John Makohen argues that lived experience is not a soft extra in addiction counseling—it is a skill set. Drawing from homelessness, heroin use, and sex work, he explains how lived experience builds trust, reads risk, and guides clients, while demanding supervision, disclosure training, career paths, and equal pay.

William Stauffer argues that addiction care systems are becoming increasingly isolated from the people doing the work. He examines broken feedback loops, flawed metrics, shrinking treatment capacity, and the essential role of authentic face-to-face dialogue in long-term recovery outcomes.

Sandy Rivers examines the double standard faced by mothers with substance use disorder. Drawing from family history, clinical experience, and her daughter's recovery, she shows how shame blocks treatment and why women recover better with dignity, allies, relationships, and community.