ShameOver - The Drink Less Podcast

You can’t take away a source of pleasure without replacing it. In Part 2, Erica and Natasha get practical about presence through pleasure, and why it’s a more accessible way to regulate than meditation for many women. They cover Erica’s PS list (pleasure + stress relief), elevating small rituals like your morning coffee, and her restaurant trick of hot water with lemon. They also talk about how ha...

Why is it so hard to sit with discomfort, even for one minute in line at Target? In Part 1, Erica talks with embodied integration coach Natasha Ramlall of Humanist Coaching about the illusion of control. They cover how “permanent distraction in our pocket” keeps us disconnected, and why so many high-functioning women hit a wall at midlife. Natasha shares her “80% awareness, 20% work” idea, and why...

You don’t need willpower. You need a better pause. In Part 2, Amy Bonaduce-Gardner guides you through body mapping, a simple 2-minute practice that helps your brain answer the question “Am I safe?” before you decide whether to drink. Erica and Amy also cover what to do in the “I said I wouldn’t, but I’m going to” moment, how to teach calming tools to kids, and why 2 minutes of movement every hour...

What if your evening glass of wine isn’t about the wine at all? In Part 1, Erica talks with nervous system coach Amy of Prism Movement Studio about how alcohol becomes a way to quiet a discomfort we may not even notice, the way blinking soothes a dry eye. They cover what a hyperactive fight-or-flight response looks like (hint: people-pleasing and perfectionism count). Amy explains why alcohol can...

Kids are sponges, and they’re watching how we cope. In Part 2, Erica and Miriam Putnam talk about modeling a healthier relationship with alcohol, and why taking care of yourself is the opposite of selfish. They also cover the case for waiting until 25, and why the plan that works is the one you can actually sustain. Erica shares her personal non-negotiable: never drinking to cope with negative emo...

Most of us don’t drink because of the alcohol. We drink because of everything around it: stress, anxiety, or not knowing how to recharge. In Part 1, Erica talks with holistic life transformation specialist Miriam Putnam about what “holistic” actually means, how she looks at body, mind, and soul health, and why being intentional matters more than slowing down. Erica also shares her P.S. list (pleas...

Wondering how to have fun without alcohol, or how to make friends when every plan seems to revolve around drinking? In the final episode of this three-part series on ShameOver, the podcast about drinking less and living on purpose, Erica Mallery wraps up her conversation with Alex, founder of Claritee Circle, a wellbeing community built to help people find what works for them. Alex shares why he c...

Labor Day weekend means three straight days of BBQs, pool parties, and cookouts — which for a lot of us also means three straight days of drinking that can spiral fast. In this quick solo episode, Erica answers the 7 questions her coaching clients ask most before a long drinking weekend: how to avoid blacking out, how to say no without a big scene, why day drinking hits different, how to handle mu...

Do you have a good relationship with alcohol — or are you just used to it? In this episode of ShameOver, the podcast about drinking less and living on purpose, Erica Mallery continues her conversation with Alex Clapp , founder of Claritee Circle, digging into the practical, day-to-day tools that actually support long-term sobriety and behavior change. Alex shares the simple self-assessment questio...

What happens when you lose your sight, lose yourself, and somehow find your way back? In this episode of ShameOver, Erica sits down with Alex Clapp, founder of Claritee Circle, for a raw and honest conversation about his journey from sudden, unexplained vision loss to full-blown addiction — alcohol, drugs, and a rock bottom he never saw coming. Alex opens up about what it felt like to believe ever...

Erica is back after a little break — and she's got a lot to unpack after 11 kid-free days in Italy with her husband. In this episode, she dives into what makes European drinking culture so different from American drinking culture, and why that difference matters for anyone trying to drink less or drink more mindfully. You'll learn why Europeans always pair alcohol with food, how lower-ABV drinks l...

Welcome back to Part 2 of my conversation with psychedelic concierge and filmmaker Zappy Zapolin . If you missed Part 1, be sure to go back and listen first! We covered the basics of psychedelic medicine, why it's receiving so much attention in mental health research, and how different plant medicines are being explored for addiction, trauma, depression, and overall well-being. In this episode, we...

