Shelly Dimitrijevic

Shelly Dimitrijevic’s professional and philanthropic activities have always focused on improving the lives of others. She began her nursing career at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis and went on to become a LifeFlight nurse specializing in neonatal, pediatric, and cardiovascular intensive care.

Shelly has been involved with numerous charities focusing on children and education including the Charlee and the Chocolate Factory gala, The Venus Orbit, Design For A Cure, Jackson Memorial, and Impact Oasis. In 2010 she founded the Lotus program, a program that focused on educating parents on the nutritional needs of children and basic child development. Shelly also served on the Frost Science Museum gala committee for 7 years before Co-Chairing the event in 2015.

After a diagnosis of Celiac disease and subsequently receiving Certification as a Nutritional Consultant, Shelly recognized that topically applied products have an effect on her Celiac Disease and overall health. She turned her focus to developing skincare that was free of toxic and hormone-disrupting ingredients.

Since she lost her only sibling in 2012 Shelly has been determined to find a way to contribute to the recovery community in a way that can make a great impact and ensure that others have the resources necessary when they are struggling.

Shelly’s substantial contributions to SHE RECOVERS of both time and resources have been instrumental and deeply appreciated.

Kirsten Newquist

As a result of being introduced to SHE RECOVERS through retreats and meet-ups, Kirsten will be starting her yoga teacher training in the fall. These retreats also led her to become more deeply involved with SHE RECOVERS in a volunteer capacity. Kirsten was instrumental in setting up some of the Foundation’s grassroots groups and currently volunteers her time helping SHE RECOVERS Foundation to design and implement the Volunteer Chapter Network.

Kirsten and her husband recently moved from Southern California to Roswell, Georgia to be closer to Kirsten’s sister and two young nieces. When she isn’t spending time being an aunt, you can find Kirsten hanging out with their rescue Labrador or exploring their new state.

Mary Beth O’Connor, BA, JD

BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE
she / her

In addition to being a board member, Mary Beth is a founding member of SHE RECOVERS Support for Legal Professionals and is active at the local level with SHE RECOVERS in the Bay Area. Mary Beth has been living a sober life in recovery since 1994. She has a history of trauma and abuse, from which she’s worked hard to recover as well. Six years into her recovery, Mary Beth attended Berkeley Law. She worked at a large firm in Silicon Valley, then litigated class actions for the federal government. In 2014 Mary Beth was appointed an Administrative Law Judge, from which she retired in 2020.

Mary Beth’s award-winning memoir, From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction, was published in 2023. She also writes opinion pieces, such as I Beat Addiction without God for the Wall Street Journal and I was a federal judge, and I support Safehouse. Here’s why for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mary Beth advocates about multiple topics related to trauma, substance use disorder, and recovery. She has appeared on television, radio, and podcasts; speaks at conferences and other events; and trains judges, attorneys, and medical professionals.

Taryn Strong, RYT, CPRC

FOUNDER AND BOARD VICE-CHAIR
she / her

Taryn Strong is co-founder of the SHE RECOVERS® Foundation and a Certified Recovery Coach, Somatic Coach, and Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher. Her work is grounded in the belief that healing must include the body.

Through somatic practices, Taryn supports others in reconnecting with their bodies, releasing patterns shaped by trauma and survival, and expanding their capacity to feel embodied, present, and alive. This approach is deeply personal, rooted in her own recovery and reconnection after years of disconnection.

She is also a Certified Aromatherapist, AromaPsychologist, Botanical Perfumer, and Community Herbalist, with a deep respect for the emotional and psychological power of scent.

Teaching yoga since 2007, Taryn has hosted over 60 women’s recovery retreats, presented internationally, and co-taught with leading voices in the field of behavioral health. She currently leads the SHE RECOVERS Trauma-Informed Yoga Instructor Certification, SHE RECOVERS Embodiment Studio, and SHE RECOVERS Podcast.

Susan Carter

CEO
she / her

I am recovering from:
Alcohol use disorder, codependency, disordered eating.

The Identity-based group I belong to:
Chronic pain & auto-immune disorder, healthcare & allied professionals.

My personal definition of recovery:
My personal definition of recovery is the continual process of expanding my awareness to grow spiritually, mentally, and physically enhancing my life-long journey to wholeness.

