What if we saw rehab as an opportunity instead of sign of failure? Jen is here today to help you make that perspective shift! Jen is a major part of the Sober Mom Life Cafe, and she shared her story on The Real Sober Moms last fall! Be sure to check out that episode for a deep dive on her story. Today, Jen details her two separate experiences in rehab, and how a different mindset going into each stint made all of the difference in the world. She wants you to know - rehab doesn’t have to be...

Katie and I are here for another installment of SobieTEA, where we spill the tea about our favorite escape: Bravo and reality TV. We’ve got a lot to talk about this week!  We’re diving deep into the role that alcohol plays in the lives of The Real Housewives of Orange County, from the false dichotomy of ‘alcoholism’ to how alcohol has exposed the cracks in the friendships between the women.  Plus: the new sober bar Carl is opening in Brooklyn (in partnership with multiple past guests of our...

Meg Fee from You Don’t Have to Drink is back on the show! Check out her first episode on the show here. Something has changed in Meg’s life since she was last here - she’s now a mom to a 4 month old little girl!  Today, Meg shares how sobriety has impacted her experience of early motherhood, her personal opinion on ‘if pregnancy counts’ in sobriety, and her journey with giving up THC. We’ll chat about the dangers of marketing THC beverages as ‘non-alcoholic’ alternatives, and why Meg began...

Alcohol was ever present in Jessie’s childhood, to the point where it felt like she had two sets of parents: sober parents during the day, and drunk parents at night. Drinking affected each of her parents differently, though, and she was told from a young age that only her father had a drinking problem, because alcohol made him treat others poorly. Once Jessie started drinking at 14, she leaned on this assumption and never questioned her drinking.  As a young adult, Jessie married to a man...

Today writer and sobriety influencer Kate Taylor is on the show to share her sobriety story!  Kate tells us about growing up in a high end drinking culture, and how that made her romanticize alcohol from a young age. Then, she shares how her drinking got out of control (including an evening at a knitting club that ended up in a jail cell!).  One night, two bottles of wine deep, Kate couldn’t take it anymore. She drunkenly recorded an 8-minute video, begging her sober self to stop picking up...

Whispers of an ‘alcoholic’ father felt constant in Elizabeth’s home as a child, leading her to associate alcohol with secrecy and shame. With this stigma in mind, she successfully kept alcohol at the fringes of her life for many years. It wasn’t until she moved after college that alcohol started to find its way in - as a crutch to lean on to make new friends in a new place.  As the years passed and alcohol slipped more deeply into Elizabeth’s day-to-day life, the word ‘alcoholic’ lurked...

My mom Susan is back on the show to talk about an extremely important topic - drinking and driving. In addition to being a therapist, Susan is an Intoxicated Driver Program Assessor, and in this role she has listened to people talk about the fallout of drinking and driving for over two decades.   The legal and safety repercussions of DUIs, DWIs, or OWIs can be intense. One of the scariest parts, in my opinion, is that very few of us actually understand the details of how quickly alcohol can...

Today’s Real Sober Mom, Laura, grew up in a home with two struggling parents - her father with alcohol addiction and her mother with mental illness. The fractures in her homelife caused her to struggle socially at school, but once she tried alcohol she experienced a sense of relief. Her challenges didn’t feel so hard when she was drinking. At that point, alcohol quickly became enshrined in her life through her teens and twenties.  As an adult, Laura fell into the profile for gray area...

My husband Russell is back on the show, and this time things are a little different - he’s 100 days sober!  Today Russell will share why he decided to commit to one full year of sobriety. We’ll talk about the benefits of creating a goal, how he’s handled challenging social situations without drinking, and the physical, mental and emotional changes he’s experienced in the first 100 days of his sobriety.  Plus, Russell gives his advice for the ever popular question - what to do if you want...

Katie and I are here for another installment of SobieTEA, where we spill the tea about our favorite escape: Bravo and reality TV!  This week we’re talking about Suzanne’s first impressions of Love Island, and the dizzyingly jampacked first episode of Season 18 of The Real Housewives of Orange County.  Plus - Katie meets Jax on her LA trip, How Lindsay’s pregnancy will affect Summer House, and our opinions on The Situation’s book.  Do you have topics you’d like us to cover on the next...

Susan Knower, my therapist mom, joins us today for an Ask Me Anything, therapist style! She is a licensed professional counselor with a substance abuse specialization and is here today to answer the most common questions you submitted on Instagram.  We’ll talk about the challenge of convincing a loved one to stop drinking, if trauma can be healed without a professional therapist, how the ‘stages of change’ apply to alcohol, the role of a therapist in a person’s healing journey, our thoughts...

Shannon always went overboard with alcohol, from the very first time she got drunk from her parents liquor cabinet when she was 15. She spaced out her drinking in her teens and twenties because she always knew she would drink all night once she got started.  Once Shannon began having kids she became obsessed with having a clean, healthy, non-toxic life. She cooked entirely organic and was extremely careful about the chemicals in her home, but she gave alcohol a pass. She turned a blind eye...

