Confident Sober Women

Kristin followed more of a social curiosity path and doesn’t live completely alcohol-free but has taken a hard look at her drinking and made changes. Kristen had a week of a lot of events and drank a lot more than she usually would and noticed how it truly affected her and she didn’t like it. This was her aha moment.

Kristen realized she didn’t really love the alcoholic drinks she was consuming and then asked herself ‘If I don’t really love them then why am I drinking? She also read This Naked Mind by Annie Grace and learned so much more about the marketing behind alcohol and the science of how it reacts in our bodies.  

We know that alcohol use is linked to heart disease, cancer and so many other health conditions and Kristen felt she didn’t want to have that risk to her health. 

She immediately saw the social implications of her not drinking. People were asking her about it and she could tell it made others uncomfortable. Kristen also began to notice how the corporate space does not support people who don’t want to drink alcohol with sophisticated cocktails.

Kristen shares more personally on how she didn’t love the way she showed up or the person she became when she drank. She could tell she wasn’t her normal self and even noticed that she looked different. 

Kristen is the owner of Typecast Meetings + Events, a boutique corporate event management company based in New England. She helps companies of all sizes find a great hotel for their corporate off-sites, meetings and incentive programs worldwide as well as help with the end-to-end planning.

linkedin.com/in/kristenacollins

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Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my remote Neurofeedback Therapy program is up and running. Learn more here! Learn more about EMDR therapy, EMDR Intensives and Remote Neurofeedback.

And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.

Can you feel a big change coming and is it bringing a lot of emotions?

Today it's just you and me on the show talking about emotional transitions. This time of year often brings up a lot of change and therefore a lot of feelings. Many of them are good, sometimes not so good but either way, they are there.

Thriving in long-term sobriety means learning how to get comfortable with your emotions and believing they will pass eventually. We don't always have control over the feelings that show up but we do over our actions. 

If you like what you hear please take 30 seconds to leave a rating and review so other women will find us. And share with a friend you think will get something out of it. 

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Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & share this episode with a sober woman or someone suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep problems and negative thought patterns who needs to hear she is not alone. 

Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my remote Neurofeedback Therapy program is up and running. Learn more here! Learn more about EMDR therapy, EMDR Intensives and Remote Neurofeedback.

And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.

Did you know that healthy boundaries allow you to protect your core values?


Beth shared how her drinking took off when she went off to college and escalated into adulthood but since she always held a job and was productive she never viewed it as problematic. 

Her consequences increased until her last six months of drinking where every day she said ‘I’m not going to drink tonight.  Finally, she reached out to a therapist whose card she had picked up for a friend. 

Beth shared about her experience getting sober in AA and how the real change happened for her when she started to invest in her own recovery and doing the work. 

She talks about how she is more focused on self-awareness and mindfulness. Being aware of what is happening in our minds and bodies helps us to make better choices in our lives. 

We talk about how core values are grounding and they require us to establish healthy boundaries to honor those values. 


Beth shares how she is struggling with boundaries in her relationship with work and in creating this can empower others and respect her value of serenity. This work never stops and can be enhanced in long-term sobriety. 

Beth also shares some practical tools she uses in her life to help her to identify what matters to her. 

Beth Harbinson is the founder of Sobar® and is committed to local efforts focused on reducing the stigma associated with alcoholism, addiction and mental illness and providing greater access to treatment resources. Sobar’s mission is to provide and promote innovative beverage options to those who cannot or choose not to drink alcohol.

https://www.drinksobar.org/
https://www.facebook.com/drinksobar/
https://www.instagram.com/drinksobar/

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Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & share this episode with a sober woman or someone suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep problems and negative thought patterns who needs to hear she is not alone. 

Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my remote Neurofeedback Therapy program is up and running. Learn more here! Learn more about EMDR therapy, EMDR Intensives and Remote Neurofeedback.

And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.

Do you struggle with bloating, joint pain, digestive issues or knowing what to eat?

