In this episode host Dr. Jami Carlacio speaks with Casey Arrillaga — clinical social worker, chemical dependency counselor, author, and long-time person-in-recovery — about the often-ignored intersection of spirituality and money. Casey shares his personal journey from ambivalence and debt to applying spiritual principles (and 12‑step recovery tools) to his finances. He recounts early life contradictions about money, runaway credit‑card debt, financial enabling in marriage, multiple moves and job changes, and the moment of radical surrender when he agreed to turn his financial will over to his Higher Power. Casey explains what “turning money over” practically meant for him (asking for guidance rather than expecting miracles), how recovery principles helped him pay off debt, and how over time that surrender shifted from fear-avoidance to moving toward peace and blessing. The conversation closes with a tease for part two — bringing spirituality into business — and a musical clip tied to the episode’s theme: “I’m on your side.”

Key Takeaways

Spirituality and money can and should be discussed together — they’re not mutually exclusive.
Early messages about money are often mixed (e.g., abundance vs. judgment), which creates lifelong ambivalence and shame around finances.
Addiction, avoidance, and financial mismanagement often co-occur; tools that help with addiction (honesty, inventory, sponsorship, step work) can be applied to finances.
“Turning your finances over to a Higher Power” doesn’t mean God writes your checks — it means seeking guidance and asking, “What is the next right step?” rather than trying to control every outcome.
Radical surrender can be terrifying: fear that the Higher Power’s plan won’t match one’s personal ambitions is a real barrier to spiritual financial work.
Practical recovery-based financial tactics work: prioritizing and attacking high-interest debt, making minimums on others, and applying the “snowball/avalanche” method helped Casey become debt‑free.
Even after debt is paid, financial serenity may still be missing — true peace requires ongoing spiritual practice and daily guidance, not just solvency.
Spiritual guidance functions as a daily compass: small, actionable prompts (the “next right step”) are more useful than seeing the whole road ahead.
Over time, spiritual practice shifts motivation from avoiding pain/consequences to moving toward blessing, peace, and lasting recovery.
Integrating spirituality into business practices is the next phase of Casey’s story — applying the same principles to earning and running a business (to be continued in part two).

Episode Notes

Guest: Casey Arrillaga — author and clinician; host of Addiction and the Family podcast. (See caseyauthor.com for more.)
This episode is the first of a two-part conversation; part two will explore applying spirituality directly to business and entrepreneur

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