Rules for Success with Andrew Sossin

Mar 31, 2026 | Rules for Success

Rules for Success with Andrew Sossin Blog

 

Here’s our interview with Andrew Sossin, Co-Founder at Recovery Unplugged, on his rules for success. Recovery Unplugged is a national behavioral health organization that combines evidence-based care with music-assisted treatment across multiple levels of care, including detox, residential, outpatient, and telehealth services. Andrew is also the Executive Chairman of Good Thoughts, a virtual reality therapy platform built to make treatment more accessible, customizable, and engaging for both patients and therapists, with features including AI-assisted documentation and immersive group therapy tools.

 

Background of Andrew Sossin

Andrew Sossin is an entrepreneur and behavioral health innovator focused on expanding access to addiction and mental health treatment. In addition, Andrew is behind RVK AI, an AI-powered voice and chat platform designed specifically for behavioral health facilities, helping organizations handle admissions, pre-assessment, follow-up, and treatment navigation around the clock so they never miss another call.

In this episode of Rules for Success, Andrew shares his insights with Joseph Varghese about entrepreneurship, recovery, music-assisted treatment, mental health, and the responsible use of AI in healing. He explains how music can lower defenses and accelerate real therapy, why mission matters more than ever, and how AI and virtual reality can expand access to care without losing the human element.

 

 

Andrew Sossin Questions and Discussions

Here’s a bullet-point summary of the questions and discussions from our interview with Andrew Sossin:

 

1. Andrew Sossin’s Entrepreneurial Path

  • Andrew Sossin shared that he has always been driven to build businesses and work for himself.
  • He said Recovery Unplugged was born out of pain, frustration, and personal exposure to addiction inside his extended family.
  • He traced the roots of the company back to the Tony Robbins world and a long chain of relationships, coincidences, and decisions that led him there.
  • He described the creation of Recovery Unplugged as something bigger than a business idea. It became a mission.

 

2. The Origin of Recovery Unplugged

  • Andrew Sossin explained that Recovery Unplugged came together after years of seeing loved ones struggle with addiction and recovery.
  • He was introduced to the concept of using music as a catalyst for therapy through his future business partners.
  • The idea was simple but powerful. Use music to help people lower defenses, connect emotionally, and engage in evidence-based treatment.
  • He said what started as a way to help family members became a model that has now helped more than 22,000 people.

 

3. Why Purpose Matters So Much

  • Andrew emphasized that purpose gives people a reason to keep moving when life gets hard.
  • He talked about how a clear mission can pull you through chaos, grief, business pressure, family stress, and uncertainty.
  • He believes people need a North Star. Without one, it becomes too easy to spiral, get stuck, or numb out.
  • He linked this directly to both entrepreneurship and recovery.

 

4. How Recovery Unplugged Works

  • Andrew Sossin was clear that Recovery Unplugged is not about teaching people to become musicians.
  • The model uses music as a catalyst inside evidence-based treatment, including cognitive behavioral therapy, DBT, EMDR, motivational interviewing, and more.
  • Music is used to break down defenses, build rapport, help patients feel seen, and accelerate emotional access.
  • The treatment process includes everything from music-informed intake and environment setting to sound and frequency support during detox and music-centered group work.

 

5. Music-assisted Treatment in Practice

  • Andrew Sossin explained that music is used from the moment a person enters the process.
  • Intake includes understanding what music a person loves, hates, and emotionally connects to.
  • Staff may use that information during transport, detox, or therapy to help someone feel understood and regulated.
  • Recovery Unplugged also uses concepts like “musical prescriptions” to help clients navigate triggers, regulate emotional states, and move through cravings or difficult feelings.

 

6. Open-mindedness, Emotional Release, and Healing

  • Andrew described how music helps people become more open-minded.
  • He gave the example of using lyrics that resonate with someone emotionally, even if they normally reject the genre the lyrics came from.
  • That process helps clients realize they may be more emotionally connected than they thought.
  • He also talked about open mic experiences, music-based group work, and “Feel Good Friday” concerts that help patients express, release, and reconnect.

 

7. Recovery Unplugged’s Long-Term Impact

  • Andrew shared that many people on the company’s leadership team once came through the program as clients.
  • Some entered treatment at the lowest points of their lives and later returned to build careers, lead teams, and serve others.
  • He sees that as one of the most meaningful parts of the mission.
  • It is not just about sobriety. It is about rebuilding lives, careers, identity, and contribution.

 

8. Technology, VR, and AI in Mental Health

  • Andrew explained that Good Thoughts grew out of the need to make therapy more immersive and accessible, especially after COVID.
  • The platform allows people to participate in intensive outpatient therapy in a virtual world setting with therapists and peer groups.
  • He also shared that AI is now being used in multiple ways across the ecosystem, including guided support, documentation, admissions, and follow-up.
  • His view is clear. Technology should not replace human care. It should make human care more effective, more responsive, and more available.

 

9. RVK AI and Never Missing a Lead

  • Andrew Sossin said one of the biggest operational problems in behavioral health is missed calls.
  • In this space, a missed lead is not just a business issue. It could be a missed chance to save a life.
  • RVK AI was created to help behavioral health organizations answer calls, pre-screen leads, and stay available 24/7.
  • He sees AI here as a way to support both outcomes and operations, allowing teams to help more people without dropping the ball.

 

10. Daily rituals, Standards, and What drives Andrew Sossin Now

  • Andrew shared that he starts his mornings with prayer, gratitude, and reflection.
  • He uses the Five Minute Journal to center his focus around gratitude, goals, and mission.
  • He ends the day by reviewing what went well and what he learned.
  • What drives him now is simple. Help more people, use better tools, and keep building systems that save lives.

 

Across all three ventures, Andrew’s work sits at the intersection of purpose, technology, and healing. His mission is not just to build companies, but to help more people access recovery, reclaim their lives, and move forward with dignity and support. He’s building more than companies. He’s building systems of healing. His work shows what happens when purpose, empathy, innovation, and execution come together. 

To connect with Andrew Sossin and learn more about his work, visit recoveryunplugged.com.

 

💬 Notable Quotes

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
“We utilize music as a catalyst for evidence-based therapy.”
“You can’t be angry and grateful at the same time.”
“If we miss one call, that could be somebody’s life.”
“The technology is here. It’s only getting better. How can we positively use it to impact and save more lives?”
“What’s really meaningful in your life? Who’s really meaningful in your life?”
“I still believe we’re living in the best time in history.”
“It’s not just helping them recover. It’s helping them find a life, a career, and a purpose.”

 

💡 Key Insights

  • A clear mission can carry you through chaos, pain, and uncertainty.
  • Recovery is not only about stopping a destructive behavior. It is about rebuilding identity and purpose.
  • Music is more than entertainment. It can become a bridge to emotional truth and deeper healing.
  • Technology becomes powerful when it helps humans do more of what matters.
  • AI can improve care, responsiveness, and scale, but only when used with intention.
  • Gratitude and daily rituals help leaders stay grounded in difficult work.
  • The ripple effect of healing extends far beyond one individual. It reaches families, teams, and future generations.
  • Businesses that solve real human problems with heart and precision create lasting impact.

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