Shame can quietly attach itself to your identity and keep you hiding from freedom, connection, and God. In this episode of Love Life Sober, Christy Osborne is joined by licensed psychotherapist Dr. Zoe Shaw, who unpacks complex shame, explains how it forms, and why it doesn’t simply disappear with understanding or good intentions.

Christy and Dr. Zoe explore the difference between guilt, simple shame, and complex shame, why many women internalize blame—even for things that happened to them—and how shame often shows up in faith and church spaces. They also discuss why shaming behavior never leads to heart change and what Scripture shows us instead.

If you’ve ever felt broken, disqualified, or afraid to be fully known, this conversation offers a compassionate, faith-centered path toward truth, healing, and freedom—without shame.

 IF YOU’VE EVER THOUGHT…

• “I’m not just struggling… I’m broken.”
• “If people really knew me, they wouldn’t love me.”
• “My story disqualifies me from being close to God.”

Babe, this episode is for you 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

• The difference between guilt and shame—and why guilt can be healthy but shame never is
• What simple shame looks like and why it often dissolves with compassion and “me too” community
• What complex shame is and why it doesn’t disappear even when others understand your story
• Why many women blame themselves for things that happened to them—and how that keeps shame tangled
• How shame shows up in church spaces and why shaming behavior never leads to heart change
• What Scripture reveals about how Jesus brings healing without shame
• A gentle, practical first step for the woman who longs for freedom but feels afraid to be vulnerable

LINKS & RESOURCES

Dr. Zoe’s Book
Stronger in the Difficult Places: Heal Your Relationship with Yourself by Untangling Complex Shame

Follow Dr. Zoe on Instagram
@drzoeshaw

Join the Love Life Sober Community

Join the Lent 40-Day Alcohol Fast

Order Christy’s Book
Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind

Connect with Christy on Instagram
@lovelifesoberwithchristy

⚠️ DISCLAIMER

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, psychological, or professional advice nor intend for the podcast or any Love Life Sober communication to substitute for such. Views and opinions expressed in any referenced or linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team or guests.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Why is alcohol so normalized in church spaces? In this episode of Love Life Sober, Lauren Windle shares her alcohol-free journey, faith-based sobriety, and why alcohol can become a stumbling block to real connection, healing, and belonging in Christian communities.

Christy Osborne is joined by Lauren Windle, writer, speaker, and long-time alcohol-free woman who loves Jesus deeply, for a vulnerable and soul-stirring conversation about faith, sobriety, and belonging.

Lauren shares her honest alcohol-free testimony—from social anxiety and drinking from her early teens, to hiding in plain sight as the “fun party girl,” to finally laying it all down and finding freedom through sobriety, faith, and community. Together, they explore why alcohol often feels like the solution for anxiety and connection, how it slowly shrinks our world instead of expanding it, and what it looks like to sit with pain without numbing.

They also courageously asks why alcohol is being served in church spaces, how sobriety environments often feel more like church than church itself, and how God meets us powerfully in discomfort, honesty, and renewal of the mind.

If You’ve Ever Thought… 

• “I drink to feel less anxious and more myself.”
• “I’m scared of who I’ll be without alcohol.”
• “I want real connection, not small talk.”

Babe, this episode will meet you right where you are

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How social anxiety and the desire to belong fueled Lauren’s drinking from a young age
• Why alcohol felt essential to her identity—and how that belief slowly unraveled
• Why learning to sit with pain is one of the greatest gifts of sobriety
• How cravings and “escape thoughts” still show up years later—and how to respond
• Why alcohol in church can be a stumbling block and distraction from Jesus
• How neuroscience, Scripture, and renewing the mind beautifully overlap
• Why deep, honest relationships form faster in sobriety spaces

Links & Resources

Connect with Lauren:
Website: https://laurenwindle.com
Instagram: @laurenwindle_

Join the Love Life Sober Community
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/community

Join the Lent 40-Day Fast
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/the-fast

Order Christy’s book, Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

Connect with Christy on Instagram: @lovelifesoberwithchristy

Disclaimer
The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, psychological, or professional advice nor intend for the podcast or any Love Life Sober communication to substitute for such. Views and opinions expressed in any referenced or linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team or guests.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Surrender in Christian recovery isn’t passive—it’s active obedience. In this faith-filled episode of Love Life Sober, Sherry Beth Hoppen shares how true freedom from alcohol comes when surrender meets action, faith, and daily obedience to God.

Host Christy Osborne welcomes Sherry Hoppen, founder of She Surrenders and Executive Director of Selah House Recovery, for a deeply honest conversation about surrender, faith, and lasting freedom from alcohol.

