• 1 hour 32 minutes
    How to Give Yourself Grace About Drinking

    ⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode contains references to childhood abuse, parental alcoholism, and the death of a parent from alcohol-related illness.

    Most of us were never taught how to give ourselves grace about drinking, only how to judge ourselves for it. Kelly and Amber are proof that the shame and guilt show up no matter how different the situation looks. For Kelly, it shows up after a weekend of drinking that went further than she planned. For Amber, it shows up the moment someone she's dating asks why she's not drinking, and a much older fear takes over.

    Kelly discusses:

    Why her biggest data point yet, a full night out at a friend's timeshare, left her more unsettled than any smaller one had

    The real difference between "I've proven I can" drink moderately and "I've proven I can" have a great time without it

    Why Coach Hayley adds the word "yet" every time Kelly says she can't figure out why she drinks

    Admitting she's skipped a Path call because she didn't want to say out loud that she'd had a fun night of drinking

    Using the ACT technique on the belief "it's part of my culture," and what that opens up

    Amber discusses:

    Why she can turn down a drink at work without blinking but freezes the second a date asks why she doesn't drink

    The exact body sensation she calls "bracing for impact," and the part Coach Cole admits he carries too

    Asking the part of her that calls itself broken what it's actually trying to protect her from

    The Sharon Salzberg line about meditation that becomes her new mantra for catching herself mid-spiral

    The exact phrase Amber swaps in for "I'm broken," and why it changes how she shows up on a date

    And more…

    Ready to take the next step?

    Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!

    Coach Hayley Scherders is a certified TNM Coach trained through the Canadian Addiction and Mental Health Association. Learn more about Coach Hayley: thisnakedmind.com/coach/hayley-scherders/

    Coach Cole Harvey is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach and habit change and mindset coach. Learn more about Coach Cole: thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/

    Episode links:

    More on this episode: https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/how-to-give-yourself-grace-about-drinking-alcohol-freedom-coaching-ep-927/

    The Path: nakedmindpath.com

    Related Episodes:

    Alcohol Addiction and Shame - Hayley's Naked Life - EP 679 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-679-naked-life-story-hayley-s/

    Healing Through Self-Love - Cole's Naked Life - EP 737 - https://thisnakedmind.com/healing-through-self-love-coles-naked-life-e737/

    How Do I Get Over the Fear of Being Kind to Myself? - Reader Question - EP 552 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-552-reader-question-how-do-i-get-over-the-fear-of-being-kind-to-myself/

    Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357

    Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff


    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA.

    BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at betterhelp.com/nakedmind

    Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/naked

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    28 July 2026, 9:00 am
  • 57 minutes 7 seconds
    When Using Alcohol to Self-Soothe Stops Working

    Trigger warning: This episode contains references to drunk driving, DWIs, and thoughts of not wanting to live.

    Zita was in her kitchen in 2017, working up the nerve for a hard conversation with her boyfriend, when the thought arrived: "You know what would make this easier?" She took a shot to self-soothe before the conversation, and it worked so well that her brain filed alcohol away as the answer to hard moments from then on. She's a registered nurse in her mid-30s who felt nothing when she watched other people drink, all the way through nursing school, with no reason to think that thought would change anything. It did. Three years and several DWIs later, one blacked-out night finally made her stop and ask what she was doing. Now approaching five years alcohol-free, she shares her story.

    Zita and Coach Cole discuss:

    • How one shot before a hard conversation taught her brain a lesson it never unlearned

    • Why year two brought DWIs and car accidents, then a family intervention she wasn't ready to hear

    • The hiding stage, and what it costs to act unaffected while drunk around people who love you

    • Waking up unable to remember the night she drove food to her sick brother

    • Why she never missed a nursing shift while everything else came apart

    • The promise to her mom she couldn't keep, and what that finally broke open

    • How one addiction specialist's number, 90 days, became the only thing she could hold onto

    • And more on faith, filling her own cup, and what it really means to find your own path to alcohol freedom…

    Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!