What led me to SHE RECOVERS:
A desire to give back what I have been so graciously given that has led to an amazing life of sustained recovery and spiritual growth. I truly believe that every moment in my life has led me here. One of my favorite stories to share is how I came to find SHE RECOVERS – or rather, how they found me. In short, it involves a spark of curiosity over coffee and a remarkable moment at a SHE RECOVERS Conference that changed the trajectory of my life both professionally and spiritually. You can hear all about it here.

Why I love being a part of this team:
It brings me immense joy to work alongside such smart, passionate and committed colleagues and volunteers. I learn so much from them. Not a day goes by where I am not deeply inspired by this team and community.

Those that know me best might describe me as:
Tenacious, resourceful, and loving.

How these qualities show up in my everyday life:
Love is the foundation for all my thoughts and actions, I am resourceful when confronted with a challenge, and I am tenacious like a “dog with a bone” – I’ll never stop chasing the dream.

Something unique you may not already know about me:
I have four kidneys and a double bladder. I have vitiligo, an auto-immune disease that destroys or suppresses pigment producing cells on the skin.

Something I am most proud of is…
Launching a global nonprofit for women in or seeking recovery from all things.

Radical self-care look for me looks like:
Being mindful of ease and learning to pause. And, pampering myself with modalities that foster a healthy body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and service to others.

What I wanted to be when I grew up:
An artist.

Something that is inspiring me right now:
Supporting people to find, create, and nurture a relationship with the God / Creator / Higher Power of their understanding.

The SHE RECOVERS Intention & Guiding Principle resonating the most with me right now is…
Connection is our sole (soul) purpose. We’re stronger together.

My favorite SHE RECOVERS resource is…
The SHE RECOVERS Together Online Group where connection, support, and empowerment is available 24 / 7.

SRF Blogs I’ve authored:
sherecovers.org/a-peek-behind-the-curtain/

Dawn Nickel, PhD, CPRC, SRCD

ACTING CEO, CO-FOUNDER & BOARD CHAIR

she / her

I am recovering from:
Substance use, trauma including sexual assault, intimate partner violence, codependency, anxiety, and workaholism.

The identity-based group(s) I am a part of:
Healthcare & allied professional, cancer survivor, mature woman.

My personal definition of recovery:
It changes often, but these days my definition of recovery is simply that recovery is a lifelong journey of healing. I think that not having a solid, static definition is a good thing. It opens the door to empower us all to create individualized and diverse definitions for our own recovery, and it’s a reminder that recovery differs across populations, cultures, and settings.

What led me to SHE RECOVERS:
Taryn and I talk about SHE RECOVERS being our ‘accidental movement.’ So not sure what led me here other than a true desire to create a connective, supportive, and empowering space for women to think / talk about and experience recovery.

Why I love being a part of this team:
I want to leave behind a legacy of hope for women in or seeking recovery.

Those that know me best might describe me as:
Grateful, curious, and a survivor.

How these qualities show up in my everyday life:
I believe that I pass recovery on to express my gratitude, and I call upon my curiosity to figure out what else I can do to support women in recovery. Oh, and I have survived a few near death experiences including surviving cancer.

Something unique you may not already know about me:
I really dislike cilantro.

Something I am most proud of:
My daughters, more than anything.

Radical self-care look for me looks like:
Rest, hanging with other women in recovery, walking in fresh air, reading novels, long hot baths, and sweet, milky tea.

What I wanted to be when I grew up:
An actress.

Something that is inspiring me right now:
The women working or volunteering to help grow SRF.

The SHE RECOVERS Intention & Guiding Principle resonating the most with me right now is…
We are all recovering from something. It all started there!

My favorite SHE RECOVERS resource is…
Definitely the SHE RECOVERS Together Online Gatherings – they are such an amazing display of everything that we are about. Volunteerism and support, vulnerability, celebration, and information.

A few of the SRF Blogs I’ve authored:
https://sherecovers.org/recovering-from-intimate-partner-violence/
https://sherecovers.org/dear-women-in-twelve-step-programs/
https://sherecovers.org/we-are-all-recovering-from-something/
https://sherecovers.org/when-your-mother-dies/
https://sherecovers.org/do-you-know-what-workaholism-looks-like/

We are all recovering from something and you don’t have to recover alone.

SHE RECOVERS is a non-profit movement dedicated to redefining recovery, inspiring hope, ending stigma and empowering women in or seeking recovery to increase their recovery capital, heal themselves and help other women to do the same.

