In this episode, Colleen breaks down one of the most foundational teachings of emotional sobriety: your higher self isn't a future version of you — she's a frequency you can access right now.

Drawing from quantum physics, nervous system science, and the emotional practices at the core of this work, Colleen explains why clarity, intuition, creativity, and confidence aren't things you earn after healing enough trauma or doing everything "right." They emerge when you learn to quiet the noise of your subconscious programming, regulate your nervous system, and align your emotional state with the version of you who already knows what to do.

You'll learn how distorted thinking jams your internal signal, why stress blocks intuition, and what it actually takes to receive insight instead of chasing it. This minisode is a practical guide to becoming coherent — mentally, emotionally, and energetically — so you can stop fighting with your thoughts and finally tune into the wisdom already within you.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Your higher self is a frequency, not a destination • Why intuition emerges when your brain and body are coherent • How nervous system regulation opens access to insight • The three components of alignment: breath, emotion, and intention • Why affirmations fail when they're fueled by fear • How to replace subconscious loops with new emotional signals • What it means to "broadcast" a new identity energetically

This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn't come from trying harder — it comes from tuning in.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

Transcript

What if the reason you're still drinking too much when you're alone has nothing to do with willpower—and everything to do with how you think about being alone?

You've made so much progress. You're no longer drinking every day. You can go to social events and drink like a normal person without going overboard. You're doing the work, listening to podcasts, journaling, showing up for yourself.

But there's still that one context where you get tripped up. Sunday afternoons. Tuesday evenings when you're home alone. You pour one glass and somehow end up drinking the entire bottle.

And you're starting to wonder: Is something wrong with me? Why can't I figure this out? Will this ever change?

Here's the truth: Your drinking habit isn't one habit. It's a hundred habits. And most of them have nothing to do with alcohol.

In this episode, you'll discover:

🔥 Why you can control your drinking in some contexts but not others (and what that actually means about your progress)

🔥 The real reason "just staying busy" doesn't solve the problem when you're home alone

🔥 How to upgrade from shame to disappointment to curiosity—and why that progression is critical for lasting change

🔥 Why your language patterns are creating your reality ("I've always struggled when I'm alone" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy)

🔥 The one question your brain can't answer (hint: it's not "how do I stop drinking too much?")

🔥 What "abracadabra" teaches us about the power of expectation—and how to use it in your favor

🔥 How to create a vision for what you DO want instead of just wishing for the absence of unwanted behavior

🔥 Why seeing your slip-ups as "neutral data" instead of failure changes everything

🔥 The truth about being "halfway there"—and how to get all the way there without beating yourself up

Here's what you need to understand: Alcohol use disorder is the disease of perceived failure. You drank more than you think you should have, and you're seeing it as failure. But the work isn't to stop failing. The work is to change your perception of what failure even means.

When you're alone on a Sunday or Tuesday evening, you're not failing. You're learning. And there's a huge difference.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

In this episode, Colleen walks us through a coaching moment that captures what emotional sobriety really means: shifting from self-criticism and control into vision and alignment.

When one client arrived overwhelmed and focused on what her partner wasn't doing, the breakthrough came when she identified who she wanted to be — positive and powerful. From there, everything changed.

Colleen unpacks how to train the brain to serve your vision instead of your fear, why alignment between mind and body is the true foundation of change, and how to stop letting your thoughts drain your energy.

You'll learn what it means to "stop, drop, and feel," and how this simple practice brings you back to your power when you're spiraling in stress or self-doubt.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• How to use coaching to shift perspective from blame to personal power

• Why your emotions are litmus tests for your mindset

• The difference between primal (fear) and powerful (freedom) states

• Practices to regulate your nervous system and realign your energy

• How clarity of vision makes your brain your ally, not your enemy

This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn't start with action — it starts with who you decide to be.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

Transcript

In this deeply personal reflection, Colleen opens up about her own history with bulimia and the years she spent trying to control her body to manage her emotions. Inspired by Jennette McCurdy's memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died, she explores how disordered eating, drinking, and perfectionism all share the same root: unprocessed emotion and the desperate need to feel safe, seen, and in control.

