Exploring holistic recovery with podcaster Janey Lee Grace

Posted by Alex Molyneux
on 07 Feb 2024

As the only purpose-built rehabilitation clinic in the UK, Delamere not only looks different to the stereotypical view of ‘rehab’ but we go about things differently too.

That’s why we are always keen to welcome interested experts to come and meet the Delamere team and share their experiences and our insights with the wider world.

We were especially happy when Janey Lee Grace, former BBC Radio 2 presenter turned sober podcaster and coach, travelled up to Cheshire to record an episode of her podcast, Alcohol Free Life, with us.

Janey is a popular personality, an experienced broadcaster and a very influential figure in life coaching, sobriety counselling and family constellation therapy.

She was a well-known voice to the nation after spending 23 years as part of the team on the popular Steve Wright radio show. She has also authored five books on recovery, holistic living and wellness, including the best-seller Imperfectly Natural Woman.

We’d hoped that our approach would be something Janey would click with – and we were not wrong.

As Delamere chief executive Martin Preston gave Janey a tour of the facilities on a brilliantly bright and sunny Cheshire morning, outlining the Stop, Start, Grow approach taken by the clinic and the holistic approach to recovery that’s at the heart of every guest’s stay, Janey’s eyes lit up.

This was something she’d never heard from a rehab before, she told Martin – and why she’d been reluctant to ever recommend anywhere to those in need who have asked her.

With her podcast, The Sober Club, now at 280 episodes and with more than 1.2million listeners, it is clear that Janey’s ‘thumbs up’ counts for a lot.

Yoga, reiki, equine therapy and family constellations were all aspects of the Delamere recovery programme that Janey wanted to explore, alongside the group and individual counselling sessions that guests participate in.

Janey Lee Grace interviewing at Delamere

Across the hours Janey spent with us on site, she spoke to a former guest about his experience and the treatment he received, taking time to explore why the Delamere model provided him with the resilience and problem solving capabilities to navigate the challenges life would throw at him in future.

Stop, Start, Grow were explored in detail – along with Bloom for the comprehensive aftercare that is now offered to guests too.

The themes of dignity in recovery and taking an individual, holistic approach to each individual’s programme also came out in detailed and colourful conversations between Janey and members of the Delamere counselling and mentor teams.

This is what made the difference in her eyes, why the Delamere experience was distinct and better suited to modern lifestyles than much of what else is on offer to those in need.

Janey’s empathetic interview style was key in encouraging our former guest Peter Murray, as well as colleagues on the counselling and mentor teams and Delamere CEO Martin Preston to talk so openly for the podcast about their lived experiences as well as the points of difference of the Delamere programme.

Not only that, but the building and surrounding environment also blew her away and received glowing comments on the podcast episode. It helped that the weather showed us off at our best, obviously!

This was a tremendous experience for all of our team, hosting Janey and exploring all aspects of modern addiction recovery. The individual nature of everyone’s journey is why the programme at Delamere is tailored for each guest following lengthy conversation about their needs.