Samantha is a woman in long-term recovery who has dedicated her life to service work and helping others. She shares how she enjoyed several years of sobriety, was in a toxic marriage, went through infertility treatment, and hadn’t done the emotional work on he own past trauma and turned to drugs and alcohol.

Samantha’s own fitness and health journey informed her path professionally to becoming a functional diagnostic nutritionist. After she did her own functional medicine testing she discovered food sensitivity she didn’t know she had as well as a dysfunctional gut. It created a vicious cycle of setting off her dopamine receptors (similar to her addiction) that set off binge eating.  

Samantha shares how there are usually a combination of things going on, the underlying symptoms we can’t figure out leave us perplexed. They are your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right.  She uses this knowledge to help others in long-term recovery heal their bodies. 

Michael Polan says “Eat real food, not to much, mostly plants” and that is a motto I have loved for years. Samantha shares a similar sentiment about those who are in recovery keep it simple. Eat whole foods. 

Samantha is a functional diagnostic nutritionist, specializing in gut health. Drawing from her own experiences and struggles, Samantha has found purpose in helping others heal their bodies and minds.

www.seefitpt.com
IG @seefitliving
https://www.facebook.com/seefitpt

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Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & share this episode with a sober woman or someone suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep problems and negative thought patterns who needs to hear she is not alone. 

Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my remote Neurofeedback Therapy program is up and running. Learn more here! Learn more about EMDR therapy, EMDR Intensives and Remote Neurofeedback.

And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.

Do you ever wonder about the "science" behind addiction?

Judy shares her history of using drugs and alcohol and even though she was doing exactly what she thought she wanted she was miserable. Today, after decades of sobriety her life is beyond what she could have ever imagined. 

Her neuroscience journey has been driven by her desire to understand what is different about the brains of people like her before she got started, then as she succumbed to the substances and then in recovery. 


Judy became curious about what was so compelling about substances for people like her and also the fact that the same obsession and compulsion that drove her to substance use helped her succeed in school and her career. 

Judy shares her neuroscience research on what happens to the brain when we use drugs. For women, the relief or using drugs to cope is a big mechanism more so than with men because they are more susceptible at the biological level to stress.  


She shares how addiction comes about from experiences and how the brain is adapting in addiction. It can also adapt in recovery but that adaptation takes time. Our feelings and thoughts are the most reliable indicator of how things are going. Our actions and decisions about what we are doing etc are more reliable for gauging progress.   

Judy’s research on the use and abuse of recreational drugs began during adolescence. After hitting bottom and getting clean and sober in her twenties, she went on to earn a doctorate in behavioral neuroscience and is currently a professor at Bucknell University. In 2019 Judy published a bestselling book Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction, which has since garnered a worldwide audience.   

You can reach out to Judy via email [email protected]
Grab her book Never Enough: The Neuroscience And Experience Of Addiction can be found wherever you get your books. 

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Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & share this episode with a sober woman or someone suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep problems and negative thought patterns who needs to hear she is not alone. 

Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my remote Neurofeedback Therapy program is up and running. Learn more here! Learn more about EMDR therapy, EMDR Intensives and Remote Neurofeedback.

And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.

A few years ago Jen started talking about normalizing not drinking. Jen got sober in AA and at the time she kept questioning when she would integrate back into normal social spaces. 


She wanted to have elevated non-alcoholic options that were on par with her friends and family were drinking and beautifully presented. 

Jen shared how her introversion and shyness as a young person prevented her from fitting in.  Alcohol helped her to feel the belonging she longed for.  

Jen got so tired of being asked “Why aren’t you drinking” and began her mission to create social spaces where people can make the choice to just not drink AND feel like they fit in. 

Jen has seen a dramatic shift in the corporate scene because half of Americans say they want to drink less or not at all. 

We shared thoughts on modeling for our teens and young adults that non-drinking is an option. Although they may experiment we can share details about the dangers of substances on the developing brain when they see adults having fun and living life without alcohol it creates options for them.

Jen shares that we can and should go into all of our spaces and when you see an opportunity share your voice about the non-alcoholic options. We can also encourage our communities and corporations to plan events that are not alcohol centered. 