Through her story — and Jennette's — Colleen reframes recovery as a compassionate, iterative process. True healing isn't about getting it right; it's about breaking the shame cycle that turns a slip into a slide.

She reminds us that slips are part of rewiring the brain, not proof of failure. Shame is what cements the pattern — compassion is what breaks it.

This episode invites listeners to soften around their own humanity, to stop waiting for perfection, and to practice self-acceptance as the foundation for lasting change.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Why perfectionism fuels relapse and self-sabotage

• The "slip vs. slide" mindset and why it's essential for sustainable healing

• How shame disguises itself as self-control

• What emotional sobriety looks like beyond alcohol — in food, body, and identity

• Why healing happens one processed emotion, one honest moment at a time

The goal isn't flawless behavior — it's emotional freedom.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

Transcript

You know that feeling when you're thinking about drinking later and your stomach drops because you're already worried about overdoing it? Or when you come home from vacation and you're genuinely afraid you won't be able to stop with the daily drinking?

That's reentry syndrome. And it's not what you think it is.

Most people think if they could just be stronger, more disciplined, or finally "get it together," they wouldn't feel this way.

But what if I told you that reentry syndrome is a straight up trauma response? The reason you feel out of control is because you're overwhelmed?

In this episode, you'll discover:

🔥 The hidden reason you think about drinking even when you're not drinking (hint: it's not because you're obsessed with alcohol)

🔥 What your nervous system is really trying to tell you when anxiety about your drinking shows up on a random Thursday afternoon

🔥 The exact thought pattern that keeps you stuck in the "I can't stop" loop—and how to interrupt it

🔥 A powerful 5-minute exercise to rewrite the toxic beliefs that are running your life (you'll want to grab a pen for this one)

🔥 Why taking a break from drinking doesn't cure reentry syndrome (and what does)

🔥 Specific somatic practices you can use the moment anxiety hits to calm your nervous system and get out of the spiral

Here's the truth: Your drinking habits aren't the problem. They're the symptom. And once you understand what's really driving your behavior, you'll have the power to change it.

If you're tired of living in fear of yourself, this episode will show you a completely different way forward.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

In this reflective episode, Colleen shares how a single morning meditation changed the trajectory of her entire day — and became a living practice for emotional sobriety.

Waking early with her mind already spinning, she found herself caught in the familiar loop of pressure, striving, and self-imposed urgency. Instead of chasing a better plan, she chose presence. The phrase "I'm available to be here now" became a reset — a nervous-system gear shift that moved her from fight-and-fix into calm and clarity.

From treadmill runs to team decisions, Colleen explores how availability opens the door to peace, creativity, and intuition. When we stop trying to escape discomfort and allow ourselves to be with it, we reclaim our power to respond differently — to build a business, a body, and a life that feels aligned instead of forced.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• You can't think your way out of feelings — you have to feel your way back to thinking clearly.

• When you let go of the grind, you make room for grace.

• The goal isn't to rush to "better." It's to be available for what's real, right now.

This is emotional sobriety in practice — the art of pausing, feeling, and choosing again.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

Transcript

In this reflective episode, Colleen shares a deeply personal moment—learning she couldn't qualify to assume the mortgage on her own home—and how that realization became a masterclass in emotional sobriety, choice, and self-trust.

What begins as a financial obstacle unfolds into a powerful teaching on energetic alignment and cognitive reframing. When life tells you "you can't," your mind begins to collapse into fear, scarcity, and victimhood. But when you pause to challenge that narrative, you remember: you always have a choice.

She walks through the process of shifting from agitation to awareness—examining her story line by line, regulating her emotions, and reclaiming her sense of agency. Through this lens, even discomfort becomes data, showing where your thinking needs to evolve.

She shares how:

• Victim and survivor often face the same reality—the difference is in the response.

• Feeling "stuck" is always a story, not a sentence.

• Manifestation isn't magic; it's energetic coherence between thought, feeling, and choice.

• Power begins when you care more about how you feel now than what you think should happen next.