What if the future of mental health looks completely different than what we've always been told? In this fascinating conversation, I'm joined by psychedelic concierge and filmmaker Zappy Zapolin to explore the rapidly growing world of psychedelic medicine. From microdosing and mushrooms to addiction recovery and mental wellness, we discuss why this topic is gaining so much attention and what the l...

Fourth of July weekend is a heavy drinking weekend and easy to overdo. So, treat it like a marathon, not a sprint and avoid failing with the "willpower" trap. You need a plan. In this quick, no-fluff episode, Erica breaks down her signature framework, Drink Like a PLAYER: Plan/Prepare Later Start Alternate Your WHY Eat and End Earlier Rest and Repeat. Six simple, doable moves to help you moderate...

If you've been feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, struggling with your weight, waking up at 3 a.m., or wondering why your body suddenly seems to have a mind of its own... This episode is for you. In Part 2 of my conversation with menopause coach Terry Tateossian, we move beyond the symptoms and focus on what actually helps. We dive into the lifestyle changes that can have the biggest impact on how yo...

Do you feel like you've suddenly become a different person? More anxious. More overwhelmed. Short-tempered. Exhausted. Forgetful. Unable to focus. Craving wine more than ever. What if it isn't stress... What if it isn't motherhood... What if it isn't burnout... What if it's your hormones? In Part 1 of this powerful 2-part series, I sit down with menopause coach Terry Tateossian to unpack the sympt...

What if the story you’ve been telling yourself about alcohol… isn’t actually true? In the final part of this powerful 3-part conversation, licensed psychotherapist Merrilee Burke , LMFT, and I dive deep into identity, labels, shame, self-awareness, and the stories so many of us unconsciously carry about who we are when it comes to drinking. Because so many women are walking around believing: “I ha...

What if the hardest part about drinking less… isn’t actually the alcohol? What if it’s the fear that life will become boring without it? In Part 2 of this powerful conversation with licensed psychotherapist Merrilee Burke , LMFT, we dive into the emotional connection between alcohol, fun, identity, creativity, and play — especially for women who have spent years using wine as their “off switch” af...

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with licensed psychotherapist Merrilee Burke, LMFT, to unpack what’s really going on underneath overdrinking, urges, self-sabotage, and the “why can’t I just stop at one?” cycle. Spoiler: it’s not because you’re weak, broken, or lacking willpower. We dive into: Why “sober or bust” messaging keeps so many people stuck The truth about mindful drinking + mode...

Most people don’t plan to overdrink… it just happens. In this quick episode, I’m sharing a simple “code word” tool that helps you interrupt drinking in the moment — without willpower, shame, or feeling controlled. In this episode, we talk about: why overdrinking isn’t a willpower issue how your brain shifts after just a couple drinks what “autopilot drinking” actually is how to stay connected to y...

Welcome to Part 2 of this powerful conversation with depth psychotherapist and somatic practitioner Elani Engelken . If Part 1 helped you understand why alcohol can become a form of regulation, this episode takes it a step further. We get into the deeper healing work: intuition, dissociation, freeze states, trauma responses, self-sabotage, and why your behavior is not the same thing as your identi...

What if alcohol isn’t actually the problem… but the support system you’ve been relying on when real support is missing? In Part 1 of this conversation, I sit down with depth psychotherapist and somatic practitioner Elani Engelken to talk about what somatic healing actually is, why so many women use alcohol as a shut-off valve, and how motherhood, overwhelm, and nervous system dysregulation all pla...

Ever felt like you turn into a version of yourself you don’t even recognize after a few drinks? Maybe more reactive… more emotional… more combative… or just not you anymore? You’re not alone — and you’re not broken. In this episode, I’m breaking down what’s actually happening when alcohol starts to shift your personality… and why it’s not random. Because here’s the truth: Alcohol isn’t creating th...

If you’ve been feeling off lately… disconnected, unmotivated, or just not like yourself—this episode is for you. In this raw and unfiltered conversation, I’m sharing what’s been going on behind the scenes, including the recent loss in my family, navigating grief, and what happens when you can’t access your emotions the way you expect to. I am talking about: Why emotions come in waves (and sometime...

In the final part of my conversation with Jessica Tanir , we dive into something that does not get talked about enough when it comes to drinking less: nervous system regulation . So many women think they have a drinking problem, when really alcohol has become a coping tool — a fast way to de-stress, disconnect, numb out, or finally exhale. In this episode, Jessica and I talk about what it means to...