    Episode links:

    thisnakedmind.com/book

    More on this episode:

    https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/using-alcohol-to-self-soothe-zita-naked-life-ep-926/

    Related episodes:

    Naked Life Story | Simone | EP 207 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-207-naked-life-story-simone/

    How Do You Deal With Stress Without Alcohol? | Reader Question | EP 158 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-158-how-do-you-deal-with-stress-without-alcohol/

    When Alcohol Is The Only Coping Tool You Know | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 917 - https://thisnakedmind.com/how-to-stop-using-alcohol-to-cope-alcohol-freedom-coaching-ep-917/

    Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357

    Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff

    25 July 2026, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 14 minutes
    The Real Reason You Drink

    ⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode contains references to psychological and emotional abuse in a marriage. 

    The answer to "why I use alcohol to cope" is rarely what you expect. For Will, it’s buried in a need for control he's carried since a chaotic childhood. For Kathleen, it comes from decades of being the one everyone else leans on. Coaches Cole and Zoe help Will and Kathleen take steps towards freeing themselves from that weight.

    Will discusses:

    Decades of using alcohol to quiet a busy brain, and what happens after the first beer

    Why knowing the pattern isn’t enough

    The childhood fear of instability that shows up as a desperate need for answers and control

    Coach Cole’s reframe: curious versus combat, connect versus control

    A body scan moment where he notices tension in real time and releases it

    The video game map metaphor — taking the next step without needing to see the whole path

    Kathleen discusses:

    Being introduced to alcohol at 16 as a social crutch when she moved to a new town

    What her mother modeled, and how she replicated it without realizing it for decades

    The hero child dynamic — being her father’s favorite and her mother’s confidant, and what that cost her

    A 28-year emotionally abusive marriage, and how alcohol became her numbing agent

    Learning to ask for what she needs directly, rather than hoping her husband picks it up

    The unexpected parallel: she’s now modeling her mother’s behavior by going alcohol-free

    …and more

    Ready to take the next step?

    Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!

    Cole Harvey is a certified Naked Mind Senior Coach. As a habit change and mindset coach, Cole helps men understand themselves, build better habits, and find meaning. Learn more about Coach Cole: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/

    Zoe Ewart is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach who brings her experience and understanding to help with the tricky parts of life's big changes. Her coaching gives you an enjoyable, light-hearted, and safe environment to effortlessly take back control of alcohol so you can feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually. Learn more about Coach Zoe: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/zoe-ewart/

    Episode links:

    More on this episode - https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/why-i-use-alcohol-to-cope-alcohol-freedom-coaching-ep-925

    Start your alcohol freedom journey: https://nakedmindpath.com

    Related episodes:

    Healing Through Self-Love: Cole’s Naked Life — E737 — https://thisnakedmind.com/healing-through-self-love-coles-naked-life-e737/

    Healing Emotional Pain Without Alcohol - Reader’s Question - EP 706 – https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-706-readers-question-healing-emotional-pain-without-alcohol/

    Reclaiming Your True Self: Alcohol Freedom Coaching — E770 — https://thisnakedmind.com/reclaiming-your-true-self-alcohol-freedom-coaching-e770/

    Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357

    Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff


    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA.

    BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at betterhelp.com/nakedmind

    Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/naked

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    Zazzle: Save 25% on your first order at zazzle.com

    OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at OSEAMalibu.com

    21 July 2026, 9:00 am
  • 59 minutes 27 seconds
    How Grief Built Perfectly Made AF

    Trigger warning: This episode contains references to the alcohol-related death of a family member.

    Is it possible to build something meaningful out of the worst loss of your life? For Kelly, the answer arrived just five months after she got free from alcohol herself. That's when her brother died from the same thing she'd spent years measuring her own drinking against. She built Perfectly Made AF in response, a nonprofit funding alcohol freedom scholarships in his memory and an annual Boulder gala designed to prove an alcohol-free life is anything but boring. Kelly's Naked Life story traces how she got there, from years of comparing her own drinking to his, to the two days after his funeral when she had to choose what came next.

