We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tricia Parido. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tricia below.

Tricia, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the best advice you ever gave to a client? How did they benefit / what was the result? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

Commit to Self-Reflection: Start by developing a deep sense of self-awareness. Reflect on your values, motivations, and the impact of your actions. Consider keeping a journal to track your progress, insights, and emotions.

Seek Supportive Relationships: Surround yourself with individuals who support your journey towards sobriety and emotional growth. Find a community or support group that aligns with your values and provides a safe space for open and honest communication.

Prioritize Self-Care: Taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being is crucial. Establish a routine that includes regular exercise, nutritious meals, quality sleep, and stress-reduction practices like meditation, yoga, or mindfulness.

Practice Mindfulness: Cultivate a present-moment awareness and non-judgmental acceptance of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Engage in mindfulness exercises regularly, such as deep breathing, body scans, or walking meditations, to increase your emotional intelligence.

Develop Healthy Coping Strategies: Instead of turning to substances or unhealthy behaviors, learn constructive ways to manage stress, difficult emotions, and triggers. This could involve techniques like deep breathing, grounding exercises, seeking professional therapy, or engaging in creative outlets.

Educate Yourself: Learn about the science and psychology behind addiction, emotional intelligence, and personal development. Read books, listen to podcasts, or attend workshops that provide insights and strategies for growth.

Set Realistic Goals: Break down your long-term vision into smaller, achievable goals. Celebrate your successes along the way, as this will boost your confidence and motivation. Remember that progress takes time, and setbacks are normal; be kind to yourself during the process.

Develop Healthy Boundaries: Learn to say “no” when necessary and establish boundaries that protect your well-being. Surround yourself with individuals who respect your choices and support your growth.

Embrace Vulnerability: Emotional intelligence involves being open and vulnerable with yourself and others. Practice expressing your feelings honestly and authentically, while also being receptive to the emotions and experiences of others.

Seek Professional Help: Consider working with a Professional Coach who specializes in addiction recovery and emotional intelligence. They can provide valuable guidance, personalized strategies, and support throughout your journey.

Remember that everyone’s path to sobriety and emotional intelligence is unique. Be patient with yourself, stay committed, and celebrate the progress you make along the way.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Short company description: Tricia Parido is a Recovery Lifestyle Enthusiast, Speaker, and Writer. She is a Nationally Certified Life Coach, an International Master Addictions Specialist, and a Professional Life Interventionist with a Psych Degree in Process Behavioral and Chemical Addiction who loves to help change lives! As a Master Life Interventionist, Tricia is ever committed to serving her clients worldwide to find the emotional intelligence they need to conquer their life challenges.

As an active business owner of a thriving coaching practice, Turning Leaves® Recovery, Life, and Wellness Coaching, with courses seated in evidence-based practices, she not only teaches her clients how to live the life they desire, how to evolve, and “live free”, but she also teaches those that aspire to become professional coaches how to do so, passionately, and professionally.

What Is Your Why (Why Are You In Business)?: Society holds a narrow perspective around the words addiction and recovery. Not all addictions look the same! Process and behavioral addictions are widespread and derailing lives every day and are accepted as a norm. I understand the internal battle. It’s hard to stop drinking dieting binging splurging and giving away all your time and energy. I know there is a better way of experiencing living! And that is living in a way that has everything you love without lacking control.

How did you get started in your field or work?: My personal journey and tons of education… My story is more than 30 years long and is filled with languishing in control needs, trauma, chemical substance abuse, dependence, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, abandonment issues, anxiety, and so much more! My addictions were far more involved than the narrow perspective society holds; it wasn’t simply chemical in nature. I experienced process and behavioral addictions as well. (To explain these looked like shopping, sugar, people pleasing codependency, dieting, exercise, and an overbooked calendar). And my recovery journey isn’t represented by my sobriety date! That journey has unfolded over the last 26 years and in a truly unique fashion.

When I realized I was on to something extremely effective, and saw how people are struggling with many types of addiction that don’t meet the standard needs for treatment, you know, those people who are being held hostage by their habits and negative attachments, I decided they too deserve a recovery journey that shows them that they also get to choose how they experience living and how they see themselves functioning in their lives!

What’s one thing we should know that makes your company unique?: People need to learn the practical application of psychological skill sets and tactics that will provide them with the level of emotional intelligence they didn’t know they didn’t have but need, especially when returning home in early recovery to the same house, spouse, family, bills, job, all-around environment, they were unable to function effectively in the first place.

This is my why. This is what inspired me to launch Turning Leaves® and create the Building Milestones® system in 2014 which is the foundation for all the programs mentioned below that continue to produce well over 95% success rate with desired life satisfaction.

We understand that taking care of your mental well-being is essential for living a fulfilling and balanced life. Our team of experienced coaches is here to guide and support you on your journey towards better mental health. We offer a range of elite programs designed to cater to your specific needs and personal severity of the issue. Our programs include:

Live Free: This program is designed to help you break free from the limitations and negative patterns that may be holding you back. Our coaches will work with you to identify and overcome barriers, empowering you to live a life of authenticity and freedom.

