Have you heard of people raving about the benefits of EFT to help process uncomfortable emotions, but are unsure about what it actually is or how to do it? If so, listen on. Cindy Johnston, founder of Soul Sobriety Coaching and Retreats and an Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) practitioner, shares her personal journey to emotional resilience and sobriety and discusses how tapping can enhance overall emotional wellbeing, sharing techniques for managing anxiety, stress, and depression. Additionall...
Dec 20, 2024•37 min•Season 2Ep. 112
In this episode, we explore the transformative power of mindfulness and meditation to support drinking less alcohol with Simonette Vaja, a trauma-informed psychologist and mindfulness teacher. Simonette introduces her ABCD model—Attention, Breathing, Compassion, and Detox—a practical framework for fostering emotional resilience and supporting an alcohol-free lifestyle. From enhancing decision-making to cultivating inner peace, her approach offers profound insights into how mindfulness can be a c...
Dec 19, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 111
Meg and Bella wish all of our dear listeners and podcast guests a huge Merry Christmas! Are you celebrating your Christmas at a Bowling Club? Probably not! We are! Meg and Bell discover they are each heading off to Manly and Balmain Bowling Club for a family game of bare foot bowls for Christmas. It's cheap, it's outdoors, it's fun and what's more, you get to delegate everything! Yes! As the festive season unfolds, we're thrilled to announce our upcoming podcast plans, featuring curated episodes...
Dec 19, 2024•16 min•Season 2Ep. 110
Ange Chappel, the inspiring founder of Mind The Sip, returns to the Not Drinking Alcohol Today podcast to celebrate her incredible milestone of nearly a year alcohol-free. She shares her top tips for enjoying a fabulous festive season without alcohol holding you back. Ange also contributed invaluable insights to Bella’s November Alcohol Freedom Challenge, offering practical strategies to overcome common hurdles like managing cravings, navigating social pressures, and creating meaningful new trad...
Dec 14, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 109
In this episode we interview one of Australia's leading lights in managing anxiety. An educational leader, Dr Jodi Richardson supports parents and teachers to change their relationship with anxiety, dial it right down and light the way for their children and students to do the same. Jodi is professional speaker supporting whole school communities around Australia, the best-selling author of the books 'Anxious Kids' and 'Anxious Mums', hosts the popular podcast 'Well, hello anxiety' and is a mum ...
Nov 23, 2024•46 min•Season 2Ep. 33
In this transformative episode, I’m thrilled to share insights from Natalie E. West, high-performance integrative psychotherapist and guest speaker during Week 2 of my (Bella's) November Alcohol Freedom Challenge. Natalie captivated our group with her profound understanding of how attachments—to substances like alcohol, food, and drugs—are often rooted in unmet emotional needs and external validation. Sharing her personal journey with alcohol, Natalie delved into the emotional and psychological ...
Nov 16, 2024•54 min•Season 2Ep. 106
Meet Lotta Dann, also known as Mrs D, the anonymous blogger who discovered the tremendous power of online support for those seeking sobriety. From sharing her personal journey on her long-running blog, Mrs D Is Going Without, Lotta has become an inspiring figure for people quitting drinking. Join us on the podcast as we delve into her fascinating story as we discuss what rock bottom is like when it's NOT a major incident, the challenges of moderation, the impact of alcohol on society, and much m...
Nov 09, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 25
(*An oldie but a goodie with the awesome Lisa Greenberg back in the day when our pod was called She's Sober Sydney*) Join us as we talk with the glorious perfectly imperfect Lisa Greenberg about her alcohol addiction and her path to sobriety and beyond. As a highly sought-after speaker, fitness consultant, columnist and founder of SOBEROBICS, Lisa’s passion for inspiring, elevating and empowering women truly resonates. Her energy and enthusiasm for life is contagious. In this episode, Lisa is re...
Nov 02, 2024•49 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Have you ever wondered what lies beneath the surface of your habits, driving them to become part of your daily life? Join me, Meg, as I unravel the complexities of my alcohol dependency, fueled by deep-seated feelings of unworthiness and anxiety. It's a candid reflection on how social drinking transformed into a solitary escape, rooted in childhood experiences that painted the world as an unsafe place. Through honest introspection, I share how these formative events and beliefs shaped a narrativ...
Oct 26, 2024•20 min•Season 2Ep. 105
Chris Gimpel, Head of Client Engagement at the Clean Slate Clinic and a Smart Recovery Facilitator, chats to us about navigating the Aussie festive season without alcohol. Chris was formerly engaged in the banking sector and gave up alcohol a few years back in December right in the midst of the festive season, so he has a few tips or two to share on this timely topic. Chris' path to an alcohol-free lifestyle began with concerns from his family and a realisation that his drinking habits were unsu...
