96. How to Overcome Addiction and Take Control Of Your Life - Kerrie Atherton

This week on Share, Steve Hodgson is joined by Kerrie Atherton—trauma recovery therapist, speaker, author, and founder of Stories of HOPE—for a raw and powerful conversation on overcoming adversity and transforming personal pain into purpose.

Kerrie opens up about her experiences with bullying, addiction, and a suicide attempt that changed her life. From these dark beginnings, she’s gone on to build a national movement of hope, healing, and empowerment through community storytelling, lived experience advocacy, and her trauma-informed work across schools, prisons, and events.

If you’ve ever felt lost, stuck, or like your past defines your future—this episode offers proof that healing is possible, and that your story can become someone else’s survival guide.

About Our Guest

Kerrie Atherton is the founder of Empower Life Solutions and Stories of HOPE Australia. A keynote speaker, author, and trauma recovery therapist, Kerrie works with schools, organisations, and individuals to support mental health and addiction recovery. She’s published several volumes of real-life inspirational stories and continues to speak nationally on resilience, leadership, and healing through authenticity.

Follow Our Guest

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories_of_hope_aus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerrie.atherton.9/

Website: https://empowerlifesolutions.com.au

Website: https://storiesofhope.com.au

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Host Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestevehodgson/

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharewithsteve/

Episode Highlights

00:00 - Episode Trailer

00:20 - Meet Kerrie Atherton and her passion for helping the hurting

01:40 - The bullying and trauma that shaped her early years

03:11 - Addiction, numbing, and losing identity in early adulthood

04:52 - The suicide attempt that changed everything

06:12 - Starting again: her first steps toward healing

08:01 - How therapy, faith, and community helped rebuild her life

09:58 - Why your story matters—even when it's painful

11:10 - Launching Stories of HOPE to help others find their voice

13:20 - The healing power of lived experience and shared truth

15:05 - What stops people from asking for help?

17:00 - Working in schools, prisons, and at-risk communities

18:40 - Teaching young people how to speak their truth

21:04 - How to support someone who's struggling

22:51 - The link between shame, addiction, and silence

25:12 - Understanding trauma responses with compassion

27:03 - Using storytelling to de-stigmatise mental health

29:15 - Building emotional resilience in leadership and life

30:59 - Her faith journey and how it saved her life

33:11 - Navigating judgment and standing strong in purpose

36:30 - Releasing the Stories of HOPE book series

39:15 - Real feedback from readers and the ripple effect

42:27 - Balancing her personal wellbeing while holding space

45:50 - Lessons from working with people at rock bottom

48:02 - Letting go of perfection and embracing your path

50:33 - Her advice to anyone feeling broken or hopeless

53:01 - From trauma to transformation: her message of hope

56:10 - Kerrie’s personal grounding practices

59:35 - The courage to share your story out loud

01:02:02 - Building long-term impact through empathy

01:05:10 - What’s next for Kerrie and the future of Stories of HOPE

01:08:49 - Where to find he