Audrey is back on the show today to celebrate Dry July and her own 2 year soberversary! She’ll tell the story of the last time she ever got drunk and how it kickstarted her path toward choosing sobriety. Plus, we’ll talk about the benefits you’ll receive from trying a Dry July, rising above the shame in early sobriety, the problematic trend of alcohol at children’s birthday parties, and the power of connection in sobriety.  We want you to know - you don’t need anyone’s permission to get...

Kathryn has been a lifelong overachiever, but that didn’t stop her from being a heavy drinker. It did, however, mask her view of what alcohol was doing to her life. In 2019, Kathryn received her first hint of a wakeup call when she fell down a flight of stairs after a night of drinking. This injury resulted in an emergency surgery months later and has left her with permanent nerve damage.  Kathryn absolved alcohol of blame for the fall and continued drinking. During the pandemic, struggling...

Gill Tietz of Sober Powered is here to help me kick off Dry July with an Alcohol 101 lesson. From her perspective as a former biochemist, Gill drops some major bombs about alcohol’s effects that will forever change how you look at the substance.  We’ll dive into what alcohol is, how it affects our bodies and brains, how alcohol consumption affects women's bodies differently, and alcohol withdrawal symptoms.  If you’re struggling in your sobriety, let this episode enlighten you to all of the...

Today my brother Jay is joining me for a conversation that he and I both know a lot about - grief and sobriety. Our society encourages us to be quiet about the complicated and overwhelming feelings of grief, but it needs to be talked about, so today we’re doing just that.  Jay lost his best friend one month ago in a tragic accident, and today he’s here to share with us how he has been processing his traumatic loss, and how sobriety has played into his experience. Jay wants you to know that...

Best selling author Emily (Belden) Bond joins me today for an eye opening conversation about her breast cancer journey and how it has changed her relationship with alcohol.  Emily shares the unbelievable story of how she was diagnosed, how her treatment has unfolded over the past year, what she experienced when she shared her diagnosis publicly, and how cancer has forever altered her relationship with alcohol.  Emily urges all women to seek testing for breast cancer, no matter your age....

Dawn’s parents never hid the dangers of drinking from her, and because of this Dawn grew up fearing alcohol. Yet, even as she became older and tried to put barriers between her and drinking, alcohol was waiting in the shadows of her life, ready to pounce.  As the mom of four kids (including triplets!) there was no room in Dawn’s early motherhood for alcohol. Then, just as she’d gotten all of the kids into school, her husband was diagnosed with cancer. The emotional load of these hard years...

One of the biggest worries that often comes up in our groups is: How do I travel without drinking? Whether it be a trip to Europe or an all inclusive vacation, it can be hard to envision what travel can look like when you take the focus off of alcohol.  My mom, who’s almost 2 years sober, just got back from a trip to Paris! Today she’s here to share everything she experienced on her sober trip in hopes that you’ll feel inspired to experience a sober trip of your own.  She’ll share how her...

Growing up on the road following the Grateful Dead tour, Elan didn’t experience much in the way of boundaries. This loose childhood caused Elan to feel uncared for and unsafe. Alcohol wiped that feeling away, and she quickly began to rely on the substance. As Elan got further into childhood, her father remarried, and his new wife installed strict boundaries. Elan rebelled intensely, and landed in the first of many treatment centers at age 13.  It’s clear to Elan now that treatment could only...

Audrey and I are back with another installment of Ask Me Anything!  Today we’re giving our thoughts on how to handle your new sobriety in so many circumstances - on vacation, during family visits, at sporting events, and more.  Plus, we’ll share some of our lowest drinking moments, our advice for talking to kids about alcohol, an update on upcoming Sober Mom Life retreats, and even some affordable fashion tips!  Would you like to submit a question for a future AMA? Leave a 5-star review on...

Katie and I are here for another installment of SobieTEA, where we spill the tea about our favorite escape: Bravo TV!  This week we’re talking about the Vanderpump Rules 3-part reunion, the latest developments on The Valley, Carl and Lindsay’s breakup from a sober perspective, and the status of the Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion.  Plus - The Traitors Season 3 cast announcement, celebrity spottings, the missing alcohol on Below Deck Mediterranean, and Katie’s Bravo-centric plans for...

Julia Dzafic is back on the show to share a story that is so relatable and important. If you are new to sobriety and summer is feeling like a challenge, then this is a must listen!  Julia’s first appearance on the podcast highlighted her first experience with sobriety, but as summer rolled around that year, she felt like she had a grip on alcohol. Maybe it was finally possible for her to drink in a controlled and moderated way. Moderation seemed to work for a month, but by three months Julia...

Karen grew up in a home without alcohol, but that didn’t stop it from finding her in high school. Binge drinking quickly became a part of her life, and she chose not to go to college because she knew she would party it away. After making her way through beauty school, Karen became a mom, and drinking ended up slipping pretty easily into the backseat of her life. She was able to moderate her drinking for years.  Then, Karen’s children got older, and more space appeared in her days. She...

Summer has arrived! The days are long, the weather is gorgeous, and the pool party invites are starting to arrive. If the idea of not drinking this summer is causing you anxiety, this episode is for you.  Today we’re going to prepare you for your first sober summer, so you can experience the magic that can be found in these long, beautiful, alcohol-free days. We’ll talk about making the decision to stay sober, reconnecting with your younger self who loved summer before alcohol, and how to...