The Loving Leverage Podcast · Episode 68
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A new name, same mission
The Valiant Living Podcast has a new name. Welcome to the Loving Leverage Podcast.
We renamed the show around a phrase our founder Michael Dinneen coined: Loving Leverage™. It names something true in every recovery story. At some point, love became the leverage that made healing possible. Sometimes it was a spouse holding a boundary. Sometimes it was a parent who refused to look away. Sometimes it was the moment a man finally chose to love his kids, his family, or himself more than the addiction.
In this first episode of the new chapter, host Drew Powell sits down with Michael to unpack the idea behind the name and what it means for the families we serve.
Michael shares the story of his own rock bottom in 1991 and the phone call that saved his life. Together, Drew and Michael talk about why spouses and parents hold more positive power than they realize, how to hold boundaries that break the cycle of negotiation and manipulation, why the label of codependent often misses the deeper reality of trauma, and what the gift of desperation really means.
If you love someone who is struggling with addiction, this conversation will help you understand the addiction cycle, why no one can fight it alone, and how a team of people who love you becomes the leverage that leads to healing.
Chapters
Aligned to the YouTube video, which has no intro or outro. The Buzzsprout audio includes Drew's welcome and runs 2:11 ahead.
"I'm not hard on the addict. I'm hard on the addiction. I go after the addiction, and I know how to fight addiction."
Michael Dinneen · Founder and CEO, Valiant Living
About the guest
Founder and CEO · Valiant Living
Michael Dinneen, LCSW, CSAT-S, is the founder and CEO of Valiant Living and the creator of the Loving Leverage™ framework. In recovery himself since 1991, Michael has spent more than three decades walking with men and families through addiction, trauma, and healing. He built Valiant Living on a simple conviction: the only thing stronger than addiction is love, and families who learn to use that love well can change the direction of a man's life.
For therapists and treatment professionals
If you are a CSAT, therapist, or treatment professional and want to know if Valiant Living is the right fit for your client, Drew would love to have a personal conversation with you.
Set Up a ConsultationWorried about someone you love?
You don't have to figure this out alone. Our admissions team can help you understand what treatment looks like and what step to take next, even if he isn't ready yet.