers, and facilitators.

Attend a She Recovers Sharing Circle

We are excited to gather once again in-person. Check out a local community SHE RECOVERS Sharing Circle near you!

CANADA

Kelowna, BC

Facilitator: Dawn Kuehn, SRCD & Jen Lebedoff, SRYT
Frequency: Varies
Time: Varies
Location: Invati Yoga,
1829 Chandler Street Kelowna, BC
> Learn More
> Contact

Calgary, AB

Facilitator: Nicole Cameron SRCD
Frequency: Monthly
Time: Last Friday of the Month @ 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Location: TBD

> Learn More + Contact

Ottawa, ON

Facilitator: Payton Kennedy, SRCD, SRYT, SRDF
Frequency: Monthly
Time: Every third Saturday @ 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Begins on: May 20, 2023
Location: Parkdale Food Centre
30 Rosemount Avenue, Ottawa, ON
> Learn More
> Contact

Sea to Sky, BC

Facilitator: Bronwen Thorburn, SRCD
Frequency: Paused
Time: Paused
Location: Whistler Women’s Centre : 1519 Spring Creek Dr. Whistler, BC V8E 0A2
> Learn More
> Contact

Saturna Island, BC

Facilitator: SHE RECOVERS Director of Community Engagement & Online Programs, Lisa Wall, SRCD, CTP
Frequency: Bi-weekly
Time: Wednesdays @ 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Location: Confidential, Saturna Island, BC
> Contact

Victoria, BC

Facilitator: SHE RECOVERS Founder, Dawn Nickel, PhD + SRCD
Frequency: Monthly
Time: Last Sunday of every month @ 12:30-2:30 pm PST (Except for the first Sharing Circle – January 15)
Location: Umbrella Society, 415 Dunedin St #8, Victoria, BC
> Learn More
> Contact

USA

Atlanta, GA

Facilitator: Allison Stanley, SRCD
Frequency: Monthly
Time: Varies
Location: Varies, Atlanta
> Learn More
> Contact

Boston & Cape Cod, MA

A SHE RECOVERS Foundation Chapter in New England Sharing Circle
Facilitator: Deb Harrington, SRCD & Kathy Robbins, SRCD
Frequency: Last Sunday of every month
Time: 10:30-11:30 AM
Location: A Place to Breathe – 62 Bonnie Lane, Waquoit, MA

> Learn More
> Contact

Buffalo, NY

Facilitator: Johnna Mauro, SRCD
Frequency: 2nd and 4th Saturdays
Time: 10:30 – 11:30 am
Location: Yoga Parkside
2 Wallace Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14214

> Learn More
> Contact

Hanover, MA

A SHE RECOVERS Foundation Chapter in New England Sharing Circle
Facilitator: Kathy Robbins, LICSW, CPCC, SRC and Clare Garrity. CPCC, SRC
Frequency: Monthly
Time:11:30 am -1:00 pm
Location: Outside Boston at
Juniko
1376 Washington Street
Hanover, MA 02339

> Learn More
> Contact

Los Angeles, CA

Facilitator: Mary Kamalski, SRCD
Frequency: Monthly
Time: 3rd Sunday of every month
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Location: Trauma & Beyond Center
14156 Magnolia Blvd, #101, Sherman Oaks, CA
> Learn More
> Contact

Massena, NY

Facilitators: Lauren Sommerfield, SRCD, SRYT & Chantal Forrest, SRYT
Currently paused
> Learn More
> Contact

Park City, UT

Facilitators: Tracy Sjostrom CPC, SRCD, M.Ed.,& Erin Wickersham CPC, SRCD
Frequency: Paused
Time: Paused
Location: PC Yoga Collective at Redstone
1154 Center Dr D210, Park City, UT
> Contact

Paso Robles, CA

Facilitator: Monica Galli, SRCD
Frequency: First Thursday of every month (starting February 2023)
Time: 6:00-7:00 pm
Location: Dharma Yoga Loft Wellness Lounge First Floor
1329 Spring Street Paso Robles, CA
> Learn More
> Contact

Pleasant Hill (SF East Bay), CA

Facilitator: Lynn Galliano, SRPD
Frequency: Fourth Saturday of the month (begins October 2023)
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Location: Church of the Resurrection
399 Gregory Lane · Pleasant Hill, CA
> Learn More
> Contact

Royal Oak, MI

Facilitator: Kathie Smigels, MA, LLPC, NCC, CADC, CPRM, SRCD
Frequency: Weekly
Time:Every Tuesday @ 7:00 pm
Location: Free Living Recovery, LLC / Zupac Law and Yoga
1719 Crooks Road, Royal Oak, MI
> Learn More
> Contact

Seattle, WA

Facilitator: Jennifer Olmos, SRYT
Frequency: Monthly
Time: Varies
Location: Capitol Hill Branch, Seattle Public Library
425 Harvard Ave E, Seattle, WA
> Learn More
> Contact

St. Louis, MO

Facilitator: Gayla Downey, SRYT
Frequency: Varies on Sundays
Time: 2nd Sunday of each month from 6:00 to 7:00, followed by a 15 minute break and then an optional 30 minute trauma-informed yoga practice from 7:15 to 7:45pm.
Location: South River Yoga
4405A Meramec Bottom Road Suite A, St. Louis, MO 63129
> Learn More + Contact

York, ME

A SHE RECOVERS Foundation Chapter in New England Sharing Circle
Facilitator: MaryBeth Murphy, SRCD
Frequency: Monthly
Time: Every 3rd Sunday of the Month @ 1:30 pm
Location: Yoga on York
250 York Street York, ME
> Learn More
> Contact

AUSTRALIA

Australia

A National Online SHE RECOVERS Sharing Circle
Facilitator: Alison Middleton SRCD & Caroline Mosha SRCD
Frequency: Weekly on Thursdays
Time: Thursdays @ 8:00 – 9:00 PM ACST
Location: Online (contact for access)
> Learn More
> Contact

Tell us what you think.

