TJ Woodward is a revolutionary recovery expert, bestselling author, inspirational speaker, and addiction treatment specialist who has helped countless people through his simple, yet powerful teachings. He is also the creator of The Conscious Recovery Method, which is a groundbreaking and effective approach to viewing and treating addiction.

TJ is a featured thought-leader on wholehearted.org along with Brené Brown, Marianne Williamson, Dr. Gabor Maté, and Mark Lundholm, as well as a featured thought leader in the upcoming docuseries, Addiction Revealed, that will be released by the end of 2024. He was given the honor of being ordained as an Agape minister by Dr. Michael Beckwith, and was also the founding minister of Agape Bay Area in Oakland, which was the first satellite community of The Agape International Spiritual Center in LA.

TJ is the author of the bestselling books, Conscious Being: Awakening to your True Nature, Conscious Recovery: A Fresh Perspective on Addiction, and Conscious Creation: 5 Steps to Embracing the Life of Your Dreams, as well as the co-author of their accompanying workbooks.

www.tjwoodward.com

Q. If you are in recovery, what was your drug(s) of choice and when is your sobriety date?

A. Molly. 6/8/1986.

Q. What do you like most about 12-step meetings?

A. Community.

Q. Do you think addiction is an illness, disease, a choice, or a wicked twist of fate?

A. I think addiction is multifaceted and there isn’t one root cause. Having said that, in general, I think addiction is a strategy to manage pain and suffering.

Q. If you ever retire, would you prefer to live by the ocean, lake, river, mountaintop, desert, or penthouse?

A. Retirement is definitely not a goal of mine because I love my “work” but it’s definitely ocean for me!

Q. Is there anything special in your sobriety toolkit that helps keep you sober?

A. Connection and consciousness.

Q. How do you measure success?

A. Discovering and living on purpose.

Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?

A. My biggest pet peeve as it relates to recovery, is when people believe there’s only one path.

Q. Who has been the biggest influence throughout your life?

A. My first mentor, Mary Hellen. She quite literally saved my life when I was 18 months sober and suicidal.

Q. From what school of thought or teacher did you learn the most from?

A.New Thought Movement.

Q. Where are you from and where do you reside now?

A. Grew up in Indiana, and lived in Dallas for 8 years, San Francisco for 30 years and I now love living in West Hollywood.

Q. What’s your concept of a Higher Power?

A. My answer is a bit too long to answer here. You’ll have to read my book, Conscious Recovery.

Q. What book(s) have you read more than once?

A. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, Big Book, 12 and 12, Conscious Recovery (haha), When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron.

Q. Which film have you watched the most?

A. Baraka.

Q. What surprised you most about living sober?

A. The joy of living.

Q. If you could give advice to your younger self what would it be?

A. You are good enough and you deserve a life filled with love and connection.

Q. What is your favorite musician and or band?

A. Tori Amos.

Q. What is your favorite Broadway musical or play?

A. Hamilton.

Q. What is your favorite city?

A. London.

Q. What is your favorite cuisine?

A. Indian.

Q. What do you love most about yourself?

A. My ability to see the essence in a person that is beyond their wounding.

Q. What is your biggest fear?

A. That I leave the planet before my work is finished.

Q. What is the greatest risk you’ve ever taken?

A. Too many to count. Haha.

Q. What is something you are currently curious about?

A. How we can move beyond polarization.