The Catholic Sobriety Podcast

Christie Walker | The Catholic Sobriety Coach

Welcome to The Catholic Sobriety Podcast with your host Christie Walker! This podcast is dedicated to empowering Catholics to live lives of freedom by providing tips and tools to help them be successful as they reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption. Christie Walker, a compassionate Catholic life and sobriety coach, is here to support you on your journey toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.Are you questioning whether alcohol has taken control of your life? Do you worry about the impact it may have on your well-being? Many people find themselves in this situation, fearing the loss of pleasure and stress relief associated with alcohol. They assume that giving it up will only bring deprivation and misery. But Christie offers a different and much more positive perspective. With Christie's expertise, you'll discover the joy and peace that come from embracing a healthier lifestyle rooted in the Catholic faith and tradition. Ready to get curious? Start listening!Be sure to subscribe to this podcast so you won't miss a thing!

  1. 5D AGO

    Ep 164: Why It’s So Hard to Stop Drinking on Fridays | The Friday Reset

    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 about willpower. There are real brain patterns, emotional build-up from the week, and even spiritual dynamics that make Friday evening a powerful habit trigger. In this episode we talk about: Why the urge to drink on Friday is often built all week longThe dopamine habit loop that gets activated by the end-of-week ritualWhy alcohol promises rest but rarely actually delivers itThe deeper emotional need that often sits underneath the Friday cravingThe spiritual dimension of temptation when we’re tired and depletedOne simple 10-minute reset practice you can use before the evening beginsIf Friday evenings are where your intentions tend to fall apart, this conversation will help you pause, reset, and approach the moment with more clarity and freedom. Grab this FREE guide to join my email list, and you will start receiving my Friday Reset emails too: https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/drinkless-guide Drop us a Question or Comment 👉🏻 Get started with my FREE 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/5-day-sobriety-kick-start 👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/38683 Visit my Website: https://thecatholicsobrietycoach.com

    19 min
  2. MAR 10

    Ep 163: Alcohol and Women’s Hormones: How Drinking Affects Perimenopause, Sleep, Mood, and Weight | with Leah Brueggeman (From the Archive)

    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, stress, blood sugar, gut health, energy, and the way you experience perimenopause and beyond. In this revisited conversation, I’m joined by Leah Brueggeman, a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who specializes in helping women get to the root of hormonal imbalance through functional lab testing, nutrition, and lifestyle support. We talk about how alcohol affects women differently from men, why it can worsen symptoms many women blame on hormones alone, and why taking a break from alcohol can reveal more than you think. In this episode, we discuss: how alcohol impacts women’s hormones across different stages of lifethe connection between alcohol, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and FSHwhy alcohol can make perimenopause symptoms feel worsethe effect of alcohol on dopamine, anxiety, mood, and motivationhow alcohol disrupts blood sugar, sleep, liver function, and recoverywhy many women do not feel better after only 30 days alcohol-freecommon health habits women try that may actually work against their hormonesbetter ways to support rest, sleep, and nervous system regulation without alcoholLeah also shares practical insight on why women need a more informed, whole-body approach to health rather than just chasing symptoms one by one. If this conversation resonates, share it with a friend who has been trying to understand her body better and may not have considered alcohol as part of the picture. You can find out more about Leah on her website: https://www.leahbrueggemann.com/ Be sure to check out her podcast: The Balancing Hormones Naturally Podcast Drop us a Question or Comment If you have ever... Struggled with the social pressures associated with alcohol use.Felt isolated, alone, and unsure of how to break the cycle.Experienced shame and frustration after drinking.Told yourself, “I’ll never get this. It’s no use.”Then this 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start is for you!  Each day, you’ll receive a short video with simple tasks to help you analyze your drinking habits with clarity. 👉🏻 Get started with my FREE 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/5-day-sobriety-kick-start 👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/38683 Visit my Website: https://thecatholicsobrietycoach.com

    53 min
  3. MAR 5

    Ep 162: When You’re Trying to Drink Less… and Your Husband Isn’t

    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 your husband isn’t. She shares why spouses aren’t always the best accountability partners, how to handle date nights and social situations, and why focusing on your own choices (“stay in your lane”) often leads to the most peace. You’ll also hear why many women are surprised to find that, over time, their husbands often begin drinking less too. If you’re trying to drink less in a relationship where your spouse still drinks, this episode will help you feel less alone and more confident in your own path. In This Episode • What women don’t always anticipate when they start reducing alcohol  • Why husbands often keep drinking normally  • The “thought spiral” that happens when your spouse orders a drink  • How to stay focused on your own choices  • Navigating date nights and connection without alcohol Mentioned in this Episode:  EP: 73 Rekindling Romance: Catholic Wives' Guide to Alcohol-Free Intimacy https://www.buzzsprout.com/2087354/episodes/15021297Drop us a Question or Comment If you have ever... Struggled with the social pressures associated with alcohol use.Felt isolated, alone, and unsure of how to break the cycle.Experienced shame and frustration after drinking.Told yourself, “I’ll never get this. It’s no use.”Then this 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start is for you!  Each day, you’ll receive a short video with simple tasks to help you analyze your drinking habits with clarity. 👉🏻 Get started with my FREE 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/5-day-sobriety-kick-start 👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/38683 Visit my Website: https://thecatholicsobrietycoach.com