    Kelly and Coach Cole discuss:

    • What almost happened two days after her brother's funeral, five months into her own alcohol-free life

    • Why "I'm not him" was the comparison that let her avoid her own drinking for years

    • The message she wrote her brother a month before he died, and why it came too late

    • How a scholarship fund turned into a full nonprofit with 18 people currently enrolled

    • The thinking behind this year's Perfect Gala, from a mobile planetarium to a "grounding portal"

    • Why Kelly keeps the scholarship recipients anonymous, even from herself

    • What she's hoping to build next, from new partnerships to content for schools

    • And more on decision fatigue, mommy wine culture, and what it really means to find your own path to alcohol freedom…

    Ready to take the next step?

    Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!

    Episode links:

    nakedmindpath.com

    https://www.perfectlymadeaf.com/

    More on this episode: https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/how-grief-built-perfectly-made-af-ep-924/

    Related episodes:

    Naked Life Story: Paul Churchill | EP 61 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-61-naked-life-story-paul-churchill/

    Reader Question - Do I Need to Quit Drinking Forever? | EP 296 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-296-reader-question-do-i-need-to-quit-drinking-forever/

    Reclaim Your Life | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | E762 - https://thisnakedmind.com/reclaim-your-life-alcohol-freedom-coaching-e762/

    Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357

    Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff


    18 July 2026, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    Are You Drinking To Escape?

    Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of traumatic brain injury. 

    Are you drinking to escape your life? Catherine was. She called it the escape room. Rachael didn't use those words, but she'd no doubt agree with them. If you're drinking to escape a life that feels like too much, too heavy, and too demanding, you'll want to tune in. Catherine and Rachael work with Coaches Hayley and Zoe to stop seeing alcohol as a way out, and start learning how to stay present even when life feels like too much.

    Catherine discusses:

    The "escape room" she built around wine and what happened when she closed the door for good

    The in-control/out-of-control list Coach Hayley walks her through, and why it matters

    Grieving the life she thought her daughter would have, and what getting stuck in that future costs her

    The turnaround: "I'm willing to consider things might be okay if I don't try to fix it"

    Rachael discusses:

    Why she's more nervous about Saturday night than Friday night, and what that tells her

    The reference library metaphor Coach Zoe uses to explain why stopping drinking doesn't reset old patterns

    Her alive goal, which came out of the session word by word, and how alcohol dropped off the moment she said it out loud

    How the conversation with her husband changes when she stops assuming what he's thinking

    Hayley Scherders is a certified TNM Coach with training from the Canadian Addiction and Mental Health Association. Drawing from personal experiences, Hayley understands how tough change can be and provides a safe, compassionate, and judgment-free space where her clients can feel supported. She believes that with the right mindset, anyone can change their life at any time.

    Learn more about Coach Hayley: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/hayley-scherders/

    Zoe Ewart is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach who brings her experience and understanding to help with the tricky parts of life's big changes. Her coaching gives you an enjoyable, light-hearted, and safe environment to effortlessly take back control of alcohol so you can feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually. Zoe taught Pilates for 15 years. She has four adult children and more animals than the Ark ever had.

    Learn more about Coach Zoe: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/zoe-ewart/

    Episode links: nakedmindpath.com

    Related episodes:

    How To Break The Habit Of Drinking Due To Stress | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 776 – https://thisnakedmind.com/how-to-break-the-habit-of-drinking-due-to-stress-enough-alcohol-freedom-coaching-e776/

    How To Turn Your Brain Off Without Drinking | Naked Life Stories | EP 804 – https://thisnakedmind.com/how-to-turn-your-brain-off-without-drinking-e804/

    EP 114: Reader Question – How Do I Handle My Social Anxiety Without Alcohol? – https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-114-reader-question-reader-question-handle-social-anxiety-without-alcohol/

    Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357

    Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff

    Ready to take the next step?

    Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!


    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA.

    BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at betterhelp.com/nakedmind

    Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/naked

    Shopify: Sign up for free trial at shopify.com/mind

    Zazzle: Save 25% on your first order at zazzle.com

    OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at OSEAMalibu.com

    14 July 2026, 9:00 am
  • 45 minutes 41 seconds
    I Was A Functional Drinker For 32 Years

    For 32 years, Travis was a functional drinker who never got a DUI, never missed a day of work, and never fit the picture most people hold when they hear "drinking problem," but spent years hiding beers in the garage, lying to his wife about the count, and woke up after one Christmas morning knowing his kids had been worried Santa wasn't coming. He came to This Naked Mind thinking he might be able to moderate. He joined The Path in November 2023, had one more bad birthday, and threw out the last two bottles of a Wisconsin six-pack the next day. He's at 757 days alcohol-free. Coach Cole Harvey is here to hear him tell it.

    Travis and Coach Cole discuss:

    The pit party at 18 that set up a chase he'd spend the next 32 years trying to get back to

    Hiding beers in the garage, counting them in his head and lying about the number, and why the "alcoholic" label kept him from asking for help for years

    The Christmas his kids were worried Santa wasn't coming, and why even that didn't break the cycle

    A 2023 job loss that cracked things open, and the visualization exercise during a free Zoom that convinced him to commit to The Path

    What happened on his 50th birthday and the two bottles he threw out the next day

    The parallel mental health journey that changed what he understands about why he was drinking in the first place

    Nearly 30 pounds lost and one afternoon of yard work that proved something had shifted in his body

    What his 14-year-old daughter said to her friends about her dad, and why Travis still can't get through it without getting chills

    And more on neural pathway habits, the functional drinker's relationship with the "alcoholic" label, and finding your own path to alcohol freedom...

    Episode links: nakedmindpath.com

    Related episodes:

    Naked Life Story — Kat | NLS | EP 521 — https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-521-naked-life-story-kat/

    Reader Question – Am I an Alcoholic? | EP 58 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-58-reader-question-alcoholic/

    How To Stop Drinking To Avoid Emotions | AFC | EP 845 — https://thisnakedmind.com/drinking-to-avoid-emotions-afc-e845/


    Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357

    Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff

    Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!


    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA.

    BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at betterhelp.com/nakedmind

    Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/naked

    Shopify: Sign up for free trial at shopify.com/mind

    Zazzle: Save 25% on your first order at zazzle.com

    OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at OSEAMalibu.com

    11 July 2026, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    Why You Drink To Fit In

    Andrew and Adele both know why they need alcohol to socialize — or think they do. For Adele, 64 and living in a New Zealand wine region, it started at 14 in the back of a school bus and never really stopped being about fitting in. For Andrew, who is navigating a late-life ADHD diagnosis and the possible end of his marriage, the answer turned out to go a lot deeper than the social stuff.

    Andrew discusses:

    His late-life ADHD diagnosis and why emotional dysregulation makes the pull toward alcohol so much harder to catch.

    Realizing he has never felt safe — and how his body already knew that before he did

    What finally made his marriage struggles make complete sense

    The hand-on-heart technique from Coach Zoe and how it's helping him regulate in real time

    Finding The Path after his wife asked for a divorce — and what group coaching calls unlocked

    Adele discusses:

    Fifty years of drinking to fit in, starting at 14 in the back of a school bus

    Why AA's shame-based language kept her stuck, and what changed when she joined The Path

    The five-year-old who felt different, rejected, and vulnerable after her parents' divorce

    Struggling to show compassion for her younger self because of choices she hasn't forgiven

    The visualization practice that gave her a glimpse of something she hadn't felt in a long time: peace

    And more…

    Coach Zoe Ewart is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach who brings her experience and understanding to help with the tricky parts of life's big changes. Her coaching gives you an enjoyable, light-hearted, and safe environment to effortlessly take back control of alcohol so you can feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually. Zoe taught Pilates for 15 years. She has four adult children and more animals than the Ark ever had. Learn more about Coach Zoe: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/zoe-ewart/

