This Is Powerful With Paul Sculfor

Welcome back to the show. This episode kicks off season 6, and for the next six episodes we are focusing on mental fitness in Britain’s construction industry. Historically, these working environments are not conducive to men being able to speak openly about mental health or wellbeing and as stats currently stand, construction workers are nearly four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average.Our first guest in our tradesmen series is Paul the Painter, a salt of the Earth man with more than a few strings to his bow. Sober now for nearly 19 years, Paul speaks openly and articulately about living with anxiety and the journey he’s been on since accepting and understanding his OCD diagnosis. Paul speaks with generous honesty about his many careers: first as a panel beater, later working as a train ticket collector, moving from photography with his own exhibit in London, then a cabbie, and now a painter /decorator. This is an important listen particularly for those who know someone who works in construction either on a building site or as a sole trader.If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

Brandon Block is a name synonymous with dance floors worldwide. A true pioneer of the club scene, he has been an idol of Paul’s for quite some time! Brandon became the first resident DJ on Ibiza’s legendary Space terrace and has been getting parties going worldwide ever since. With residencies spanning Dubai, Marbella, Hong Kong, and beyond, his energy behind the decks is as infectious as ever but his hedonistic reputation is now just the stuff of legends. Brandon’s current story is one of growth and transformation, after difficulty in finding help in 1996. In this episode, Brandon talks about the highs and lows of fame, the joy of connection through music, and his journey into recovery and mental health work. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

Today we welcome Max and Chris, hosts of the Addicted to Recovery podcast. Reaching more than 20,000 listeners each month, the Addicted to Recovery podcast blends honesty, humor, and heart, diving into real-life stories of growth, resilience, and redemption.Christopher White is a 37-year-old podcaster and proud family man who’s been clean for five years through Narcotics Anonymous. With a background in construction, Chris brings a grounded, no-nonsense perspective to everything he does. Max Thomas is living proof that addiction doesn’t discriminate. Privately educated and raised in a loving, supportive family with no history of trauma, Max nevertheless found himself caught in the cycle of addiction. Today, Max is over six years clean, a devoted husband, father of two, and a successful business owner.We hit on some big topics like the new (and better) buzz that comes from helping people, pulling a manipulative ace card, and the hard work needed to finally admit true self-centredness.If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor Find Max and Chris on Instagram @AddictedtoRecoveryPodcast

From professional actor, through extraordinary personal growth, to ordained Buddhist priest, his service to others kept focus on his sobriety. Tom Ratcliffe was born in London and trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His early life followed the familiar arc of a working actor, but then his encounter with legendary American acting teacher Sanford Meisner in the early ‘90s not only reshaped his craft but ignited his search for truth and his dedication to mindfulness and acceptance.From working in the Calais Jungle, to caring for family through illness, loss, and relapse, Tom’s story is one of radical compassion born from chaos. Now retired from teaching, he stands at another threshold. In this raw and intimate conversation between two friends, Tom reflects on what it truly means to live in service, to heal, and to begin again. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

Andy grew up an only child, set up a property business at 21 and became a proud and very happy dad at 30. Over time, however, things became difficult. One daughter stopped attending school and disappeared from his life for some time while he became the sole-full time parent to his younger daughter. He later discovered that his daughters’ mother (his ex) had developed severe bipolar disorder and a drug addiction, which naturally caused complications.As a result of appearing on My Mum, Your Dad, ITV’s ‘relationship show with a difference’, Andy realised the value of opening up in men’s groups and talking through issues that men often bury, therefore embracing a new chapter in his life. Now he is able to be emotionally honest and resilient. Paul and Andy speak about the complexity of fatherhood, missed opportunities when pride gets in the way and how it is never too late to start addressing trauma from the past. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculforFind Andy on Instagram @andypearcea1

She is one of the UK’s foremost voices on sex and pornography addiction.A Sexual and Relationship Psychotherapist with over three decades of experience, Dr Paula Hall has spent the last twenty years at the forefront of helping individuals, partners, and couples navigate the mysterious world of compulsive sexual behaviours.Dr Hall is the Founder and Clinical Director of The Laurel Centre, the UK’s leading therapy service for sex and porn addiction, and the driving force behind Pivotal Recovery, a not-for-profit making expert support free, low-cost, and accessible to anyone ready for change.In this conversation, we talk about what it means to express your sexuality mindfully, how to recognise when help might be needed, and how to navigate the heartbreak and healing that can follow when addiction becomes apparent in a relationship. Please let us know your thoughts on our listener feedback form: https://forms.gle/AFptgi3mMJKTZdYg8If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor Find Dr Hall on Instagram @dr_paulahall -

We have a wonderful guest in the studio today. Michaela, professionally known as Kayla Wild, has been clean and sober for 11 years and currently works in the adult industry. Going from a hostile upbringing then living in a woman's refuge, to now being a homeowner, Michaela is raising her son as a single parent, giving him the upbringing that she never had.Paul and Michaela speak about the power of honesty and Michaela’s dream of being a psychotherapist to those working in the sex industry. They have a real candid conversation and Michaela actually has quite a surprising truth bomb about her own sexuality.Please let us know your thoughts on our listener feedback form: https://forms.gle/AFptgi3mMJKTZdYg8If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor Find Michaela on Instagram @iamkaylawild