The Drama Diet with Lisa Stuart

EP18: Ariella Morrow: From Addiction, Depression & Rock Bottom to Recovery, Healing & Hope

In this deeply moving episode of The Drama Diet, Lisa Stuart sits down with addiction medicine physician Dr. Ariella Morrow for a powerful conversation about depression, alcoholism, recovery, and transforming pain into purpose. From the outside, Ariella’s life appeared successful — she was a respected physician, wife, mother, and medical professional working at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with a thriving outpatient practice. But behind the scenes, she was silently battling severe depression, emotional isolation, and alcoholism that slowly consumed every area of her life. Ariella opens up about the darkest season of her journey, including the moment she realized alcohol had completely taken over, the isolation that kept her confined to her room for months, and the overwhelming hopelessness that made her feel as though she had lost everything. In this conversation, she shares how Alcoholics Anonymous became a turning point in her healing journey and how hearing another professional’s story of redemption gave her the hope to believe her life could be rebuilt too. Today, Ariella works in addiction medicine, helping individuals struggling with addiction find healing, recovery, and transformation. Drawing from both her medical expertise and personal experience, she approaches recovery through a holistic lens — treating the mind, body, and spirit together. She also discusses the Japanese concept of kintsugi, the art of repairing broken pottery with gold, as a metaphor for healing and how brokenness can become the very thing that makes a person stronger, wiser, and more beautiful. This episode explores addiction, recovery, mental health, resilience, healing, redemption, hope, and the powerful truth that transformation is possible even after life completely falls apart.

EP17: Meg Tuohey: Healing Trauma, Self-Attunement & Rewiring Relationships From the Inside Out

In this episode of The Drama Diet, host Lisa Stuart sits down with psychologist, relationship expert, and trauma specialist Meg Tuohey for a powerful conversation about self-attunement, emotional regulation, and transforming relationships by transforming yourself. Meg brings a unique blend of psychology, leadership science, and psychoeducation, shaped by her background in corporate HR, talent development, and consulting before moving fully into trauma-informed relational work. She now helps women understand how their internal state directly shapes their external relationships and life experiences. At the core of her work is the idea that relationships act as mirrors—reflecting back the unresolved patterns, emotional dysregulation, and unmet needs within ourselves. Rather than focusing solely on fixing external dynamics, Meg teaches that real change begins with internal alignment, nervous system regulation, and deep self-awareness. She introduces her “Power of One” philosophy, which shows how one person’s shift in a relationship system can transform the entire dynamic. Through her evidence-based curriculum, she guides women through two foundational phases: self-attunement and physiological regulation, followed by relationship repair and structure. Meg also shares her concept of the “heartprint,” an inner compass that guides individuals toward authenticity, peace, and fulfillment when fully listened to and honored. She explains how disconnecting from this inner truth often leads to anxiety, conflict, and emotional disconnection in relationships. Throughout the conversation, Meg emphasizes practical tools for reconnecting with yourself, including silence, meditation, time in nature, somatic movement, creative expression, and emotional awareness practices. These tools help regulate the nervous system and create space for clarity and healing. This episode explores trauma healing, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, nervous system regulation, and the powerful truth that when you change your internal world, your external relationships begin to shift.

EP16: Gail Novack: Healing Generational Trauma, Mother Daughter Relationships & Choosing Joy

In this heartfelt episode of The Drama Diet, Lisa Stuart sits down with her mother, Gail Novack, for an emotional and deeply honest conversation about healing generational wounds, rebuilding relationships, and choosing peace through life’s challenges. Gail shares her remarkable journey as the daughter of German immigrant parents, growing up between Europe and the United States before eventually building a life and family in California. From attending boarding school in Switzerland and learning multiple languages to raising three children and navigating two marriages, Gail reflects on the experiences that shaped her perspective on family, resilience, and motherhood. Together, Lisa and Gail openly discuss a difficult season in their relationship when they stopped speaking for nearly a year due to disagreements and emotional pain. Through vulnerability, communication, and mutual understanding, they were able to rebuild their relationship and break unhealthy generational patterns that had been passed down for decades. The conversation also explores Gail’s life-changing spinal cord injury following a devastating car accident over two decades ago. Despite living with permanent physical limitations, Gail shares how gratitude, mindfulness, and a positive mindset became the foundation of her healing journey. Lisa and Gail reflect on the importance of staying present, releasing fear and resentment, and consciously creating healthier family dynamics for future generations. This episode is a powerful reminder that healing is possible when we choose compassion, self-awareness, and love over fear and control.

EP15: Zibby Owens: Rewriting the Story, Creativity, Courage & Building a Literary Empire

In this powerful episode of The Drama Diet, host Lisa Stuart sits down with bestselling author, media entrepreneur, and literary powerhouse Zibby Owens for an honest conversation about reclaiming your voice and rewriting the story of your life. At the heart of the episode is a transformative message: take back the pen. Lisa and Zibby explore what it means to stop living as a supporting character in someone else’s narrative and instead step fully into the role of author, lead, and decision-maker of your own life. Together, they unpack the journey from people pleasing to self-preservation, sharing their experiences as “recovering people pleasers” learning to prioritize truth, boundaries, and inner peace over external expectations. Zibby opens up about one of the most defining moments of her life—navigating divorce at age 40 while raising four children—and how making difficult decisions became the catalyst for profound personal growth. She shares why delaying hard choices only deepens the struggle, and how courage often begins with choosing yourself. The conversation also touches on Zibby’s advocacy and leadership within the literary community, including her willingness to speak out against anti-semitism despite professional backlash. Through it all, she reflects on finding alignment, meaningful community, and clarity in what truly matters. From balancing motherhood with multiple thriving businesses to building her media empire one step at a time, Zibby reminds listeners that transformation doesn’t happen overnight—it’s built through consistent, intentional choices made day by day. This episode is a moving reminder that your life’s plot is yours to write—and that it’s never too late to become the main character of your own story.

EP14: Eden Sassoon — Sobriety, Spiritual Healing & the Courage to Transform

In this episode of The Drama Diet, Eden Sassoon shares a deeply personal conversation on transformation, healing, and reclaiming identity beyond fame and external validation. Known as an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, television personality, and daughter of the legendary Vidal Sassoon, Eden opens up about the inner work that led her from public image and material success to a life grounded in sobriety, spiritual discipline, and authentic self-discovery. From her years as a Pilates studio owner and media personality to her candid experiences with recovery and relapse, Eden reveals how pain, stillness, and surrender became the foundation for profound growth. This episode explores the courage it takes to face old wounds, release self-limiting patterns, and rebuild a life rooted in worth, clarity, and purpose. Through themes of breathwork, spiritual hygiene, and healing from within, Eden’s story is a powerful reminder that true transformation often begins in life’s messiest moments.