    28 min
  4. FEB 26

    Ep 161: When Family Stress (or celebrations) Triggers the Urge to Drink

    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 back to it. We talk about: Why urges get louder when your nervous system is already activatedWhat “wine chatter” is and how it takes up so much mental real estateWhy white-knuckling makes it harder (not easier)Two grounding questions that change everything: What am I feeling? What do I need?How to prepare for family gatherings and stressful situations ahead of timeGentle ways to calm your nervous system without using alcohol as the off switchThis episode is especially for you if you’ve ever thought:  “I don’t even want to drink this much anymore… but it’s taking up too much space in my head.” Drop us a Question or Comment If you have ever... Struggled with the social pressures associated with alcohol use.Felt isolated, alone, and unsure of how to break the cycle.Experienced shame and frustration after drinking.Told yourself, “I’ll never get this. It’s no use.”Then this 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start is for you!  Each day, you’ll receive a short video with simple tasks to help you analyze your drinking habits with clarity. 👉🏻 Get started with my FREE 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/5-day-sobriety-kick-start 👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/38683 Visit my Website: https://thecatholicsobrietycoach.com

    33 min
  5. FEB 3

    Ep 159: Struggling With Wine or Food? Here's What's Actually Happening

    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 resistance often appears right when healing is beginning — and how to respond with awareness and surrender instead of shame or control. This conversation is for women who are trying to change their relationship with alcohol, food, or any comfort habit and find themselves discouraged when the struggle intensifies. We talk about what’s actually happening when comfort is removed, how to recognize spiritual resistance and stay with the work when it gets hard (because it will!) About my guest: Denise Jelinek is a Catholic food freedom coach who helps women stop managing themselves and start paying attention. Her work is centered on awareness, surrender, and learning how to respond to cravings, emotions, and resistance without restriction or shame.  She’s been on the podcast many times, and every conversation takes us deeper into what real freedom actually looks like. You can find out more about Denise and her programs but visiting her website https://weightlosswiththeholyspirit.com Drop us a Question or Comment If you have ever... Struggled with the social pressures associated with alcohol use.Felt isolated, alone, and unsure of how to break the cycle.Experienced shame and frustration after drinking.Told yourself, “I’ll never get this. It’s no use.”Then this 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start is for you!  Each day, you’ll receive a short video with simple tasks to help you analyze your drinking habits with clarity. 👉🏻 Get started with my FREE 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/5-day-sobriety-kick-start 👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/38683 Visit my Website: https://thecatholicsobrietycoach.com

    50 min
  6. JAN 29

    Ep 158: What Happens When You Fast from Alcohol for Lent?

    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 Scripture, reflection, and guided journaling to help you stay attentive to what God is doing as you set wine down. The devotional opens on February 15th, three days before Ash Wednesday, with a gentle preparation period to help you ease into the fast. From there, each day opens one at a time, right when you need it—like a Lenten calendar—so you’re not getting ahead or overwhelmed, just showing up for today. You can find the link below: https://courses.drinklessornotatall.com/courses/into-the-desert Drop us a Question or Comment If you have ever... Struggled with the social pressures associated with alcohol use.Felt isolated, alone, and unsure of how to break the cycle.Experienced shame and frustration after drinking.Told yourself, “I’ll never get this. It’s no use.”Then this 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start is for you!  Each day, you’ll receive a short video with simple tasks to help you analyze your drinking habits with clarity. 👉🏻 Get started with my FREE 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/5-day-sobriety-kick-start 👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/38683 Visit my Website: https://thecatholicsobrietycoach.com

    25 min

Trailer

4.9
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Catholic Sobriety Podcast with your host Christie Walker! This podcast is dedicated to empowering Catholics to live lives of freedom by providing tips and tools to help them be successful as they reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption. Christie Walker, a compassionate Catholic life and sobriety coach, is here to support you on your journey toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.Are you questioning whether alcohol has taken control of your life? Do you worry about the impact it may have on your well-being? Many people find themselves in this situation, fearing the loss of pleasure and stress relief associated with alcohol. They assume that giving it up will only bring deprivation and misery. But Christie offers a different and much more positive perspective. With Christie's expertise, you'll discover the joy and peace that come from embracing a healthier lifestyle rooted in the Catholic faith and tradition. Ready to get curious? Start listening!Be sure to subscribe to this podcast so you won't miss a thing!

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