The Kelley Kitley Podcast

America's Social Worker Unfiltered
  • 4.6 (8)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Hopeful, Honest, and Deeply Human Conversations kelleykitley.substack.com

  1. 3d ago

    #54 Connor Kitley: Junior at University of South Carolina, Majoring in Psychology, Minoring in Business, Ultimate Frisbee Player

    Connor Kitley is a junior at the University of South Carolina majoring in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration. He plans to pursue a career in psychotherapy, where he can apply his understanding of human behavior to help clients improve their well-being, while also using his business background to open his own private practice. His experience in the service industry has strengthened his interpersonal and communication skills, which will be valuable in working with clients. It has also taught him adaptability, stress management, and teamwork—skills he applies daily as a student and professional. He’s always eager to learn more and get involved in opportunities related to psychology and mental health. In this episode Connor offers his experience transitioning to college and tools that helped him navigate what can sometimes feel overwhelming. Connor is Kelley’s oldest of four and they discuss the change in family dynamics, his younger sister entering freshman year at the same school, how parents can support their young adults, and the importance of building community. He encourages his peers to use all the resources college has to offer and to never be afraid to ask for help! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

    #54 Connor Kitley: Junior at University of South Carolina, Majoring in Psychology, Minoring in Business, Ultimate Frisbee Player

  2. Aug 5

    #53 Keesha Scott: Co-Founder of Guardian Recovery, Host of Cake for Dinner, Author of Forthcoming Book, Cake for Dinner, Wife, Mom, Woman in Long-Term Recovery

    Keesha Scott is the Co-Founder and National Care Director for Guardian Recovery’s Adolescent Program. In 2008, she helped her husband Josh establish Guardian Recovery, laying the groundwork for the life-changing services the organization provides today. With a Master’s degree in Psychology and over 15 years of professional experience—plus more than two decades of sobriety—Keesha has dedicated her life to helping women and young people overcome the challenges of addiction and mental health issues. When her own teenage daughter began to struggle, Keesha recognized a significant lack of local resources for families like hers. Motivated to create a solution, she developed Guardian Recovery’s Adolescent Program, fueled by her desire to provide compassionate support, education, and hope to teens and their families nationwide. Keesha’s commitment continues to shape Guardian Recovery’s approach, ensuring every young person and family can find the care and guidance they need. She’s also the Host of Cake for Dinner, a podcast for women who are done pretending. It is where founders, experts, celebrities, and parents pull up a chair and get honest about motherhood, marriage, hormones, healing, and the messy middle. No filters. No fluff. No performance. Just the conversations women are actually having in their heads but rarely say out loud. Because real life doesn’t look perfect — and it was never supposed to. Stay tuned for Cake for Dinner, Scott’s forthcoming book releasing in April, 2027! It’s an ultimate guide to ditching curated perfection and embracing the beautiful reality of motherhood. No new parenting systems to master—just the laughter, truth, and permission you need to let go of the plan and trust your gut. In this episode Keesha shares her experience, strength, and hope as a woman in long- term recovery raising teenagers (who are also twins!) while ditching perfection, how German cake saved her, the importance of sharing stories-not instructions, and entrepreneurship. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

    #53 Keesha Scott: Co-Founder of Guardian Recovery, Host of Cake for Dinner, Author of Forthcoming Book, Cake for Dinner, Wife, Mom, Woman in Long-Term Recovery

