Find your way back to serenity.
Johnathan Matheny writes, speaks, and coaches on the practical art of serenity — for people in recovery, and for anyone looking for a steadier, more centered life.
Nearly forty years in IT. One turning point in Albuquerque.
Johnathan Matheny spent close to four decades in the IT industry, climbing from phone support to Senior VP and CIO before eventually building his own consultancy. It was in Albuquerque, New Mexico that he finally broke free from a cycle of alcohol relapse that had shadowed much of his career.
What followed was nothing short of a spiritual awakening. That transformation became the seed for his book, Serenity Explained, and the series it inspired. Building on that foundation, he went on to develop the Serenity Recovery Program — the next step in helping others turn insight into lasting change.
Today, Johnathan devotes most of his time to coaching people in recovery — and anyone seeking a steadier, more centered life — on the practical art of serenity. He also travels the US and abroad as a speaker, carrying the message of the Serenity Prayer beyond the recovery community and into everyday life for readers everywhere.
Talks & Topics
A sampling of the talks Johnathan delivers to recovery communities, workplaces, and audiences beyond.
The Pause
On the space between impulse and action — and what becomes possible inside it.
The Cost of Serenity
What it actually takes to trade chaos for a steadier way of living.
Leading with Serenity
Bringing a centered, deliberate presence into leadership and work.
The Kindness of Serenity
How serenity shapes the way we treat others, and ourselves.
A curriculum built on one lens, practiced fifteen ways.
Building on the ideas in Serenity Explained, the Serenity Recovery Program is fifteen weekly modules, three sessions each, all built on one organizing idea — Acceptance, Courage, and Wisdom — so participants learn a single way of thinking and apply it to cravings, relationships, grief, money, and everything between. It's meant to sit alongside a 12-step program or treatment, not replace one.
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Acceptance
Naming what's really going on, without judgment.
Courage
Taking one small, brave step forward.
Wisdom
Telling apart what you can change from what you can't.
Two Traditions, One Weekly Rhythm
SRP combines the Matrix Model's structure — a fixed weekly rhythm, a facilitator who coaches rather than confronts, steady relapse-prevention psychoeducation — with SMART Recovery's self-empowerment toolkit, including Cost-Benefit Analysis, the ABC model, and DISARM.
The result is non-linear by design. Fifteen self-contained modules can be run in any order — a participant can walk in on week seven and leave with something just as usable as someone who started on week one.
Inside One Week
A composite, illustrative walkthrough of a single module — Accountability — as it plays out across a typical Tuesday-night group.
Acceptance — Naming the pattern
The group opens with a simple question: what's one moment this week you'd handle differently, if you're honest? A participant — call him D. — admits he snapped at his sister and then avoided her calls for three days. The facilitator doesn't press for more. The session's only job is to get the moment named out loud, without shame attached to it.
“I didn't call because I didn't want to hear that I was wrong.” — the kind of line the session is built to surface.
Courage — Taking the small step
Two days later, the group works a Cost-Benefit Analysis on D.'s options: keep avoiding the call, or make it. Not a dramatic apology tour — one short, specific action. D. drafts a two-line text to his sister in the room, with the group's help, and commits to sending it before the next session.
Wisdom — Sorting what's his to carry
D. reports back: he sent the text. His sister hasn't replied yet. The Friday session is where that gets sorted — he can own the snap and the apology; he can't control her timeline for forgiving him. The group names that distinction together, and it becomes his week's takeaway, written into his workbook to carry into whatever comes next.
One Curriculum, Three Books
Everything above — the philosophy, the sessions, the workbook page D. wrote in — comes from one of three companion volumes.
Program Manual & Facilitator Guide
The philosophy, the non-linear structure, orientation, the universal session template, and the graduation ceremony that closes the cycle.
Facilitators Guide on Amazon For facilitatorsThe 15 Modules — Lesson Plans & Handouts
Minute-by-minute session plans for all fifteen modules, each with psychoeducation points, group activities, and a weekly handout.
Modules on Amazon For participantsStudent Workbook, Easy-to-Read Edition
The plain-language book participants write in — a story, discussion questions, and journaling space for every one of the fifteen modules.
Student Guide on AmazonThe program is newly underway. Questions about coaching availability? Reach out on the Contact page.
A life-skills curriculum built on one lens, practiced fifteen ways.
Not everyone who needs serenity is in recovery. Living With Serenity carries the same principles from the original book out into everyday life — fifteen weekly modules, three sessions each, all built on one organizing idea — Acceptance, Courage, and Wisdom — so participants learn a single way of thinking and apply it to stress, relationships, grief, money, and everything between.
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Acceptance
Naming what's really going on, without judgment.
Courage
Taking one small, brave step forward.
Wisdom
Telling apart what you can change from what you can't.
Structured Coaching, Blended With a Self-Empowerment Toolkit
LWS combines a structured coaching model — a fixed weekly rhythm, a facilitator who coaches rather than confronts, steady psychoeducation — with a self-empowerment toolkit, including Cost-Benefit Analysis, the ABC model, and DISARM.
The result is non-linear by design. Fifteen self-contained modules can be run in any order — a participant can walk in on week seven and leave with something just as usable as someone who started on week one.
Inside One Week
Here's how one participant, Priya, moves through a single module — Accountability — across three sessions.
Acceptance — Owning reality
Eighteen months ago, Priya missed a major client deadline. It cost her a promotion and, quietly, a close work friendship she still hasn't repaired. She's told herself a softened version ever since — “a rough patch,” “a lot going on.” In session, her facilitator asks her to say plainly what happened. She catches herself reaching for the same soft phrases, stops, and says it straight instead.
“I missed the deadline. I didn't ask for help when I needed it. I let a friend down who was covering for me and never properly thanked her.” — her Reality Audit, spoken out loud for the first time.
Courage — Reaching back out
Naming what happened was the easier half; reaching back out to the friend she let down is what actually terrifies Priya. She drafts a note three times, each version quietly angling for reassurance that she's forgiven. On the fourth draft she strips that out — no asking for anything back, just an honest account of what she did. Her hand is shaking when she sends it.
Wisdom — Telling the two apart
Three weeks pass with no reply. Priya's old pattern would be to send a second note, then a third, escalating until she got some reaction. Instead she asks the discernment question directly: what part of this is actually hers to control? Owning her actions and sending an honest note — that part is complete. Her friend's timeline was never hers to manage. That distinction becomes her Integrated Pact for the week.
One Curriculum, Three Books
Everything above — the philosophy, the sessions, the Integrated Pact Priya wrote — comes from one of three companion volumes.
Program Manual & Facilitator Guide
The philosophy, the non-linear structure, orientation, the universal session template, and the graduation ceremony that closes the cycle.
Facilitators Guide on Amazon For facilitatorsThe 15 Modules — Session Library
Minute-by-minute session plans for all fifteen modules, each with a real-life scenario, psychoeducation points, and a weekly handout.
Modules on Amazon For participantsStudent Workbook
The plain-language book participants write in — a story, “Think About It” prompts, and a “My Promise” statement for every one of the fifteen modules.
Student Guide on AmazonReach out, or book a session.
Questions about coaching, speaking engagements, or the books — Johnathan welcomes the conversation.
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- (505) 633-0490
- info@serenityexplained.com
- Schedule a session →
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