Christie came across a reel from a health coach with an unpopular opinion: she's not going to teach her teens to drink responsibly — she's going to give them the real truth about what alcohol actually is and does. The comments were - well, interesting.

In this episode Christie adds her voice to that conversation, shares what she's seen firsthand as a mom with a son in college right now, and talks about why the cultural pressure to be the 'cool parent' around alcohol might be doing more harm than we think. If you want the deeper dive on what to actually say to your teens, go back and listen to episode 139 — this one picks up where that left off. 

Topics covered:  The "teach them to drink at home" argument — and why the research doesn't support it | Christie's real story of drinking as a teenager | The neuroscience of the adolescent brain and alcohol | What to actually say to your kids at every stage | For the parent who just found out their kid is drinking | Why this conversation matters for us too — not just our children 

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Why does the craving hit out of nowhere? Why does wine feel like it helps with overwhelm? And why does cutting back feel so hard even when you really want to? In this episode Christie breaks down exactly what your brain is doing when you crave a drink — the dopamine loop, the habit trail, the borrowed relief — and gives you real tools to get through the next twenty minutes. Plus: the science behind vacuuming and your high school playlist. Yes, really.

Topics covered: Why alcohol feels like it helps with overwhelm — and what it's actually doing | The dopamine anticipation loop that starts at 3pm | Borrowing relief from tomorrow — and what you're paying back | The habit loop: cue, routine, reward — in plain language | Why cravings are still strong after two weeks (and what the 90-day reset actually means) | The July Fourth craving that passed in twenty minutes | Playing it forward | Nervous system regulation tools that actually work — including vacuuming and your high school playlist | The two questions to ask when a craving hits

The two questions: What am I feeling right now? What do I need?

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Can I even do this? Am I too far gone? Am I the one this doesn't work for? If you're asking any version of that question right now — this episode is for you. Christie answers it directly, talks about why the shame voice isn't God's voice, walks through the stages of change so you know exactly where you are, and shares the story of standing outside the window wondering if she was allowed in. Spoiler: she was. And so are you.

Topics covered: The shame loop and who actually put you there | The Screwtape Letters and the enemy's oldest strategy | Christie's Scrooge moment — standing outside the window of God's love | The stages of change and why looping back isn't failure | The woman who thought she was the one it wouldn't work for | What willingness actually means — and how it grows | Isaiah 43 and the waters that won't overwhelm you | The difference between group and one on one coaching

Scripture referenced: Isaiah 43:1–3 — "Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you..."

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Anyone can stop drinking for a while. Willpower works — temporarily. But if the foundation underneath the habit is compromised, the craving comes back. In this episode Christie shares what happened over 50 days of working with a functional health practitioner — what shifted physically, what opened spiritually, and why she finally stopped relying on willpower. Plus: the neuroscience of why lasting change takes longer than 30 days, two practical recommendations that reduce alcohol intake by 75–80%, and what became possible when the fog finally lifted.

Topics covered: Why willpower isn't the problem — the foundation is | The searching phase: doing everything right and still feeling terrible | What full commitment actually looks like — and why the first two weeks don't count | The gut-brain-hormone connection and alcohol as lighter fluid | The HRT conversation — every woman's path is different | The strawberry moment and what healing actually feels like | Why Dry January can be a tool — if you're building, not just surviving | The 90-day neuroscience of habit rewiring | Two practical recommendations that actually move the needle | What became possible when the fog lifted

Scripture referenced: Romans 15:13 — "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

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Who are you without a drink in your hand? Not what do you do without it — who are you? In this episode Christie shares the surprising truth she discovered about herself when she got sober at 23, why it took years to actually figure things out, and the moment she finally believed she was a beloved daughter of God. Plus: what her clients think they're going to lose when they stop drinking, what they actually find, and one simple practice to start answering the most important question in this work.

Topics covered: The party girl who turned out to be a homebody | Why figuring out your identity after alcohol takes longer than you think | The journal prayer that proved God was listening all along | Walking with Purpose and a decade of slowly receiving God's love | What women think they lose when they stop drinking — and what they actually find | The neuroscience of self-stories and why yours isn't true | Isaiah 43:1 and your actual identity | One journaling practice to start meeting the real you

Scripture referenced: Isaiah 43:1 — "Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine."

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The hardest trigger isn't at the party. It's on your own couch, at the end of a regular Tuesday, next to your husband. In this episode, Christie gets personal — sharing what happened in her own marriage when she decided to invest in her health, what she learned about habit loops and evening triggers, and why one person changing is often enough to shift everything. Plus: three husband scenarios, the conversation you need to have, and how to rewire your evening routine so the habit loses its grip.