  3. Jul 29

    #52 Eva Pilgrim: Anchor of Inside Edition, Formerly GMA3, Wife, Mother, Gamecock

    Eva Pilgrim is about to celebrate one year as anchor of the long-running syndicated CBS newsmagazine, Inside Edition. She succeeded Deborah Norville, who was there for thirty years, making Eva only the fourth anchor in the history of the show. Previously, Pilgrim worked for ABC News for almost ten years. She served as co-anchor of GMA3: What You Need to Know, where Kitley met her as a guest expert on the show, hours after her team was informed of a mass lay-off. Eva served as ABC News Senior National Correspondent based in New York. Her reports could be seen across multiple ABC News programs and platforms, including 20/20, Good Morning America, Nightline and World News Tonight with David Muir. Pilgrim is the author of Walter Does His Best, which teaches children about kindness and love. She’s also the wife of Ed, mother of an adorable four-year-old daughter Ella, and dog mom to real life Walter, who’s a Frenchie. Eva was born in Seoul, South Korea, into a military family and grew up moving around the world. She attended the University of Florida and the University of South Carolina where Kelley has two children attending in the fall. In this episode, Kitley and Pilgrim share raw emotions discussing a spiritual interaction upon their meeting—a god wink, if you will. Eva’s career pivot as a woman in her 40’s, finding balance, motherhood, her strong faith which ultimately leads to joy. Eva radiates light to everyone she meets. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

    #52 Eva Pilgrim: Anchor of Inside Edition, Formerly GMA3, Wife, Mother, Gamecock

  4. Jul 21

    #51 AJ Rompza: Former UCF Point Guard, Celebrity Trainer, My Youngest Brother-Motivating the World

    AJ Rompza grew up in Chicago as the youngest of five children and attended Whitney Young High School. As a 5'5 freshmen, he started varsity in one of the toughest conferences in the country. Playing against now NBA stars Derrick Rose, Sherron Collins, Patrick Beverly and Jerome Randle. He became of the top point guards not only in the state but the country. He earned a full scholarship to University of Central Florida where he started all four years and became one of the top point guards in college basketball despite only being 5'7. Rompza’s stats include earning top 10 in steals in the country, top 15 assists in the country and led UCF to a number 15 ranking in college basketball; the first time that UCF was ever ranked in basketball. Rompza played professionally overseas then moved back to Chicago to help in the family restaurant business. In 2019 he moved to Los Angeles to inspire and motivate more people throughout the world. He’s on a journey to reach over a billion people through the game of basketball and hard work. Some of his clients have included Adam Levine, Kevin Hart, Master P, Iman Shumpert, Russ, Skyy Clark. In 2025 he published M1NDSET a book of quotes to help people stay motivated everyday! Follow him on all social media outlets @arompza3 for daily inspiration! In this episode Rompza discusses how he believed in himself at a young age even when people around him told him he couldn’t, shouldn’t, or won’t. His will to never give up as a basketball player since the age of three, transformed him into the thirty-six year old man he is today spreading love to everyone he comes in contact with. AJ’s positive energy is contagious and will motivate you to achieve your dreams and goals by believing in yourself! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

    #51 AJ Rompza: Former UCF Point Guard, Celebrity Trainer, My Youngest Brother-Motivating the World

  5. Jul 15

    #50 Robbie Shaw: Founder + CEO EVRYBDY Studios, Former Host of Champagne Problems Podcast, Husband + Sober Dad

    Robbie Shaw is a former basketball player and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has a Master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Southern Maine. Shaw has spent the last decade working with families and individuals who battle various levels of addiction. Since gaining a foothold in the podcast space, he opened up a content production studio, called EVRYBDY Studios, and spends his time helping organizations and individuals tell their stories. He feels that the many opportunities he has had to work with others continues to inform the techniques and strategies used to educate, guide and inspire clients. In this episode, Robbie shares his experience, strength, and hope as a man in long term recovery raising a sixteen-year-old daughter with his wife, the development of his wildly successful podcast Champagne Problems, and the creation of EVRYBDY Studios, a premium content and podcast studio. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

    #50 Robbie Shaw: Founder + CEO EVRYBDY Studios, Former Host of Champagne Problems Podcast, Husband + Sober Dad

  6. Jun 30

    #49 Cohen Miles-Rath, MSW: Author of Mending Reality, Speaker, Mental Health Advocate

