What obstacles can arise when sharing your vulnerable story with the world?

Amy Liz Harrison opens up about the emotional challenges and unexpected hurdles of writing her memoir during a challenging time in her life. She discusses the difficulties faced with her publisher, the impact of ADHD and rejection sensitivity, and how these experiences have shaped her writing journey.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Navigating publisher expectations and the impacts of poor communication.

• The unique challenges of writing with late-diagnosed ADHD and rejection sensitivity.

• The importance of embracing your vulnerabilities and using them to grow as a writer.

If this conversation reminded you to slow down and breathe, share it with a friend who needs that same permission. Then subscribe to Eternally Amy for more truth-telling, laughter, and light.

Eternally Amy is hosted by Amy Liz Harrison, author, memoir coach, sober mom of eight, and spiritual storyteller. Join her bi-weekly for honest conversations about recovery, motherhood, and meaning.

Visit amylizharrison.com for books, coaching, and resources.

About Eternally Amy

Hosted by Amy Liz Harrison, the Eternally Amy Podcast dives into the messy, meaningful, and often unspoken parts of life. From addiction and recovery to anxiety, ADHD, motherhood, and identity shifts, Amy brings honesty, humor, and lived experience to every episode. Whether you're sober, sober curious, or just trying to figure things out, you'll find something here that resonates.

About the Host

Amy Liz Harrison, MA, CPC, CLC is a bestselling author, publishing consultant, podcast host, and sober mom of eight. She is the author of the Eternally series, including Eternally Expecting and Eternally Awkward, and the Kiss Your Brain children's book series. Amy is the Founder and CEO of A-Team Press and a contributing writer for The Sober Curator. Sober since 2011-era chaos gave way to clarity, she writes and speaks at the intersection of sobriety, mental health, and identity.

Connect with Amy

Website: https://www.amylizharrison.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amylizharrison/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amylizharrison LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amylizharrison/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmyLizHarrison

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amylizharrison

Listen + Subscribe

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eternally-amy/id1620477794

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Hjp3uFDmCb36XxDj6deo5 Eternally Amy is also featured in Recovery Podcastland on The Sober Curator: https://thesobercurator.com/recovery-podcastland-network/eternally-amy/

Credits

Production by Podcast Impact Studios https://podcastimpactstudio.com/ 

Branding + Marketing managed by Magnetic Media Labs https://magneticmedialabs.com/

Are unclear boundaries affecting your relationships and well-being?

In this episode, Amy Liz Harrison and Dr. Sarah Michaud delve into the complexities of setting boundaries, highlighting insights from "Set Boundaries, Find Peace" by Nedra Glover Tawwab. They explore why setting clear boundaries is essential for healthy relationships and personal peace, despite the discomfort it may cause.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Boundaries help to protect personal peace and foster healthy relationships.

• Clarity and consistency are crucial when setting and maintaining boundaries.

• The process of setting boundaries might be uncomfortable but leads to long-term benefits.

GUEST BIO

Dr. Sarah Michaud is a seasoned psychologist with a deep understanding of codependency and emotional wellness. She offers valuable insights into boundary setting and its impact on mental health.

If this conversation reminded you to slow down and breathe, share it with a friend who needs that same permission. Then subscribe to Eternally Amy for more truth-telling, laughter, and light.

Eternally Amy is hosted by Amy Liz Harrison, author, memoir coach, sober mom of eight, and spiritual storyteller. Join her bi-weekly for honest conversations about recovery, motherhood, and meaning.

About Eternally Amy

Hosted by Amy Liz Harrison, the Eternally Amy Podcast dives into the messy, meaningful, and often unspoken parts of life. From addiction and recovery to anxiety, ADHD, motherhood, and identity shifts, Amy brings honesty, humor, and lived experience to every episode. Whether you're sober, sober curious, or just trying to figure things out, you'll find something here that resonates.

About the Host

Amy Liz Harrison, MA, CPC, CLC is a bestselling author, publishing consultant, podcast host, and sober mom of eight. She is the author of the Eternally series, including Eternally Expecting and Eternally Awkward, and the Kiss Your Brain children's book series. Amy is the Founder and CEO of A-Team Press and a contributing writer for The Sober Curator. Sober since 2011-era chaos gave way to clarity, she writes and speaks at the intersection of sobriety, mental health, and identity.

