Untoxicated Podcast

Intimacy repair work starts with building emotional intimacy. Even when we crave the connection of physical contact, if the emotional foundation has not been established and nurtured, then sex will feel unfulfilling, and even destructive....

When we met Luke, he was ready to get serious about sobriety, and he was eager to recover his marriage. Now, months later, he is making serious progress in recovery, but Luke’s marriage has dissolved....

Cheap Trick had it half right. As Sheri and Matt break down, it is much healthier if, “I want you to want me,” than if, “I need you to need me.” Need versus want. Love...

Some people count their sobriety days. For Sheri and Matt, sobriety is just a prerequisite. The really exciting day count comes as they cross over a full year without a relationship relapse. No yelling. No...

Trigger warning: domestic violence This is a unique and risky episode because Victoria is currently “in it.” This is not a story with an ending, it is trauma and chaos experienced in real time. Listen...

From kayak cross to gymnastics, where else would you turn for your Olympics recap than to Sheri and Matt. This episode has it all: compliments for Alcoholics Anonymous, celebration for partners who fill their own...

The contrast between their few identifiable needs when they met their partners, and their clear needs after suffering through an alcoholic relationship, is striking. Please listen to Nickie, Eve, Melanie, Kristin, Nicole, Lauren, Ali and...

Sheri and Matt talk a lot about processing resentments together, and how it helps repair their relationship. But what if your partner is not available, not willing or not capable of processing resentments with you?...

Melanie fell in love with her best friend – a nature-loving, long-haired bad boy with a good heart. They built a life together including marriage, kids, businesses and lots of pets. And now alcohol has...

Matt reveals to Sheri his theory that there is only one true emotion: fear. The couple discuss how fear drive’s Matt’s addictions, and how fearlessness is a big part of the peace and contentment Sheri...

Billy Wynne is the co-founder of Awake, Denver’s first sober bar, alcohol-free bottle shop and coffee house. Billy joins Sheri and Matt to discuss the explosion of alcohol-free beers, wines and spirits. They discuss what...

To celebrate this milestone episode, Sheri and Matt go into more detail, and share preliminary research indications, about the importance of intimacy work for relationship recovery. If you are waiting for intimacy and trust to...

What could be a higher priority than your own health, safety, growth, and discovery? And yet, people often say they are too busy to work on recovery from alcoholism – both former drinkers and loved...

Lori Pannell is a leadership coach certified in Conversational Intelligence, and she is an Energy Leadership Index master practitioner. She is also a valued leader in our Echoes of Recovery program, and she joins Sheri...

If you are searching for hope and inspiration, please listen to the story of Kathy and Mike Mazzerina from the Defining You podcast and facebook page. By owning their story of addiction and redemption, Kathy...

Detachment is not necessarily something you do, as people often assume. Detachment is a natural result of living in hyper-vigilance, in nervous system activation for long periods of time. On this episode, Sheri and Matt...

Everyone knows what physical abuse is, and it is clearly not acceptable in modern relationships. What makes emotional abuse so sinister is that it is often justified by perpetrators in disbelief and hard to identify...

Vulnerability and authenticity are hard when you have experienced alcoholism first or second hand, but they are also essential to recovery and discovery. Maybe you have done a lot of listening and reading, but have...

Listen to Teaubrian, Rich and Ben discuss their evolution of thinking and experiences in both personal and relationship recovery after beating alcoholism. This conversation is all about authenticity and awareness of themselves and the people...

Listen to Jane, Karen, Nickie, Lori and Nicole describe their decision making and experiences staying in their marriages as they recover from the alcoholism of their partners. This episode is about individual growth and discovery...

After the chaos and trauma of active alcoholism, loved ones naturally lose respect for their drinkers. Advice from the recovering alcoholic is often not welcome, and can do serious damage to the relationship. On this...

During Matt’s active addiction, Sheri and Matt had to try to run communication through a variety of contrived filters in order to be nice to each other. On this episode, the couple talks about the...

There are two things that can happen to sex and intimacy in a relationships suffering through alcoholism. On this episode, Sheri and Matt welcome Nikki, Rene and Nicole who share their experiences with both traumatizing...

The chaos and trauma of active addiction is obvious. But what about before we acknowledge alcoholism? What about before we cross that invisible line? The efforts we make to manipulate our partners seem simple, even...

Original co-host of the podcast, Jason Polk is a relationship therapist with a sub-specialization in addiction counseling. On this episode, Sheri and Matt ask Jason about the dangers of substituting weed for alcohol, and how...