Live for Yourself: In this program, we focus on self-discovery and personal growth. Our coaches will assist you in exploring your passions, values, and goals, helping you create a meaningful and purpose-driven life that aligns with your true self.

Evolve: The Evolve program is designed for individuals who are seeking personal transformation. Our coaches will guide you through a process of self-reflection and provide you with tools and strategies to cultivate resilience, adaptability, and personal evolution.

Loving Your Physical Body: This program is dedicated to helping you develop a positive relationship with your physical body. Our coaches will support you in building self-acceptance, body positivity, and healthy habits, fostering a balanced approach to physical well-being.

The Composure Method: This program focuses on managing stress, anxiety, and emotional regulation. Our coaches will teach you practical techniques to find inner calm, increase emotional resilience, and cultivate a state of composure in the face of life’s challenges.

We understand that everyone’s financial situation is different, which is why we offer various levels of affordability for our programs. Our pricing is based on the level of support and resources required for each individual, taking into consideration the severity of the issue being addressed.

Whether you’re struggling with everyday stress, seeking personal growth, or dealing with more severe mental health challenges, our team is here to help. Our mental health coaching programs are designed to provide you with the support, guidance, and tools you need to overcome obstacles and thrive. Take the first step towards a healthier mind and a happier life by reaching out to us today. https://www.turningleavesrecovery.com/

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The longer I have been sober the more I realize just how long my recovery journey has been. The longer I have been working toward cultivating my true belief about my journey the more I realize just how many layers and textures and depths I have moved through.
I can say I’ve been sober for 10 years. and after a 30-year relationship with alcohol, I can say the last 10 years have been an enormous accomplishment. BUT if I focus only on the last 10 years, I am not honoring my full and true recovery journey.
It is not a secret that I believe society holds a very narrow perspective around the true meaning of addiction and recovery who it’s for and what it looks like. It’s not a secret that I believe there is an entire population of people facing what I consider to be the not-so-normal faces of addiction and the importance of a recovery path for them. And it’s also not a secret that I believe too much of our power, our peace, our mindset, and our clarity is given away to something outside of ourselves.
Let me tell you a little story. If you are familiar with the traits and characteristics of process, behavioral, and chemical dependencies you’ll get why telling you this makes sense.
As a child I was always, perhaps inherently, driven to accomplish, to excel, to stand out. Until I wasn’t. I was reading, writing, doing arithmetic, and playing chess at 4, started classical piano at 5 ½, and competitive swimming at 6 ½. But I also felt invisible, unheard, disposable, and had a deep fear of missing out or being left behind. Now if I add some vulnerability in here, I also experienced a couple of significant traumas in this period, my first sexual assault which I told no one about because even at 4 years old I felt nobody would listen or care. And I witnessed my father being struck by lightning. He survived, but to this day I am terrified by it.
Fast forward through all the years of me grooming myself to be outwardly what I thought I needed to be seen as from color-coordinated outfits, perfectly styled hair, and a mature sense of stature, to physical and emotional strength we land in my early adolescence. My father was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident just one year after we were all separated, living apart while he was in treatment for alcohol addiction. I had just turned 12. This is when I began to drink.
This is also when I survived my first rape and the stalking that occurred after. For the next 4 years, 4 more close male friendships would end in very similar ways as my father’s. Feeling abandoned, feeling like every male would leave, or abuse me I became extremely insecure. Alcohol worked for me. It allowed me to escape from my pain. I didn’t know any other way.
Talking about it with anyone wasn’t an option. Plenty of people in my life made it very clear that they didn’t want to hear it anymore. I was being selfish and attention-seeking. And then, another sexual assault. Followed by even more reasons to cover up my fear, anxiety, and emotional distress. Giving me more reason to drink but now accompanied by a new control mechanism. What I ate and how I looked on the outside. Only what I saw was not at all how I looked. Anorexia and body dysmorphia entered my life. I relied heavily on restricting until I was 25. And alcohol helped in so many indescribable ways.
At 16 my physical body began to change. I had this calling. It was like nothing I had experienced before. I knew I had to become a mother. And by just 2 months past my 17th birthday there he was, my biggest gift in life. Protecting him wasn’t always easy. His father and I had a tremendously abusive relationship back then. Domestic violence was something I endured but always shielded him from. His father and I separated our lives and went on to become great friends.
But this chapter was not without more perceived trauma and loss. During my pregnancy, I discovered my dad was not my biological father. I had an entire family I knew nothing about. I had two miscarriages one at 18 and one at 25 during another abusive relationship. You see, I have a rare blood type that sees naturally occurring things in my body as threats and therefore will kill them off. I also didn’t know then that this meant facing a lifetime of autoimmunity that would continue to present me with challenges.
Physically I suffered for over a decade. I even had a few near-death experiences before the final surgery at 29. Putting me into a post-menopausal state. Luckily for me by this time I had met my husband and I knew what true love and unconditional positive regard looked like.
This was an emotional season for me the time leading up to age 27… the insurmountable loss, physical deterioration, fearing death and two more sexual assaults were not at all what I needed to endure. A hard-working mostly single mother, I learned to balance home and work, and save well, I even bought a house all while maintaining my daily drinking, disordered eating, people-pleasing codependency, and perfectionism and now I added in a shopping habit to comfort my emptiness and pain.
My husband and I married 3 years after merging our lives. With 5 children between us, we built a strong foundation for us all. We have enjoyed a beautiful journey.
We have had to face tough times though. Our oldest daughter was plagued with AML (an aggressive leukemia) during her freshman year of high school and our younger daughter fell ill with e coli. Both of our ex’s passed away leaving us with grieving children. Yet somehow our family unit just continued to grow stronger.
But somehow, for some reason, my mind and body got together and decided that I needed to know what generalized anxiety disorder felt like. And guess what, all of my stored trauma decided to join in leaving me to deal with anxiety-induced panic. For 5 years I was prescribed Xanax even though I was an open daily drinker. This didn’t work out so well for me. It caused an addiction I didn’t know how to handle. It was physiological.
Well, I’ve already made it quite apparent that I have control issues. And perfectionism is a tough one to let go of. So naturally I wasn’t ok with being in the passenger seat with chemical addiction and anxiety doing the driving.
I had overcome my need for external approval. I had overcome my disordered eating (although this one comes with the need for lifelong maintenance). I had overcome my need for some possession to bring me comfort. I had overcome the traumatic events I graciously survived. I had learned to grieve. I had my people-pleasing codependency in a state of effectiveness. I had learned to love and be loved. I just didn’t know it yet!
It all came clear with this last obstacle. And once the alcohol and prescription were gone the intuition, focus, peace, and clarity arrived. I had to learn all I could about how I experienced my environment and how I saw myself in it.
So while the obvious addiction in my story is clearly alcohol. Alcohol was not the only addiction. Nor was it always the derailing factor. And when it was, it was driven by something else. Fear trauma response or any other factor I didn’t realize I had carried around with me from old seasons.
No for me these were all addictions, habits, and negative attachments that subconsciously and consciously served some purpose or another with the same result. I had conditioned them all to be coping mechanisms. And they all were just false hope.
I discovered the Locus of Control theory while I was obtaining my BS in Psychology where my studies were focused on process, behavioral, and chemical addiction.
During this 5 1/2-year psychological journey I submerged myself into the clinical side of every level of addiction treatment/care that was made available. What I discovered about myself and every client that I had the pleasure to work with was that we all had that voice inside that said “Bad things always happen to me, the world is scary, people are cruel, you can do better, you can be better, they don’t like me, they think I’m stupid, they are out to get me, everyone leaves me” (this list could literally go on for hours) and this was the external locus of control.
In a nutshell, people struggling with addiction (process, behavioral, or chemical) or who are being held hostage by their habits and negative attachments need to understand that they get to choose how they experience their environment. They get to choose how they respond to the situations as they unfold. And they get to choose how they see themselves functioning in their life.
It’s time to leave the external and get internally minded Stop giving your power your peace your mindset your clarity away to something outside of you THIS IS YOUR LIFE TOO IT CAN LOOK FEEL BE HOWEVER YOU WANT IT TO
Please, don’t get me wrong! Taking control of my thoughts, feelings, emotions, opinions, and beliefs did not come simply because I learned this particular theory! It was absolutely one of the most significant lessons I have learned in life. But I had to dig in and compile a gamete of skillsets and tactics that would generate the strength and capability necessary to make living through my internal drive a lifelong manageable and maintainable attainment!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being an addiction and mental health specialist, my reputation is built on a foundation of openness, honesty, genuineness, and transparency. These qualities have allowed me to establish strong connections with my clients, fostering an environment of trust and understanding. By being empathetic and insightful, I strive to provide the support and guidance that individuals need on their journey to recovery.