Topics covered: Christie's personal story: investing in her health at 52 | Why the evening is the hardest trigger — and the neuroscience behind it | Three husband scenarios and how to navigate each one | The conversation you need to have with your spouse | How Christie's 5:30am walks changed everything (and what that has to do with your sobriety) | Practical ways to change your evening routine | Why your growth is good for your marriage even when it's uncomfortable | Keeping your eyes on your own journey

The Sober(ish) Summer 2026 is officially open! We kick off July 1st and doors stay open all summer — jump in whenever you're ready. → Grab your spot here: https://www.thecatholicsobrietycoach.com/sober-ish-summer

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The girls trip. The family barbecue. The friend who says "well then I can't drink" when you order iced tea. If summer social situations are the thing standing between you and drinking less, this episode is for you. Christie gets specific — and a little light-hearted — about FOMO, social pressure, and exactly what to say when someone won't let your sparkling water go unquestioned. Plus: what really happened when her clients came back from sober girls trips.

Topics covered: The three fears that make social situations hard | Why your friends get weird when you don't drink (it's not about you) | What really happens on a sober girls trip | Step-by-step plan for any summer event | Exactly what to say when someone pushes back | Why FOMO is really about belonging — and where that belonging actually comes from

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You don't have a wine problem. You have a wound that wine is covering. In this episode, Christie shares the story of how she started drinking at sixteen — and why — and unpacks the real need underneath every woman's habit. Spoiler: it goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. This is the episode that changes the question from "how do I stop?" to "what am I actually reaching for?"

Topics covered: The friend breakup that started it all | Why alcohol expands your world before it demolishes it | The woman whose life is falling apart AND the woman who still has it all together — and why both need this | Eve in the Garden and the lie that's been running in the human heart ever since | What your brain is actually doing when it craves a drink | One simple practice to start asking the real question

Scripture referenced: Isaiah 43:1 — "Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine."

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Every summer, millions of women tell themselves the same thing: "I'll deal with this after Labor Day."

And every fall, they're right back where they started.

In this episode, Christie makes the case that summer isn't the worst time to do this work — it's actually the best. The barbecues, the girls trips, the family reunions, the cooler full of White Claw at every single event from June through August? That's not the obstacle. That's the laboratory.

If you're a Catholic woman who loves Jesus, keeps her life together in almost every area, but has this one habit that doesn't quite line up with who you know you're called to be — this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• Why "I'll start after summer" is the habit talking — not wisdom
• How your brain is already craving before you've made a single decision (and why that's not weakness)
• Why summer's social pressure is actually the fastest path to lasting change
• What God might be doing in the seasons that feel most inconvenient
• Three things you can do right now — before the next barbecue

Mentioned in this episode:

The Sober(ish) Summer Challenge is coming back this year — and Christie is making it better. Registration isn't open yet, but if this episode resonated, stay close. She'll let you know the moment doors open.

→ Follow Christie on Instagram: @thecatholicsobrietycoach

 → Subscribe so you don't miss the announcement

This podcast is for you if:

You don't identify as an alcoholic but you know something's off. You're disciplined, faithful, and quietly non-negotiable about your evening wine. You've tried to cut back. It worked for a while. And now there's a low hum of something — shame, confusion, frustration — that follows you around.

You're in the right place.

About Christie:

Christie Walker is a Catholic sobriety coach and content creator who has been alcohol-free for 29 years. She works with Catholic women in the gray area — not rock bottom, not fine — using a framework built on Catholic faith, identity in Christ, inner healing, and neuroscience. 

Her coaching programs include the Sober(ish) Summer Challenge, the Sacred Sobriety Lab, and the Sacred Sobriety Kickstart (a free 5-video series for women ready to take a first step).

Know someone who needs to hear this? Send her this episode. It might be the kindest thing you do for her all summer.

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Abby is a wife, mom, and Sacred Sobriety Lab member who has been alcohol-free for 232 days. But before that number, there were six attempts at cutting back — each one unraveling the same way, one exception at a time.

In this episode, Abby walks us through what her drinking actually looked like at its peak, why moderation kept failing her, and what shifted when she stopped trying to manage alcohol on her own terms and instead responded to what she felt God asking of her.

We talk about the mental chatter that follows a drinker everywhere — the planning, the negotiating, the stopping at three and being furious about it — and what it felt like when that chatter finally went quiet.

We also get into the Kentucky Derby party where Abby caught herself smiling so hard she couldn't contain it. The mocktail called The Chauffeur. Going to Confession. And what happened in the eight months after her last drink that she never could have orchestrated on her own.

This is the first time I've had a client on this podcast. It won't be the last.

If you're a Catholic woman who's tired of the mental gymnastics and suspects this is about more than wine — this episode is worth your time.

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