Your voice matters and can help us to continue improving SHE RECOVERS Sharing Circles for all who seek to join a movement like ours.

TAKE THE SURVEY

The SHE RECOVERS Sharing Circles have been a saving grace for me. I have been missing in-person connection over the past few years. It is so healing for me to be in community with others who “get it”. I can be myself. I can share from the heart (or not if I don’t feel comfortable). I know my presence in this space impacts me and the others I have the honor of holding space for. We are stronger together.

~ SR COMMUNITY MEMBER ~

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Sharing Circles cost anything to attend?

No. Accessibility is of utmost importance to SRF. All Sharing Circles must remain free of charge.

Who is able to facilitate a SHE RECOVERS Sharing Circle?

One of the things that makes our Sharing Circles unique is the professionally facilitated and peer-supported environment. All SHE RECOVERS Coaches, Trauma-Informed Yoga Teachers, and other SHE RECOVERS Certified Professionals are welcome to facilitate.

When will I be able to host a Sharing Circle?

We are welcoming expressions of interest forms now!

Join the She Recovers movement!

For news about upcoming events & retreats, new products, amazing articles and so much more, sign up for our newsletter.

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

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 for over 26 years. She also has a history of trauma and abuse, from which she’s worked hard to recover as well. 6 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. She recently retired, so she could devote her time to completing her writing and being more active in the recovery community.

She regularly speaks on behalf of LifeRing and develops relationships with organizations supportive of the multiple pathways approach. In August 2020, Mary Beth had an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, I Beat Addiction without God, where she described building a personal recovery plan by combining ideas from LifeRing, Women for Sobriety, and Narcotics Anonymous. In November 2020 she had an op-ed published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, I was a federal judge, and I support Safehouse. Here’s why. She is currently working on a full-length memoir.

Taryn Strong, RYT, CPRC

FOUNDER AND BOARD VICE-CHAIR
she / her

Taryn Strong is a founder of SHE RECOVERS® Foundation as well as a trauma-informed yoga instructor, recovery coach, aromatherapist, and herbalist (and daughter to Mama Dawn). Taryn has developed a unique yoga retreat program and led over 40 yoga for recovery retreats since 2012. She is also the host of the SHE RECOVERS Podcast and most recently created and taught the inaugural trauma-informed SHE RECOVERS Yoga Teacher Training Program. Operating from a trauma-informed lens and a firm believer in anti-oppressive practices, Taryn brings an empathic and invitational approach to healing - empowering women to find and follow individualized pathways and patchworks of recovery.

Taryn's courageous vulnerability and passion for recovering out-loud has made her an influential voice in the global recovery movement - smashing the stigma often associated with substance use and mental health issues. Taryn creates and lives with her beloved and two dogs within the ancestral and unceded traditional territory of the Hul’qumi’num and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples (Saltspring Island).

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/

Intentions

Provide a holistic and unique recovery experience that is peer-supported, topic-focused, trauma-informed, and voluntarily facilitated by SRF Certified Professionals.

Create opportunities for women of diverse backgrounds and life experiences to connect, learn, heal and share about the practice of recovery with other like-hearted folks.

Celebrate diversity by embracing all recovery pathways and patchworks, all races, sexual orientations, body sizes, and all those differences of life situations, backgrounds, and abilities.

By supporting individualized recovery pathways we aim to help women build recovery capital and utilize all holistic practices and resources.

Serve as a free healing resource within a recovery-oriented system of care that complements other professional recovery supports such as, but not limited to, trauma therapy, counseling, addiction treatment, coaching services, psychiatric and/or medical care.

Foster co-created experiences built on a foundation of set intentions, agreements, and mutual respect for all participants, volunteers, and facilitators.

Attend a She Recovers Sharing Circle

CANADA

Kelowna, BC

Calgary, AB

Ottawa, ON

Sea to Sky, BC

Saturna Island, BC

Victoria, BC

USA

Atlanta, GA

Boston & Cape Cod, MA

Buffalo, NY

Hanover, MA

Los Angeles, CA

Massena, NY

Park City, UT

Paso Robles, CA

Pleasant Hill (SF East Bay), CA

Royal Oak, MI

Seattle, WA

St. Louis, MO

York, ME

AUSTRALIA

Australia

Tell us what you think.

Your voice matters and can help us to continue improving SHE RECOVERS Sharing Circles for all who seek to join a movement like ours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Sharing Circles cost anything to attend?

Who is able to facilitate a SHE RECOVERS Sharing Circle?

When will I be able to host a Sharing Circle?

Sharing Circle Facilitator Discovery Form

Join the She Recovers movement!

Success!

Shelly Dimitrijevic

Kirsten Newquist

Mary Beth O’Connor, BA, JD

BOARD MEMBER AT LARGEshe / her

Taryn Strong, RYT, CPRC

FOUNDER AND BOARD VICE-CHAIRshe / her

Susan Carter

CEOshe / her

Dawn Nickel, PhD, CPRC, SRCD

ACTING CEO, CO-FOUNDER & BOARD CHAIR

she / her

Join the She Recovers movement!

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BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE
she / her

FOUNDER AND BOARD VICE-CHAIR
she / her

CEO
she / her