One of the key aspects of my approach is being straightforward with my clients. I believe in addressing the challenges they face head-on, without sugarcoating or minimizing the difficulties they may encounter. This directness helps individuals confront their issues and develop a deeper understanding of themselves.

As a specialist, I am dedicated to translating psychological skills and tactics into practical applications that benefit my clients. It is not enough to possess knowledge; the true value lies in being able to convey that knowledge in a way that is accessible and actionable. By doing so, I empower individuals to implement positive changes in their lives and make progress towards their goals.

Word-of-mouth referrals are a testament to the effectiveness of my approach. I am grateful for the trust that my clients place in me and the recommendations they provide to others who may benefit from my services. These referrals demonstrate the impact I have had on the lives of those I have worked with and the positive outcomes they have experienced.

In conclusion, my reputation as an addiction and mental health specialist is built on principles of openness, honesty, genuineness, and transparency. By being empathetic, insightful, and straightforward with my clients, I create a space for healing and growth. Through the translation of psychological skills and tactics into practical applications, I empower individuals to make positive changes in their lives. The word-of-mouth referrals I receive are a testament to the impact I have had on my clients’ journeys to recovery, and I am grateful for the trust they have placed in me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.turningleavesrecovery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamtriciaparido/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tricia.parido/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/triciaparido/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFPDsRN_ugB7Ll23pT5i6IQ
• Other: https://masteringthedrop-arealviewofrecovery.podbean.com/

Image Credits
Tricia Parido