Connect with Amy

Website: https://www.amylizharrison.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amylizharrison/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amylizharrison LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amylizharrison/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmyLizHarrison

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amylizharrison

Listen + Subscribe

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eternally-amy/id1620477794

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Hjp3uFDmCb36XxDj6deo5 Eternally Amy is also featured in Recovery Podcastland on The Sober Curator: https://thesobercurator.com/recovery-podcastland-network/eternally-amy/

Credits

Production by Podcast Impact Studios https://podcastimpactstudio.com/ 

Branding + Marketing managed by Magnetic Media Labs https://magneticmedialabs.com/

How can ADHD writers overcome common roadblocks to achieve their dreams?

Amy Liz Harrison delves into the challenges neurodivergent writers face, exploring how to navigate the roadblocks posed by ADHD, motherhood, and the constant juggling of personal goals. She shares personal anecdotes and strategies for balancing temporary life changes with long-term aspirations. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Accept that current challenges are temporary and keep your eyes on long-term goals.

• Build systems that support your lifestyle and creative work.

• Clear, open communication with yourself and others is key to achieving your aims.

If this conversation reminded you to slow down and breathe, share it with a friend who needs that same permission. Then subscribe to Eternally Amy for more truth-telling, laughter, and light.

Eternally Amy is hosted by Amy Liz Harrison — author, memoir coach, sober mom of eight, and spiritual storyteller. Join her each week for honest conversations about recovery, motherhood, and meaning.

Visit amylizharrison.com for books, coaching, and resources.

What misconceptions about ADHD have you encountered in your life?

Amy Liz Harrison explores the misconceptions surrounding ADHD, particularly how they intersect with motherhood and personal identity. She shares her personal experiences, reflecting on the challenges and triumphs of living with ADHD.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• ADHD often goes unnoticed due to its invisible symptoms.

• Society's perception of ADHD is limited and can be misleading.

• Managing ADHD involves embracing unique personal strategies.

If this conversation reminded you to slow down and breathe, share it with a friend who needs that same permission. Then subscribe to Eternally Amy for more truth-telling, laughter, and light.

Eternally Amy is hosted by Amy Liz Harrison — author, memoir coach, sober mom of eight, and spiritual storyteller. Join her each week for honest conversations about recovery, motherhood, and meaning.

Visit amylizharrison.com for books, coaching, and resources.

Ever feel like your story is too messy to matter?

In this vulnerable conversation, Amy sits down with her podcast producer and friend Tamar Routly to talk about why the stories we're most ashamed of are often the ones that can help someone else the most. They discuss the power of breaking silence, the danger of secrets, and why your messy, imperfect story might be exactly what someone needs to hear today. Amy also reveals details about her upcoming app, Pen Pals, designed to help anyone with a story finally get it out of their head and onto the page.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Your story doesn't have to be polished or perfect to be worth telling — it just has to be honest

• We are only as sick as our secrets, and sharing breaks the cycle of isolation

• Writing your story is an act of self-healing first, and service to others second

• You can tell your story respectfully without exposing everyone involved — there are creative ways to honor truth while protecting privacy

• The moment you share what you've been most afraid to say out loud is when resonance and connection happen

GUEST BIO

Tamar Routly is a podcast producer, app developer, and creative who specializes in helping people bring their big ideas to life. She's also a fellow Gen X mom navigating neurodivergence, recovery, and all the beautiful chaos that comes with midlife reinvention.

If this conversation reminded you to slow down and breathe, share it with a friend who needs that same permission. Then subscribe to Eternally Amy for more truth-telling, laughter, and light.

Eternally Amy is hosted by Amy Liz Harrison — author, memoir coach, sober mom of eight, and spiritual storyteller. Join her each week for honest conversations about recovery, motherhood, and meaning. Visit amylizharrison.com for books, coaching, and resources.

Have you ever caught yourself getting dressed up to go to the doctor so you'd be believed?