Ultimately, this episode invites listeners to practice self-leadership—to stop, drop, and feel what's true before reacting, and then rewrite the story from a place of grounded power.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• The absence of fear isn't confidence—it's clarity.

• Emotional sobriety means managing your energy before managing your circumstances.

• You can't be a victim and a creator at the same time.

• Awareness and reframing are how you reclaim choice.

• The story you tell yourself becomes the life you live.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

Transcript

What if the biggest problem in your high-conflict relationship isn't your ex—it's that you keep handing them your power?

In this conversation, Amy Armstrong breaks down why conflict is a skill deficit, not a character flaw, and how focusing on what you're willing to do (instead of what the other person is doing wrong) changes everything.

In this episode, we cover:

→ The critical difference between boundaries and requests (and why most people are just begging for change)

→ Why it only takes ONE person to end a conflict—and how to be that person without becoming a doormat

→ The uncomfortable truth about drama addiction and stress hormones (are you actually attached to the chaos?)

→ How to stop reading those texts that ruin your entire day (and why you keep opening them anyway)

→ The "of course" method for instant self-compassion when you're triggered

→ Why saying "no" keeps you stuck in resentment—and what to focus on instead

This episode is for you if:

• You're co-parenting with someone who pushes every button you have

• You feel like you're constantly defending yourself and still losing

• You're exhausted from trying to change someone who refuses to change

• You want your power back but don't know where to start

• You're ready to stop being a victim to someone else's bad behavior

Amy's approach: Practical, no-BS skills for handling high-conflict relationships without losing yourself in the process.

Want to Learn More About Coaching in The "High Octane Moments" Click Here for A Free Guide that includes 3 Self-Mastery Tools to help you show up fully, care deeply and stay grounded when working with clients, even in the most explosive situations and toughest rooms.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

In this episode, Colleen revisits a recording in which she introduces a powerful tool that continues to help women interrupt autopilot and reconnect with their bodies — The Full Body Reset.

She originally shared it on a morning when she didn't use it — a reminder that growth isn't about perfection, it's about awareness, compassion, and reconnection. When we're tired, stressed, or overstimulated, the brain will always reach for what's easy. The Full Body Reset helps you pause, remember what's true, and let your body cast a vote for what you really need.

Through this story, she normalizes what it means to be human — to miss cues, to wish you'd chosen differently, and to repair with yourself instead of spiraling into shame. It's a simple, embodied practice that anchors emotional sobriety: building trust, honoring truth, and returning to yourself one pause at a time.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• The absence of alcohol use disorder isn't perfect behavior — it's the absence of shame when you stumble.

• Your body always knows what you need — you just have to pause long enough to listen.

• A Full Body Reset interrupts autopilot and reestablishes self-trust.

• Repairing with yourself builds the emotional maturity needed for long-term change.

• True power is being "Team You" — even when you don't get it right.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

Transcript

The truth is, you can't out-think a thinking problem. And yet, that's what so many women try to do—reading, journaling, "working on themselves"—all while staying quietly trapped inside their own minds.

In this episode, Colleen reveals why the real work of emotional sobriety doesn't happen in isolation. It happens in connection. Through years of observation, data, and lived experience, she's found that the single most powerful predictor of lasting success inside The Next Chapter isn't perfection or willpower—it's participation.

When women join accountability groups and actually show up, something profound shifts. They start learning faster, healing deeper, and rebuilding trust in themselves through the simple act of reflection. That's not luck—it's neuroscience and emotional regulation working together in real time.

If you've been trying to "figure it out" alone, this episode will help you see why connection is not a luxury in recovery—it's the catalyst. You'll understand how community accelerates self-trust, quiets shame, and helps you live from power instead of performance.

Because emotional sobriety isn't about never falling down—it's about finally having the support, skills, and structure to rise in a different way.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• True change happens through reflection and relationship, not isolation.

• Emotional sobriety deepens when you feel seen, heard, and safe to be honest.

• Shame dissolves in connection—the accountability group is where courage grows roots.

• You don't need to "do more." You need to belong more.

• Healing happens faster when you stop performing and start participating.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

Transcript