You never have to feel pressured to share your own story but simply ask how are we handling having non-alcoholic options. Just add in your thoughts about providing mocktails or whatever NA options feel appropriate.

The landscape around not drinking is changing and becoming so much more accepted. 

Jen Gilhoi is an advocate for and creator of healthy social experiences that decentralize alcohol.  She’s an event experience strategist and founder of Sparktrack and cofounder of Zero Proof Collective. Jen is also cofounded Sauna and Sobriety in May 2023 to model safe, adult spaces that foster healing and belonging without substances.

 Jengilhoi.com
Zeroproofcollective.com
You can find her on Instagram and Linkedin @jengilhoi, @zeroproofcollective and @Saunaandsobriety
 

TEDx Talk (7.06.23) on YouTube
 https://youtu.be/Dov0WtIxSNI?si=oIknocfl0mf0Xt_w

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Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & share this episode with a sober woman or someone suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep problems and negative thought patterns who needs to hear she is not alone. 

Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my remote Neurofeedback Therapy program is up and running. Learn more here! Learn more about EMDR therapy, EMDR Intensives and Remote Neurofeedback.

And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.

Have you ever believed the lies you told yourself? This episode is for you.

Marci shared how alcohol originally was something she did for fun but then became her medicine when she was depressed. She used it to numb all the pain she had until she realized she couldn’t stop. 

Marci found a recovery program that aligned with her values and focused on changing her thoughts. She shared how she realized that alcohol was only making her depression worse and keeping her in this terrible cycle so she put on her sneakers and went for a walk. And that was the beginning of her sobriety experience.

We talk about how alcohol LIES to us, it tells us all the ways we are not enough. Marci looked past her insecurity and reached out to someone she knew who was a coach who helped her build the confidence she needed to start her business as an alcohol-free woman. She shared how the time she gained back from being sober gave her the much-needed space she needed to learn and grow a business. 

Marci can identify where her belief that she was not enough and to have value came from her childhood. Now Marci knows that she doesn’t need anyone to give her the attention and recognition she can give herself and that is enough. 

She knows we don’t have to believe everything we think.

We dive more into some of the cognitive behavioral work on thought changing. Part of this process is knowing that a lot of automatic thoughts will continue to come but the point is whether or not we accept them or not. We leave you with some real practical skills for thriving in long-term recovery.

Marci Rossi is a certified success coach who helps women redefine their relationship with alcohol. Once a near-daily drinker, Marci has completely reframed her perspective on alcohol so that she no longer desires it, and now she helps others do the same. To learn more about Marci, visit https://www.marcirossi.com/ or @CoachMarciRossi on social media.

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Support the show

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & share this episode with a sober woman or someone suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep problems and negative thought patterns who needs to hear she is not alone. 

Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my remote Neurofeedback Therapy program is up and running. Learn more here! Learn more about EMDR therapy, EMDR Intensives and Remote Neurofeedback.

And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.

Laurie was raised by parents who struggled with substance abuse and took those coping skills out into the world and her professional corporate experience which perpetuated the drinking. 

Laurie works in the world of Human Resources where she shares her story with those who need to hear it. Through those experiences, she had to look at herself and be accountable for her choices related to her health and wellness. 

Laurie is looking for joy in this phase of my life. We talked about the mundane activities of life and how we manage them while also pursuing joy. We have to do the small things, every single day over time to make the HUGE transformations. 

This is where our core values come into play in long-term recovery and you use them to back into your goals to determine where to start. 

Laurie shares practical strategies to plan for failure. She shares that she knows when she goes to a networking event her instinct is to grab a drink and down it. Therefore, she tries to prepare and plan for failure to achieve success. We both share the way we do these including planning our drink of choice.

Her book Corporate Drinker highlights the corporate design for events that are centered around alcohol experiences. Laurie is creating conversations around employers including more exclusive environments for everyone. 