Oct 19, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 104
Have you ever considered how deeply alcohol is woven into our society's fabric, and what might happen if you step away from it? Join us on the Not Drinking Today podcast as we explore this profound transformation with Tabbin Almond, a coach with This Naked Mind and an author, who overcame her own struggles with alcohol. Growing up amidst a culture that glorified drinking, Tabbin once viewed her consumption as a personal failing. Her candid sharing of navigating university life and a high-stakes ...
Oct 12, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 103
Celebrating our 102nd episode, we (that's Meg and Bella!) reflect on our favourite podcast episodes and the conversations that we have had the honour of recording of the last two years. Join us as we share stories from our favourite episodes featuring inspiring guests like William Porter, Professor Selena Bartlett, Annie Grace, Emma Bardwell, Sophie Scott and Jolene Park, who have enriched our understanding of how alcohol impacts our health, including menopause, anxiety, depression, joy and rela...
Oct 04, 2024•24 min•Season 2Ep. 101
Today we talk to Dr. Chris Davis, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Clean Slate Clinic about the critical role anti-craving medications, such as Naltrexone and Campral, can play in alcohol recovery. Dr Davis answers all of your questions about these medications, including how they work to reduce cravings, how long you need to be on them, how often you need to take them, how safe they are to use, how to talk about the to your GP, and which craving medications work better than others dep...
Sep 27, 2024•43 min•Season 2Ep. 101
Ever wondered how the "mummy wine culture" might be impacting your journey to health and fitness? Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Maggie Clausens, the host of the Sober Summit, as she candidly shares her battle with habitual wine drinking—from her first drink in high school to the sophisticated wine culture she became immersed in as an adult. Maggie’s story takes a dramatic turn during the pandemic, a period that amplified her struggle due to easy access to alcohol and the lack of r...
Sep 21, 2024•34 min•Season 2Ep. 100
Today, we welcome back Alex McRobert, known to many as the Sober Yoga Girl, who shares her inspiring journey in the recent release of her memoir, Sober Yoga Girl, from a school teacher in the Middle East to becoming a yoga teacher and sober coach in Bali. Alex candidly discusses how a transformative experience led her to a life centered around healing and sobriety, leading retreats in some of the world’s most serene settings. Discover what makes Bali so special to her and why it's becoming a hub...
Sep 14, 2024•35 min•Season 2Ep. 99
Can the loss of a loved one catalyse a journey of profound personal transformation? Mayianne Petkac, a dedicated alcohol freedom coach and yoga instructor, opens up about her powerful journey to sobriety following the loss of her mother in 2020. Maryanne shares how her casual drinking habit escalated during her first marriage, becoming a nightly ritual to cope with life's challenges. Her story takes a pivotal turn with her discovery of the book "This Naked Mind" and the ultimate realisation that...
Sep 07, 2024•38 min•Season 2Ep. 98
Today we talk to Caterina Giorgi, the CEO of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) about the crucial role FARE plays in Australia in commissioning research on alcohol harm and advocating for essential changes to Australia’s alcohol laws and policies. We cover a lot in this episode, including the alarming ways alcohol advertising targets young kids, how pervasive alcohol marketing is, the destructive effects of alcohol consumption across different demographics and the significa...
Aug 31, 2024•42 min•Season 2Ep. 97
Ever wondered how ADHD manifests differently in children and adults, or between males and females? In our latest episode, we promise to provide those answers and more with the help of our returning guest, Faye Lawrence. Now a specialized coaching therapist, Faye shares her journey of being diagnosed with ADHD in 2022 and offers a unique perspective on understanding the three types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive, and combined. Get ready to uncover the high heritability of ADHD and its intersec...
Aug 24, 2024•46 min•Season 2Ep. 96
If you are sober curious or are on a mission to drink less, you will likely have heard about SMART Recovery, an evidenced based recovery method that is as an alternative to other recovery programs, including 12 step programs. Or perhaps you've attended a SMART Recovery meeting or two? Today we are joined by April Long, the CEO of SMART Recovery and social justice to champion, to discuss what SMART Recovery is, what distinguishes it from other recovery programs and how this goal-based recovery pr...
Aug 17, 2024•40 min•Season 2Ep. 95
What experiences led Danielle Fleming, a former heavy drinker in the hospitality industry, to transform her life and become a pregnancy sobriety coach? Discover Danielle's powerful story of resilience and change as she opens up about the grip alcohol had on her and the life-altering moment of realizing she was pregnant in January 2020. Hear how she navigated the tough road to sobriety for her baby's health and found solace and guidance in Annie Grace's methodology, which helped her reshape her v...