Sherry shares her personal journey with alcohol addiction, the God-led calling that birthed Selah House, and the beauty—and weight—of building a Christ-centered recovery space for women seeking healing, safety, and spiritual renewal. Together, they explore why surrender is not passive, how conditional surrender keeps women stuck, and why real transformation in Christian sobriety requires both faith and action.

If You’ve Ever Thought

• “I’ve said I surrender, but nothing seems to change.”
• “I want freedom, but I don’t know how to let go.”
• “I need support that understands both addiction and faith.”

Babe, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What surrender truly means in Christian recovery—and why it’s more than words
• Why conditional surrender prevents healing and keeps women stuck
• How obedience plays a critical role in sobriety and spiritual growth
• The role of the Holy Spirit in filling the space alcohol once occupied
• Why faith-based recovery requires action, not just intention
• How daily surrender leads to long-term transformation and freedom
• How Christ-centered recovery spaces support women holistically

💌 Links & Resources

📖 Sherry’s memoir: Sober Cycle: Peddling Through Recovery One Day at A Time

https://amzn.to/49nJSCn

🌟 Join the Love Life Sober Community
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/community

🌿 Join the next 40-Day Alcohol Fast
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/the-fast

📖 Order Christy’s book, Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

📲 Connect on Instagram: @lovelifesoberwithchristy

Disclaimer
The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, psychological, or professional advice nor intend for the podcast or any Love Life Sober communication to substitute for such. Views and opinions expressed in any referenced or linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team or guests.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Should Christians drink alcohol? In this episode of Love Life Sober, author Ericka Andersen explores faith-based sobriety, the gray-area drinking struggle, and what freedom from alcohol can look like for Christian women who love Jesus but feel stuck.

Christy Osborne is joined by Ericka Andersen, author of Freely Sober, for an honest, hope-filled conversation about freedom from alcohol for Christian women seeking support that is both practical and rooted in Christ.

Together, they discuss the “gray area” a space many women live in, the long internal struggle that often comes before real change, and why a slow or nonlinear timeline does not mean failure. Ericka brings compassion, biblical context, and practical wisdom to the question many Christian women quietly ask: Should Christians even drink alcohol?

This conversation offers clarity, permission, and hope for women who aren’t “rock bottom,” but know alcohol is taking up more space than they want it to.

If You’ve Ever Thought…

• “I love Jesus, but I keep going back to wine.”
• “I’m not falling apart… but I’m stuck.”
• “I wish there was something for women like me.”

Babe, this episode is for you!

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What it looks like when alcohol becomes not an addiction, but a distraction
• Why the journey toward freedom can take years—and how that time isn’t wasted in God’s hands
• How to hold the process lighter after a “failed” Dry January and keep moving forward
• Why cravings feel like they’ll last forever—and simple tools to ride them out
• Why “buzzed” matters more than we want to admit, especially around our kids
• The big question: should Christians even drink alcohol, and what Scripture actually shows
• Why modern alcohol is not the same as biblical wine—and why context matters

Links & Resources

Order Ericka’s book, Freely Sober: 

https://amzn.to/49l5mQm

Join the Lent 40-Day Alcohol Fast

https://lovelifesober.co.uk/the-fast

Join the Love Life Sober Community

https://lovelifesober.co.uk/community

Order Christy’s book, Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind

Connect on Instagram: @lovelifesoberwithchristy

You can find more resources at Lovelifesober.com

Disclaimer:
The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, psychological, or professional advice nor intend for the podcast or any Love Life Sober communication to substitute for such. Views and opinions expressed in any referenced or linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team or guests.

Love Life Sober is part of the Lifeaudio Podcast Network: A Christian network where every podcast is rooted in biblical truth, offering guidance, encouragement and inspiration for everyday life. You can find more faith centered podcasts at Lifeaudio.com | Faith On Demand

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Love Life Sober is a Christian podcast for women questioning their relationship with alcohol and sensing God might have more for them beyond the wine glass.

Have you felt that nudge from God to put down the wine glass, but the thought of relaxing, having fun, or even coping with life feels impossible without it? Are you waking up each morning vowing not to drink tonight, only to find that by five p.m., all bets are off?

Hosted by Christian sobriety coach and author Christy Osborne, author of Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind, this podcast blends Scripture, neuroscience, and practical coaching to help you understand what’s happening in your brain, your nervous system, and your heart, and how lasting freedom from alcohol is actually possible.

You’ll hear expert conversations and powerful testimonies for women exploring Christian sobriety, faith-based recovery, mindful drinking, and alcohol-free living. Each episode gently invites you to step away from wine and toward deeper connection with God, without shame, pressure, or the need to decide forever.

At the heart of Love Life Sober is a simple truth. Love, joy, peace, and connection were never meant to be found in a wine bottle. They are found in Jesus.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.