JOIN OUR ONLINE GATHERINGS + GROUPS

ACCESS THE RECOVERY EDUCATION SERIES

CONNECT . SUPPORT . EMPOWER

Our Mission

SHE RECOVERS® Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity and a global grassroots movement serving more than 325,000 women and non-binary individuals in or seeking recovery from life challenges including trauma, substance use, grief and loss, eating disorders, burnout and moral injury, love addiction and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. We are all recovering from something—no one should have to recover alone. SHE RECOVERS is dedicated to redefining recovery, inspiring hope, ending stigma and empowering women in or seeking recovery from life challenges including mental health issues, trauma and substance use, to increase their recovery capital, heal themselves and help other women to do the same.

All of our efforts are infused with the SHE RECOVERS inclusive community ethos and informed by our Intentions & Guiding Principles.

LEARN MORE

Learn about SHE RECOVERS with co-founders

Dawn Nickel and Taryn Strong

Does the SHE RECOVERS Guiding Principle we are all recovering from something resonate with you and spark a desire to learn more about how we approach healing, connection, and support?

If so, we invite you to join our Fundamentals with the Founders session every other month — a welcoming introduction to who we are, what we offer, and how you can be part of this movement.

LEARN MORE

Get Involved

YOU CAN REDEFINE RECOVERY + MAKE WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH MATTER

Just as there are many pathways and patchworks to recovery, there are myriads of ways to support our mission and the women we serve. You can donate, raise funds, shop for a cause, recover out loud, volunteer, honor others, share your story – and more. No matter what you choose, you are redefining recovery, inspiring hope, ending stigma and empowering women in or seeking recovery.

LEARN HOW

Our Outcomes

In a recent survey of attendees of our twice-daily support meetings (n=390):

of participants reported a greater sense of belonging

reported improved mental health

reported enhanced self-awareness and coping skills

reported reduced stigma about being in recovery

identified a positive shift in overall outlook on life

“It has changed my life to be part of the SHE RECOVERS community. For the first time, I feel connected to & supported by others in all forms of recovery. I don’t have to separate my mental health issues from my substance use disorder.”

Provided over 72,000 recovering people platforms to connect, support, and empower one another 24/7 online and in their local communities.

Provided supportive identity-based spaces and groups for 4000 individuals such as women of color, Spanish speakers, LGBTQ+, the next generation, veterans and first responders, mothers of high-needs children, as well as legal professionals and healthcare and allied professionals – fostering healing and connection with like-hearted individuals.

9,600 women sought out SHE RECOVERS Trusted Resources for trauma, mental health, and substance use recovery.

Grew our volunteer collective to 251 volunteers serving in 423 roles.

That’s over 38,000 volunteer hours delivered!

Added an additional 45 women to our SHE RECOVERS Certified Professionals collective, bringing the total number of SHE RECOVERS Coaches, Professional Designates, Trauma-Informed Yoga Teachers and Dance Facilitators to 310.

SHE RECOVERS Certified Professionals have facilitated:

together online gatherings

identity-based support groups

embodied movement sessions

hours of recovery education

in-person sharing circles

These free support groups and resources were attended by over 50,000 participants.

Recovering women accessed platforms to connect, support, and empower one another 24/7 online and in their local communities.

Featured In

Online Programs

Online support and offerings to enhance your recovery experience and create lasting change.

GET STARTED

Podcast

A collection of audio posts, interviews and recorded talks specially curated for our community.

SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN

Local Connections

Our coaches create supportive, non-judgmental spaces for women in or seeking recovery.

FIND ONE NEAR YOU

YOGA

Practice yoga online with Taryn Strong or take the Teacher Designation Program.

LEARN MORE

Coaching

Learn how to become a recovery coach or hire one of our coaches to support you in your recovery.

LEARN MORE

Resources

Find available, quality treatment and recovery support.

EXPLORE ALL

Our Movement. Our Cause.

When we’re ready, we recover out loud so that women who are struggling can find and join our movement.

We thank our community for taking the time to share their impact statements so we may reach all women who may benefit from a community like ours. We are truly stronger together! Watch the video below to hear the impact that has been made.

SHE RECOVERS^® Foundation Headquarters is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Tewa people — O’gah’poh geh Owingeh (White Shell Water Place) — present day Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Shelly Dimitrijevic

Kirsten Newquist