Amy, Anne Marie, and Dr. Sarah dive deep into Florence Given's "Women Don't Owe You Pretty" in this month's Boozeless Book Club. What starts as a book discussion becomes a powerful exploration of how sobriety creates space for questioning everything — from why we automatically move aside for men on sidewalks to the emotional labor we carry without realizing it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

- Your evolution will make people uncomfortable, and that's not your responsibility to manage

- Sobriety creates the cognitive capacity to examine patriarchal conditioning we've internalized

- Women often perform "presentability" without questioning who it's really for

- Safety concerns shape women's daily decisions in ways men rarely consider

- The witch wound — how women have been conditioned to compete rather than support each other

- Medical settings often require women to advocate more assertively for their needs

- Generational change is happening as younger people learn about consent and boundaries

NOTABLE QUOTE

"After years of being objectified, nothing feels sexier than feeling safe." — Florence Given

If this conversation reminded you to slow down and breathe, share it with a friend who needs that same permission. Then subscribe to Eternally Amy for more truth-telling, laughter, and light.

Eternally Amy is hosted by Amy Liz Harrison — author, memoir coach, sober mom of eight, and spiritual storyteller. Join her each week for honest conversations about recovery, motherhood, and meaning. Visit amylizharrison.com for books, coaching, and resources.

Have you ever felt dismissed by a doctor who couldn't figure out what was wrong with you?

Amy and Dr. Sarah dive deep into the disturbing reality of gender bias in healthcare, sparked by Amy's two-year medical nightmare that ended with 14 contact lenses being removed from her eye. Through their discussion of "Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men" by Caroline Criado Perez, they uncover how the entire medical system has been built around male-centered care, leaving women misdiagnosed, undertreated, and sometimes fighting for their lives.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Women are routinely dismissed in medical settings, with pain often attributed to anxiety or being labeled as "whiny women" in medical charts

• Medical research predominantly uses male subjects, then applies those results to women despite significant biological differences

• Heart attack symptoms present differently in women but are still diagnosed based on male presentations

• The cost of advocating for yourself in healthcare goes far beyond money — it's about quality of life and sometimes survival

• Learning to trust your instincts and speak up for yourself isn't being difficult — it's being responsible for your own health

• Gender bias extends far beyond medicine into design, engineering, and everyday products that assume a male default

NOTABLE QUOTE

"The bottom line is being female in a medical setting can mean receiving less accurate diagnosis, less effective treatment, and less attentive care because the entire system has been based on male centered care. This isn't just inconvenient, it's life threatening." — Dr. Sarah Michaud

If this conversation reminded you to slow down and breathe, share it with a friend who needs that same permission. Then subscribe to Eternally Amy for more truth-telling, laughter, and light.

Eternally Amy is hosted by Amy Liz Harrison — author, memoir coach, sober mom of eight, and spiritual storyteller. Join her each week for honest conversations about recovery, motherhood, and meaning. Visit amylizharrison.com for books, coaching, and resources.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Book: "Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men" by Caroline Criado Perez

Dr. Mary Claire Haver on menopause and medical bias

The Boozeless Book Club: Brave Enough, Grief, and Learning to Play the Hand You're Dealt

What if the loneliness you feel isn't proof you're broken — just proof you're human?

Amy and Dr. Sarah Michelle return for another episode of The Boozeless Book Club, this time diving into Cheryl Strayed's Brave Enough — a slim collection of quotes that packs a serious emotional punch. From the danger of "gathering receipts" to prove you're an outcast to the necessity of saying your feelings out loud even when it feels like vomiting, this conversation is raw, relatable, and real. They talk about codependency, compassion, courage in close relationships, and why sometimes the bravest thing you can do is grieve what didn't happen so you can finally move forward. If you've ever felt too messy, too much, or too alone — this one's for you.

Key Takeaways

• Loneliness and feeling like an outcast are often self-created stories — and saying them out loud breaks the spell
• "You're only as sick as your secrets" — vulnerability is the spark of human connection
• Not everything will be okay, and that's okay — acceptance is a small, quiet room
• Don't own other people's crap — their unkindness is usually about them, not you
• Grief is about time, feeling your feelings, and eventually realizing you're okay
• You have to be brave enough to tell the truth in close relationships — even when it's uncomfortable
• Sometimes healing means moving forward even when it still hurts

Guest Bio

Dr. Sarah Michelle is a psychologist, recovery advocate, and co-host of The Boozeless Book Club with Amy. She brings decades of clinical experience, spiritual curiosity, and a healthy dose of Gen X wit to every conversation.

