New Episodes Released Each Monday
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New Episodes Released Each Monday ✨
“I truly believe that when we recover loudly, no one need suffer in silence.”
- Ash Butterss
Join Ash each week as she brings you powerful stories of adversity, hope and transformation.
Whether it’s an epic interview or one of Ash’s in demand solo episodes, each recording delivers you tools and insights to unlock your full potential and create a life that excites you.
If you’re hungry to learn and expand your mind then you’re in the right place.
This podcast is your one-stop shop for powerful strategies, raw vulnerability and the shared wisdom of those who’ve walked the path themselves.
About Behind The Smile
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About Behind The Smile ✨
I created Behind The Smile with Ash Butterss because I’m on a mission to remove the stigma around mental health, trauma and addiction.
From 2018 – 2020, I was drinking every day, stuck in a cycle of addiction yet from the outside looking in my life looked “normal.” I now know, I fell into the category of being a “high-functioning alcoholic” however, at the time, I thought I just needed to learn how to control my drinking.
I was also experiencing poor mental health and debilitating panic attacks, which I was later medicated for, but I didn’t stop drinking and so the anxiety raged on.
During this time, I didn’t know where to turn to. I knew there were programs such as AA, but I didn’t think I qualified because I didn’t think I was an alcoholic. I didn’t look like the “typical” alcoholic, and I hadn’t lost my job or my marriage, so I was at a loss. Nowhere could I find another person who looked and sounded like me, who was going through a similar experience and talking about it.
When I got sober in 2020, I knew I needed to change this. I had a deep calling to start a conversation around mental health and addiction so that people could find identification in hearing people’s stories.
We live in a society that demands perfectionism and often people are afraid to speak honestly and openly about their struggles. Yet the only way this stigma can be removed is by having the conversation!
I hope these stories offer education and comfort for anyone experiencing difficulties today. Know that you’re not alone.
Ash xo
Episode Show Notes
Take a trip through the latest episode show notes below
Episode 125. The Power of EMDR: Rewiring Trauma and Reclaiming Your Truth, with Boaz Gilboa
In this episode, Ash Butterss sits down with Boaz Gilboa, founder of MindCalmr, osteopath, and trauma-informed coach, to explore what it really takes to reclaim emotional freedom after trauma.
Boaz opens up about his journey through divorce, addiction, and family dysfunction, and how programs like NA, ACOA, CODA, and Debtors Anonymous each played a unique role in his growth. He shares how his experience with EMDR inspired him to create MindCalmr, a platform making high-quality trauma processing tools free and accessible.
Ash and Boaz discuss the connection between nervous system dysregulation, self-sabotage, and inherited beliefs, how trauma can manifest in subtle ways, and why personal truth is never absolute. This conversation is both intellectually rich and deeply practical, providing tools and reflections for anyone seeking to break free from old patterns and step into a life of authenticity, compassion, and emotional sovereignty.
Episode 124. The Lie of Moderation and the Freedom That Follows, with Georgie Irvine
In this week’s episode, Ash is joined by Georgie Irvine, a sobriety and mindset coach and owner of Thrivalist, a global community for sober-curious women. After decades of binge drinking and years of attempting to moderate, Georgie shares the moment she finally called herself out and the freedom she’s found on the other side of alcohol.
Georgie speaks candidly about her early days in sobriety, the shame and self-betrayal that came with trying to moderate, and how life changed when she drew a line in the sand. She shares tools that helped her break free, including the concept of the “inner mentor” and the power of playing the tape forward. Georgie also opens up about how her relationship with her husband transformed, the challenges of parenting teens with a sober mindset, and why she paused her own podcast to protect her energy.
Episode 123. From The Moulin Rouge to Meditation: Kristian Crowe’s Spiritual Return
In this episode, Ash Butterss sits down with yoga and meditation teacher Kristian Crowe, whose story is one of reinvention, dharma, and finding peace after years of striving. From a decade-long career in musical theatre to life in a Melbourne ashram, Kristian shares what it means to walk away from the roles we’ve outgrown and come home to ourselves.
Kristian reflects on his early identity as a performer, living for applause, feeling disconnected, and secretly unraveling behind a perfect smile. He recounts the turning point when, after touring internationally and landing a dream role, he realised that success hadn’t brought the wholeness he expected.
What followed was a complete transformation. In this conversation, Kristian opens up about the grief of letting go, the power of yoga and meditation, and how returning to India for teacher training changed everything. He now teaches from a place of deep inner connection, moving beyond performance and into true service.
Episode 122. The Holistic Psychologist: Why I Chose to Leave My Relationship with a 6-Month Old Baby
In this episode, Ash reconnects with Laura Corcoran, a Holistic Psychologist and mother of three. Just four weeks after a life-altering breakup and with a six-month-old baby in her arms, Laura joins Ash to talk candidly about what it means to unravel, release, and rise.
Laura opens up about walking away from a relationship that no longer aligned, the fears and shame she faced in doing so, and the soul corrections that continue to unfold in her healing journey. She shares how victim consciousness, nervous system regulation, and inner child work have helped her break cycles of hyper-independence and self-abandonment.
Episode 121. The Truth About Recovery (That No One Talks About), with Ian Cron
In this latest episode, Ash sits down with Ian Cron, a bestselling author, psychotherapist, Enneagram teacher, and Episcopal priest, to explore the power of recovery, the importance of spiritual growth, and what it really means to heal from the inside out.
Ian opens up about his decades-long journey in and out of 12-step recovery, including a relapse in 2020 after many years of sobriety. He shares the turning point that brought him back to the steps, and how going through the process with fresh eyes gave him a new understanding of addiction, spirituality, and lasting transformation.
Drawing on his latest book, The Fix, Ian reframes the 12 steps as a universal design for living, offering clarity for anyone seeking to heal broken relationships with self, others, and a higher power. Ash and Ian also discuss the connection between personality, behavior, and healing, the role of the Enneagram in understanding ourselves more deeply, and why true recovery goes far beyond just giving up a substance.
This episode is a heartfelt and intellectually rich conversation about grace, growth, and spiritual freedom, whether you identify as being in recovery or not.