    Cohen Miles-Rath is a fellow social worker, speaker, and mental health advocate whose nearly fatal mental health crisis transformed his life and clarified his purpose: to strengthen our mental health systems and deepen our collective understanding of mental illness and recovery. He’s the author of Mending Reality: An Advocate’s Existential Journey with Mental Health. I learned about Cohen listening to his episode as guest on Armchair Expert Podcast sharing his experience, strength, and hope. Not only is his story utterly incredible, but the reach he had on this platform to educate the general public about mental health and how to help someone is astounding! In this episode Cohen vulnerably discusses mental health along a spectrum, managing schizoaffective symptoms, substance misuse, family dynamics, the importance of peer support, becoming a father, and his mission as a macro level social worker. To learn more or book him for speaking engagements click on his website below. https://cohenmilesrath.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

    #49 Cohen Miles-Rath, MSW: Author of Mending Reality, Speaker, Mental Health Advocate

  7. May 22

    #48 Christie Tate: NYT Bestselling Author and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, GROUP

    Christie Tate is an essayist and author who writes creative nonfiction and memoir. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Group, which was a Reese’s Book Club selection and has been translated into 19 languages. She is also the author of B.F.F.-- A Memoir of Friendship Lost & Found. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and elsewhere. Her essays have been nominated for Puschcart Prizes, and Kiese Laymon selected her essay, Promised Lands, as the winner of the New Ohio Review’s 2019 nonfiction contest. She writes about addiction, eating disorders, friendship, alienation, recovery, and her Grandma’s farm in Forreston, Texas. She grew up in Dallas and now lives in Chicago with her family. She has finally stopped telling people that she graduated first in her law school class. Please don’t hate her because she has no pets. In this episode Christie shares her experience, strength, and hope as a woman in recovery from an eating disorder, the daily tools she uses rooted in a spiritual practice, and the world’s obsession with being thin through the use of GLP-1’s especially for middle aged women, who don’t medically need it. Tate’s book’s are deeply relatable, vulnerable, and offer a refreshing perspective on how we move through this one precious life. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

    #48 Christie Tate: NYT Bestselling Author and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, GROUP

  8. May 20

    #47 Tricia Sims: Host of Recovery Happy Hour, Pilates Instructor, Former Chef, Sober Since 2016

    Tricia Sims became a sobriety podcast trailblazer in 2018 when she created the Recovery Happy Hour podcast and since then has archived 139 episodes! Each conversation celebrates inspiring stories of recovery from alcohol addiction and gray area alcohol abuse. She and her guests look at life beyond the bottle and what's current in sober culture. Kitley was a guest on Episode #12 of Recovery Happy Hour talking about the power of surrendering. Kitley and Sims reconnect years later as women in long term recovery on America’s Social Worker Unfiltered podcast. They discuss life changes as Tricia recently celebrated her 45th Birthday, heading into year 10 of recovery, a new marriage, leaving a corporate job and transitioning into teaching pilates. Tricia vulnerably lays out her drinking history starting at the age of sixteen with three shots of whiskey and the progression of her alcohol use as a high achieving, perfectionistic woman in her mid 30’s. She describes the thinking obsession around alcohol use and knowing she’d eventually have to stop drinking after witnessing the destruction and chaos substance use disorder caused her family. As we near the end of May, Mental Health Awareness Month, many of our guests have shared their experience, strength, and hope with alcohol use and their co-morbid mental health disorders, often using substances to self medicate. Tricia talks about her journey with ADHD, anxiety, how she manages her mental health today and the importance of being of service to others. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

    #47 Tricia Sims: Host of Recovery Happy Hour, Pilates Instructor, Former Chef, Sober Since 2016
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4.6
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Hopeful, Honest, and Deeply Human Conversations kelleykitley.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    America's Social Worker Unfiltered
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kelley Kitley
  • Show Website
    The Kelley Kitley Podcast

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