Real Dads. Real Recovery. Real Talk.
Recovery is hard work. So is being a father. Doing both at the same time — and trying to do them well — can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Dads in Recovery is a weekly podcast co-hosted by Brandon and Cliff, two fathers in long-term recovery who believe the 12-step toolkit is one of the most powerful parenting resources at their disposal.
Every week they sit down with a guest — a father in recovery or a clinician who works with families — and go somewhere real. The shame that follows you into the delivery room. The amends you owe a child who doesn’t have words for what happened. The moment you catch yourself becoming your own father and have to choose, right then, to do something different.
This is not a show for perfect dads. It’s a show for dads who are doing the work — dads who got sober and then discovered that sobriety was just the beginning. If you’re in recovery and you’re trying to show up for your kids, you’re in the right place. All pathways are welcome.
The voices behind the mic
Brandon has been in recovery from alcoholism, drug addiction, and sex addiction for over 13 years. He is the father of a six-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter, and most of what he learned about being a good father—being present, accountable, and honest—he learned in the rooms of recovery.
He started Dads in Recovery because he believes we have a solemn duty to use the tools of recovery to break the cycle of addiction that has plagued our families.
Cliff McDonald has been sober for eight years. He is the father of three grown sons — which means he has already lived through most of what this podcast talks about and has the perspective that only comes from being on the other side of it.
He co-hosts Dads in Recovery because the conversation he needed when his boys were young didn’t exist. It does now.
The principles behind every episode
We believe recovery is about more than sobriety. It’s about becoming the kind of father our children deserve and ending the cycles of addiction and trauma for future generations.
Real change begins with honest conversations. We encourage fathers to show up with humility, accountability, patience, and presence—both for themselves and their families.
Whether you’re new to recovery, years sober, or supporting someone you love, this community welcomes every father committed to growth, healing, and becoming better one day at a time.
Don’t Miss an Episode
Subscribe to get new episodes and blog posts in your inbox.