Aug 10, 2024•36 min•Season 2Ep. 94
Today we talk to Lyndi Cohen, AKA The Nude Nutritionist, about making peace with food and booze. Lyndi helps people to farewell binge and emotional eating and to find a healthier and more balanced way to think about and approach food, based on self-compassion, acceptance and kindness. Lyndi also happens to be an alcohol-free woman. Lyndi opens up about the surprising benefits she discovered, such as reduced anxiety and enhanced well-being, and dives into the mindset shifts and challenges she fac...
Aug 03, 2024•34 min•Season 2Ep. 93
Ever wondered how embracing patience, persistence, and resilience can transform your life? Join us as we speak with Mags Sheridan, an embodiment coach whose journey of quitting alcohol and embracing sobriety since 2016 has profoundly reshaped her world. Mags delves into her extensive involvement with SMART Recovery, a program that employs cognitive and rational emotive behavioral therapy tools to tackle a wide range of addictions. In this episode, we emphasise the power of recognising and addres...
Jul 27, 2024•42 min•Ep. 92
Hello Sunday Morning's (HSM) CEO, Dr Nicole Lee, joins Not Drinking Today to talk about the remarkable work HSM does to support individuals to drink less. HSM's mission is to aim to change the world's relationship with alcohol one Sunday at a time! This is exactly what HSM does via its incredible Daybreak App, research, weekly blogs and social media and online platform engagements. Dr Lee talks about her own relationship with alcohol, her unwavering commitment to social justice, and the innovati...
Jul 20, 2024•34 min•Season 2Ep. 91
Can a passion for local flavors and a desire for inclusivity redefine an entire industry? Join us as we sit down with Carolyn Whiteley, the visionary co-founder of Seadrift Distillery, to explore her transformative journey from a career in global spirits marketing to pioneering the non-alcoholic beverage movement in Australia. Carolyn opens up about her personal relationship with alcohol and how the birth of her first child led her to reevaluate her role in the alcohol industry. She shares the i...
Jul 13, 2024•28 min•Season 2Ep. 90
Transforming his life in January 2019, David Wilson, Certified Grey Area Drinking Coach and Public Speaker, is dedicated to motivating others to transform their lives, overcome personal challenges and embrace life with a renewed mindset. His Top 10 Apple Podcast 'One For The Road' reaches a global audience with over 300K downloads in the first year. Dave's established Instagram account @soberdave has a loyal and engaged following of over 118K, where he delivers regular live interviews with guest...
Jul 06, 2024•51 min•Season 2Ep. 89
What if your dependence on alcohol not only jeopardised your health but also strained your most treasured relationships? This week, we have the privilege of speaking with Kate Nichols, an inspiring alcohol recovery coach who shares her heartfelt journey from university drinking habits to a life of sobriety. Kate's candidness about hiding her drinking and its emotional toll on her family will resonate deeply with anyone who has faced similar struggles. As Kate recounts the pivotal moment that led...
Jun 29, 2024•37 min•Season 2Ep. 88
* This is not the best topic to listen to on speaker with your kids in the background! ** If the topic of sex is triggering for you, then perhaps hit pause and move to another episode OK, SOBER SEX… Let’s talk about it. Why?! Because it comes up a lot. Discreetly and tentatively at first but it presents as a major issue often when alcohol is removed from your life. Also, if drinking has been part of your whole sexual history then you may not even know if you enjoy sex at all! Does any of this ri...
Jun 22, 2024•30 min•Ep. 87
Have you ever wondered how societal norms around drinking are subtly shaping your habits? This week, we're thrilled to welcome Ellie Crow from the Present and Sober Podcast. Ellie, a This Naked Mind senior certified coach, bravely opens up about her gradual shift from casual social drinking to using alcohol as a coping mechanism after becoming a mother and running a business. Her candid reflections offer invaluable insights into the normalisation of alcohol in our lives and the profound realisat...
Jun 15, 2024•53 min•Season 2Ep. 86
What drives a successful lawyer to reveal a hidden struggle with addiction? In this compelling episode, we sit down with Lisa Smith, author of the acclaimed memoir "A Girl Walks Out of a Bar," who bravely shares her journey from the high-stakes world of law to battling alcohol and cocaine addiction. The book recounts her descent into and recovery from “high-functioning” alcohol and cocaine addiction in big New York City law firms. Lisa’s story launched her to the forefront of the movement to adv...
Jun 08, 2024•44 min•Season 2Ep. 85
Join us as we chat with Eliza Parkinson, an alcohol mindset coach, who shares her journey from social drinking in her teens to the pressures of "mommy drinking culture" during motherhood. Eliza faced emotional turmoil, especially after her second child was diagnosed with special needs, and turned to alcohol to cope. Discover how Eliza realised that alcohol was the problem, not her, and her path to recovery with support from figures like Annie Grace and Laura McKowen. Her story highlights the imp...
Jun 01, 2024•35 min•Season 2Ep. 84