    Coach Hayley Scherders is a certified TNM Coach with training from the Canadian Addiction and Mental Health Association. Drawing from personal experiences, Hayley understands how tough change can be and provides a safe, compassionate, and judgment-free space where her clients can feel supported. She believes that with the right mindset, anyone can change their life at any time. Learn more about Coach Hayley: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/hayley-scherders/

    Episode links: nakedmindpath.com

    Related episodes:

    Using Alcohol to Cope | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 736 –https://thisnakedmind.com/self-love-is-the-key-alcohol-freedom-coaching-e736/

    Building Genuine Connections Without Alcohol | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 821 – https://thisnakedmind.com/building-genuine-connections-without-alcohol-e821/

    The Cost of Fitting In | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 785 – https://thisnakedmind.com/the-cost-of-fitting-in-alcohol-freedom-coaching-e785/

    CTA

    Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357

    Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff

    Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!


    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA.

    BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at betterhelp.com/nakedmind

    Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/naked

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    OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at OSEAMalibu.com

    7 July 2026, 9:00 am
  • 57 minutes 45 seconds
    Summer of Love

    In Summer of Love, Kerri Maher writes about wine country glamour, shame that runs across generations, and the woman at the center who can't quite say out loud what she knows about herself. She lived that from the inside before she could write it clearly. She read Annie Grace's This Naked Mind in its earliest self-published form in 2016, stopped drinking for 15 months, then convinced herself the problem had been unhappiness and let it back in, and spent four more years in the push and pull: a sticky note on the fridge that kept watching her fail, sneak drinking she couldn't rationalize away, and a strange accidental last act at the end of 2021 that finally closed the door. This conversation with Coach Hayley is the first time she's said any of it out loud.

    Kerri and Coach Hayley discuss:

    What Kerri's first, unspoken reaction to a friend's news told her about herself — and why she almost didn't register it

    Why reading Annie Grace's This Naked Mind in its earliest self-published edition wasn't the simple end of the story

    The sticky note on the fridge, the promise it represented, and what she was still doing while it stayed up

    A question from the Sober Powered podcast that gave her chills — and why it took her years to answer honestly

    What emotional regulation, perimenopause, and a coaching certification all have to do with finding freedom from alcohol

    What she gave the Dawn character in Summer of Love that she could only have given her from the other side

    And more on the community that finally felt like home, mental real estate, and what "you are doing it" really means when the process is nonlinear...

    Hayley Scherders is a certified TNM Coach with training from the Canadian Addiction and Mental Health Association. Drawing from personal experiences, Hayley understands how tough change can be and provides a safe, compassionate, and judgment-free space where her clients can feel supported. She believes that with the right mindset, anyone can change their life at any time.

    Learn more about Coach Hayley: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/hayley-scherders/

    Episode links:

    thisnakedmindapp.com

    https://amzn.to/4fBVKEq (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.) 

    Related episodes:

    We Are the Luckiest | Laura McKowen | EP 241 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-241-we-are-the-luckiest-with-laura-mckowen/ 

    Reader Question: How Do You Deal with the Romanticism of the Food and Wine Culture? | EP 294 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-294-reader-question-how-do-you-deal-with-the-romanticism-of-the-food-wine-culture-when-youre-alcohol-free/ 

    Creating A New Identity After Quitting Drinking | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 801 - https://thisnakedmind.com/creating-a-new-identity-after-quitting-drinking-alcohol-freedom-freedom-coaching-e801/ 

    Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357

    Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff

    Ready to take the next step?

    Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!


    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA.

    BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at betterhelp.com/nakedmind

    Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/naked

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    Zazzle: Save 25% on your first order at zazzle.com

    OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at OSEAMalibu.com

    4 July 2026, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    Why You Keep Going Back To Alcohol

    Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 919


    If you're trying to figure out how to stop drinking for good, you’ll want to tune in for this episode. Shannon is 14 days alcohol-free and the first person on either side of her family to ever try changing their drinking — and every time a family member sets down their glass because she isn't having one, the guilt shows up right on schedule. Amy read This Naked Mind five years ago, went alcohol-free for five months, lost her mother during COVID, and spent five years trying to get back. She's six weeks in now and more afraid of losing it than she's been afraid of anything she's built for herself. Listen and find out what actually gets in the way for both of them.Shannon discusses:

    Growing up surrounded by heavy drinkers & being the first to step away

    The guilt she carries when family members say they "won't drink either" on her account

    Tracing people-pleasing back to a 7-year-old part of herself who learned to be responsible for others' feelings

    Her ALIVE goal: free, full of hope and joy, not chained to a substance or to other people's reactions

    Amy discusses:

    Being six weeks alcohol-free and terrified of losing what she's worked so hard to build

    Reading This Naked Mind five years ago, going alcohol-free for five months, losing her mother during COVID, and drinking again for five years

    The shift from holding alcohol freedom in a clenched fist to an open hand

    How taking care of her granddaughter became the biggest trigger — and how she navigated it without drinking

    And more from both guests…

    Cole Harvey is a certified Naked Mind Senior Coach. For years, he felt lost and used alcohol to cope, until he decided to go alcohol-free and focus on finding his purpose. Through curiosity, self-compassion, and adventure, he transformed his life. As a habit change and mindset coach, Cole helps young men understand themselves, build better habits, and find meaning.

    Learn more about Coach Cole: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/

    Zoe Ewart is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach who brings her experience and understanding to help with the tricky parts of life’s big changes. Her coaching gives you an enjoyable, light-hearted, and safe environment to effortlessly take back control of alcohol so you can feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually. Zoe taught Pilates for 15 years. She has four adult children and more animals than the Ark ever had.

    Learn more about Coach Zoe: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/zoe-ewart/

    Episode links: nakedmindpath.com

    Related episodes:

    Stop Making Excuses to Drink Again - EP 664 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-664-readers-question-how-do-i-stop-making-excuses-to-drink-again/

    Why Do People Go Back to Drinking? - EP 730 -  https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-730-coaches-podcast-coach-ellie-with-lauri-m-tina-m/

    Overcoming the Fear of Drinking Again - EP 741 - https://thisnakedmind.com/overcoming-the-fear-of-drinking-again-erins-naked-life-e741/

    Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!

    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Green Chef, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA. BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at betterhelp.com/nakedmind Green Chef: Get 50% off your first month, then 20% percent off for 2 month at greenchef.com/NAKEDMIND Quince: get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/nakedShopify: Sign up for $1 month trial at shopify.com/mind Zazzle: Save 25% on your first order at zazzle.com OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at OSEAMalibu.com

    30 June 2026, 9:00 am
  • 45 minutes 24 seconds
    When AA Isn’t Working

    Tim's Naked Life | EP 918


    When AA isn't working, most people assume they're the problem — not committed enough, not broken enough, not at rock bottom enough to figure it all out and make a change. Tim Kelly thought that too. A 30-year sales professional who'd always been able to muscle through whatever came at him, Tim spent years inside 12-step programs and still couldn't stop drinking. In this episode, he sits down with Coach Cole Harvey to talk about what finally changed, and why the answer was never about trying harder. 


    Tim and Coach Cole discuss:

    What five or six AA meetings a week for years actually felt like inside him, when all the work never brought the contentment he was looking for

    The night his fiancée found him drinking again and chose to stay, and why Tim believes that one decision may have saved his life

    Picking up Annie Grace's book and signing up for a Live Alcohol Experiment, the best $48 he's ever spent

    Why a numbers-driven, 30-year sales professional was skeptical that curiosity could do what years of hard work hadn't, and how that changed

    The "be where your hands are" grounding technique he learned in the Live Alcohol Experiment and still uses today

    Not walking his daughter down the aisle, carrying that grief openly, and how it became the reason he decided to become a coach

    And more on self-compassion, the "I know nothing" coaching philosophy, what the brain does when it decides you're broken, and so much more

    Episode links:

    alcoholexperiment.com

    Tim's coaching practice: https://onwardafcoaching.com/ 


    Related episodes:

    Is AA Not the Only Answer? Ginelle's Naked Life | Naked Life Stories | EP 693 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-693-naked-life-story-ginelle-t/ 

    Finding Hidden Blessings: Tom's Naked Life | Naked Life Stories | EP 629 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-629-naked-life-story-tom-keppeler/ 

    Does Annie Grace Think AA Is Wrong? | Reader Question | EP 324 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-324-reader-question-does-annie-grace-think-aa-is-wrong/  


    Follow on Apple Podcasts podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357

    Follow on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff


    Ready to take the next step?

    Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!


    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Green Chef, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA. BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at betterhelp.com/nakedmind Green Chef: Get 50% off your first month, then 20% percent off for 2 month at greenchef.com/NAKEDMIND Quince: get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/nakedShopify: Sign up for $1 month trial at shopify.com/mind Zazzle: Save 25% on your first order at zazzle.com OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at OSEAMalibu.com

    27 June 2026, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 9 minutes
    When Alcohol Is The Only Coping Tool You Know

    Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 917


    What happens when you finally want to stop using alcohol to cope, but the idea of facing everything without it feels almost impossible? In this episode, Kim and Liv bravely step into that very question. They open up about just how easily alcohol became a source of comfort — soothing a nervous system wrecked by family crisis and serving as the one reliable, familiar thing in the uncertainty of life. Astonishingly, what comes next isn’t a battle of willpower. Learning how to cope without alcohol becomes something else entirely - permission to feel, to choose your next step on your own terms, and to discover the strength that's been with you all along. 


    Kim discusses:

    Giving alcohol the "job" of soothing her nervous system through trauma and crises

    Why all-or-nothing thinking and shame from a previous recovery program made it harder to move forward

    The shift from feeling like she needed to "let it all go" to learning to live with her experiences differently

    Building real confidence through action — vulnerability, community, and showing up before the confidence was there


    Liv discusses:

    Drinking for her entire adult life (30 years) and why "familiar" is the one word she'd use to describe alcohol's role

    Noticing gradual mind shifts that are both exciting and frightening as the Path material starts to work

    A pattern of making goals only to rebel against them — and why that rebellion disappears when the choice is truly her own

    Learning to sit with discomfort for an hour, and replacing white-knuckling with curiosity

    Hayley Scherders is a certified TNM Coach with training from the Canadian Addiction and Mental Health Association. Drawing from personal experiences, Hayley understands how tough change can be and provides a safe, compassionate, and judgment-free space where her clients can feel supported. She believes that with the right mindset, anyone can change their life at any time. Learn more about Coach Hayley: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/hayley-scherders/


    Cole Harvey is a certified Naked Mind Senior Coach. For years, he felt lost and used alcohol as a way to cope, until he decided to go alcohol-free and focus on finding his purpose. Through curiosity, self-compassion, and adventure, he transformed his life. As a habit change and mindset coach, Cole helps young men understand themselves, build better habits, and find meaning. Learn more about Coach Cole: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/

    Episode links: nakedmindpath.com

    Related episodes:

    How To Stop Drinking To Avoid Emotions | Alcohol Freedom Coaching https://thisnakedmind.com/drinking-to-avoid-emotions-afc-e845/ Alcohol Addiction and Shame | Hayley's Naked Life https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-679-naked-life-story-hayley-s/ Trusting Yourself Again | Alcohol Freedom Coaching https://thisnakedmind.com/trusting-yourself-again-alcohol-freedom-coaching-e760/ 

    CTA

    Follow on Apple Podcasts podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357

    Follow on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff


    Ready to take the next step?

    Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!


    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Green Chef, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA. BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at betterhelp.com/nakedmind Green Chef: Get 50% off your first month, then 20% percent off for 2 month at greenchef.com/NAKEDMIND Quince: get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/nakedShopify: Sign up for $1 month trial at shopify.com/mind Zazzle: Save 25% on your first order at zazzle.com OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at OSEAMalibu.com

    23 June 2026, 9:00 am
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