Episode Resources

Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed

Notable Quote

"We know we're telling the truth when we feel like vomiting." — Dr. Sarah Michelle

Connect with Amy

Amy Liz Harrison: amylizharrison.com | @amylizharrison

Amy's Books: amylizharrison.com/books

Memoir Coaching & Courses: amylizharrison.com/services-7

Eternally Amy is hosted by bestselling author Amy Liz Harrison — a sober mom of eight sharing her journey from jail to joy with humor, heart, and hard-won wisdom. Each episode blends raw storytelling, spiritual insights, and the kind of honesty that makes you feel less alone. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This podcast shares personal stories and spiritual insights. It is not a substitute for professional medical, mental health, or addiction treatment. If you're struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Grief isn’t just about death.

In this deeply honest Boozeless Bookclub conversation, Amy, Dr. Sarah, and Erin unpack The Grief Recovery Handbook by John James and Russell Friedman — and what surprised them most about grief.

Spoiler alert: It’s everywhere.

From friendship breakups to miscarriages. From career shifts to empty nests. From childhood wounds to identity loss.

If you’ve ever said, “I don’t really have anything to grieve,” this episode might gently prove you wrong.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why grief isn’t limited to death and divorce
• How unresolved grief can show up as addiction, busyness, anger, or depression
• The friendship wounds that still live in us decades later
• Miscarriage and pregnancy loss as invisible grief
• Parenting transitions and empty nest emotions
• Sexual trauma and identity loss
• The surprising power of writing a completion letter
• How grief can shape our triggers
• Why our culture makes no space for grief
• Teaching our kids how to process loss early

Book Featured

The Grief Recovery Handbook

By John James & Russell Friedman

An action-based guide for processing grief beyond death, divorce, and other losses.

Key Takeaways

• Grief is cumulative — and most of us are carrying more than we realize.
• Many of us were taught: Don’t feel bad. Replace the loss. Just give it time.
• Avoiding grief often shows up as addiction, overworking, shutting down, or relationship patterns.

• Grief isn’t linear.
• Completion doesn’t mean forgetting — it means releasing emotional charge.
• Making meaning out of loss can transform pain into growth.
• Curiosity toward your triggers is more powerful than self-judgment.

A Powerful Reminder

“All human beings experience grief — and yet our culture makes no space for it.”

So this episode is your space.

Connect with Amy

Amy Liz Harrison is a bestselling author, speaker, 12-step coach, meditation teacher, and mental health advocate.

amy lizharrison.com

Follow @AmyLizHarrison on all platforms

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and review. It truly helps.

Five days before heart surgery, Amy Liz Harrison opens her heart—literally and spiritually. In this intimate solo episode, Amy reflects on mortality, fear, surrender, and the surprising peace found by going inward. Drawing from Christian mysticism, neuroscience, meditation, and lived recovery, she explores what it means to stop striving, let go of outcomes, and find the calm center within—even when everything feels uncertain.

This episode isn’t about answers. It’s about presence. About the heart as both a physical organ and the seat of the soul. And about learning how to do hard things scared.

Key Takeaways

• Why heart illness carries a unique emotional weight—and how it mirrors vulnerability itself
• How Christian mysticism and The Interior Castle reframe spiritual transformation
• The difference between emotional regulation and emotional suppression
• Why surrender isn’t passive—it’s courageous
• How meditation and the parasympathetic nervous system support healing and peace

Key Timestamps

• [02:40] — Facing heart surgery and the loss of control
• [05:20] — Why heart illness feels different than any other diagnosis
• [08:45] — St. Teresa of Avila and The Interior Castle
• [13:30] — The nervous system, fear, and emotional regulation
• [17:05] — Meditation, ADHD, and 175 days of showing up
• [22:15] — The defibrillator, resentment, and letting go of outcome
• [27:40] — “Doing it scared” and finding the true center

Notable Resources & Mentions

• The Interior Castle — St. Teresa of Avila
• Father Richard Rohr — Falling Upward & Immortal Diamond
• HeartMath Institute
• Insight Timer (Amy as meditation teacher)

If this episode resonated, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone navigating uncertainty, recovery, or a health journey of their own.

Thank you so much for listening to Eternally Amy, a mom of eight’s journey from jail to joy. Amy Liz Harrison is a bestselling author, speaker, meditation teacher, and recovery advocate. To learn more, visit www.amylizharrison.com and follow @amylizharrison on all platforms.