Laurie Ruettimann began her career as an HR leader and grew to become a writer and speaker. Laurie's best-selling book, "Betting On You," addressed modern workplace dynamics, and is preparing to release her new book, "Corporate Drinker," in 2025.

You can learn more about Laurie on her website, https://laurieruettimann.com/

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Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & share this episode with a sober woman or someone suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep problems and negative thought patterns who needs to hear she is not alone. 

Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my remote Neurofeedback Therapy program is up and running. Learn more here! Learn more about EMDR therapy, EMDR Intensives and Remote Neurofeedback.

And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.

What do sobriety, spirituality and menopause all have in common?

Kate shares how her early religious experiences had a  key role in her drinking.  In fact, religion was her first drug. Kate shares vulnerably about her struggle with her drinking and her spiritual struggle, she referred to it as an inner and outer mismatch. She also realized later that as a child who was neurodivergent in a neurotypical world, she didn’t know where she fit in. She was attempting to control, regulate and fit into her world by using religion.

Kate finally found something online she could relate to through a blog and started to make friends. She muscled her way through it and then started to discover self-care.
Kate shares beautifully has she used her middle age experience to turn her emotional work inward.

“A spiritual practice is any act habitually entered into with your whole hearts as a way to enter into a contemplative experience used to explore the holy moment”  This sums it up for her.

Kate shared practical ways she has learned to manage her nervous system because high stress leads to high cortisol levels which prevent us from connecting to anything around us.

Part of her development has been regarding women’s empowerment As she approached middle-age and entered perimenopause she began studying women’s experiences specifically around alcohol use and what is the need not being met.

What is this next part of life going to look like. And it isn’t going to be like our younger years. As alcohol-free woman we already have an edge!

Kate Baily is an author, speaker, and community and podcast host specializing in habit change, holistic well-being and midlife transition.

Kate co-founded Love Sober and the author of ‘ Love Yourself Sober: A Self-Care Guide to Alcohol-Free Living for Busy Mothers’ and her new book ‘Love Your Sober Year - A Seasonal Guide to Alcohol-Free Living’ is available now.


Website: https://www.lovesober.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovesober.cic/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovesober.cic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/katebaily
Substack: https://katebaily.substack.com/

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Support the show

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & share this episode with a sober woman or someone suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep problems and negative thought patterns who needs to hear she is not alone. 

Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my remote Neurofeedback Therapy program is up and running. Learn more here! Learn more about EMDR therapy, EMDR Intensives and Remote Neurofeedback.

And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.

Did you get sober using a 12 step program or are you an AA skeptic?


While she was getting sober and in the midst of a series of lost relationships Arlina found some people at work who were also living alcohol free and ushered her into a twelve step program.

Arlina embraced her twelve step program as a “very pragmatic process for sorting out her baggage and gave her an opportunity to redefine what spirituality was to her.”

 Arlina layered on her program things like therapy and personal development to continue to feed her desire to grow.  There is plenty of space for this and does not mean you "aren't in AA",  you are simply growing in long-term recovery.

We talked about the scientific addiction to substances as well as the lies we believe about what those substances do for us. There was a real identity shift for Arlina from being what she perceived as young and fun when she was drinking and her thought was not the fun was over.

We also went over establishing healthy habits as a way to build self-trust. She likes the idea of tiny commitments to create sustainable change.  

There are many hangups people have with AA. One of the major one is the people. Arlina breaks down the typical barriers that people get hung up on about the twelve step programs.

Arlina Allen is a Certified Recovery Coach (IAPRC), Certified Hypnotist CH, the Founder of Sober Life School, and host of the award winning recovery podcast "The One Day At A Time Recovery Podcast" with over 300 episodes. She helps busy women quit drinking and create a life they love!

You can find more about her on her, including her book due out this year, www.soberlifeschool.com

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Support the show

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & share this episode with a sober woman or someone suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep problems and negative thought patterns who needs to hear she is not alone. 

Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my remote Neurofeedback Therapy program is up and running. Learn more here! Learn more about EMDR therapy, EMDR Intensives and Remote Neurofeedback.

And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.