The Catholic Sobriety Podcast

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 wa...

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...

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...

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 sce...

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 unquestione...

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 reac...

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 sing...

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...

Christie pulls back the curtain on her four coaching pillars — Catholic faith, neuroscience, inner healing, and identity in Christ — and shares the personal journey behind each one. Nearly three decades sober, she walks through why she built her coaching approach the way she did, what she wishes she'd known sooner, and why she believes this framework works. If you've ever felt like somet...

Have you ever walked past something — a park, a pair of tiny shoes, a photo on the fridge — and felt that sudden ache of a season that's gone? That's where this episode starts. Christie was walking her dog when she passed a neighborhood park where her boys used to play, and the grief hit her out of nowhere. Not grief over something bad. Grief over something beautiful that simply isn&apos...

What if the reason changing your relationship with alcohol feels like a constant fight is because you're using the wrong strategy entirely? In this episode, Christie draws on her own story — 29 years of living alcohol-free, a faith journey that transformed her identity, and years of coaching Catholic women — to unpack the difference between behavior management and identity-based change. This...

Have you been drinking more than you want to — more often, in larger amounts — and you can't quite figure out why? You're not alone, and you're not broken. In this episode, Christie Walker, the Catholic Sobriety Coach, walks you through a powerful tool used inside her Sacred Sobriety Lab called the Critical Thinking Skills Worksheet — a six-category framework designed to wake up the...

If you find yourself craving wine every evening, this episode is going to change how you see that craving. Because what most women are reaching for isn't alcohol — it's relief. And there's a huge difference. In this episode, we're talking about why evening drinking is so common for women, why it has nothing to do with willpower or weakness, and what's actually happening in...

If you've been using wine to take the edge off at the end of the day, this episode is going to make so much sense of that — and give you something better. On today's episode of That Catholic Sobriety Podcast, I'm welcoming back Brigid Tebaldi for a conversation I've been wanting to have for a long time. Brigid is a board-certified health coach specializing in Spiritual Somatic...

You're going to a party. There will be wine on the table, cocktails at the door, and someone who will absolutely try to put a glass in your hand. And you know what? It's going to be a great night. In this episode, I'm getting ready for our school's annual auction — one of my favorite events of the year — and it reminded me that so many of you are heading into similar moments: f...

If you’ve ever started the week with a real intention to drink less — and then found yourself standing in the kitchen on Friday evening reaching for the same glass again — you are not alone. In this episode of The Catholic Sobriety Podcast , Christie walks through why Fridays can feel like the hardest day of the week when you’re trying to change your relationship with alcohol. This isn’t just abou...

I’m republishing one of the most informative conversations I’ve had on the podcast because I continue to share this episode with clients again and again. If you are a woman who is trying to drink less or questioning the role alcohol plays in your life, this episode will help you understand something many women are never clearly told: alcohol can have a significant impact on hormones, sleep, mood,...

What happens when you start questioning your drinking… but your husband doesn’t? Many women begin reducing or eliminating alcohol while their spouse continues drinking as usual. He may be supportive, confused, or simply carrying on with the same habits you’ve always had together. In this episode, Christie talks about how to navigate marriage when you’re changing your relationship with alcohol and...

In this episode, I’m sharing something that came up in a recent coaching call inside the Sacred Sobriety Lab—because I know it’s not just one woman’s struggle. When family dynamics and stress collide, alcohol can start to feel like the fastest “off switch.” Not because we love alcohol for alcohol’s sake, but because it offers relief. It works in the moment. And that’s why our brains keep going bac...

Alcohol impacts women differently in midlife—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In this episode, we explore why drinking feels harder now, what it quietly takes from your energy and peace, and how midlife can be a threshold into a clearer, more awake way of living. If you’ve been wondering why your habits feel heavier in this season, this conversation is for you.  What if this Lent could be...

If you’ve ever tried to step away from wine, food, or any habit that helps you cope — and suddenly everything feels harder — you’re not imagining it. Cravings get louder. Emotions rise. Resistance shows up in your thoughts, your body, and even your prayer life. And most women assume that means something has gone wrong. In this episode, I’m joined again by Denise Jelinek to talk about why resistanc...

Fasting from alcohol for Lent is becoming a powerful spiritual practice for many Catholic women. In this episode, Christie explains why this fast is biblical, how it affects the body, and how to approach it gently as an offering to the Lord.  If you feel drawn to try this fast, I created a simple Lenten devotional called Into the Desert . It’s a daily companion for women fasting from alcohol, with...

If you’re stuck in the cycle of quitting alcohol and starting again, you’re not alone. In this episode, I share what actually worked to help me stop drinking and stay sober for 28 years—without willpower, shame, or doing it alone.  What if this Lent could be the season that changes everything? The Freedom 46 Lenten Challenge isn’t just about giving up alcohol; it’s about stepping into a deeper con...

In this episode of The Catholic Sobriety Podcast , I’m joined by Christian life coach and longtime Al-Anon member Sallee New. Sallee shares her story of growing up in a home shaped by alcoholism and how faith, healing, and community helped her move from chaos to peace.  Together, we explore what it means to love someone struggling with addiction without losing yourself, how to set calm, faith-base...

If cutting back on drinking hasn’t brought the relief you hoped for, you’re not alone. In this episode, I talk about why moderation works for some women—and quietly exhausts others—and how to discern what’s actually right for you. This is a practical, faith-grounded conversation for the woman who’s tired of guessing, resetting, and negotiating with herself. 👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call https://app.pap...