The Sober Freedom Podcast: Inspiring and Supporting Your Alcohol Free Journey

As Christal and Lisa wrap up an incredible first season of The Sober Freedom Podcast, they take a heartfelt look back at the powerful conversations and remarkable guests who have graced the mic.
Throughout the season, some key themes have consistently emerged — each shedding light on the complex and often hidden ways alcohol affects our lives:
How alcohol intensifies the challenges of ADHD, peri/menopause, anxiety, and overall mental and physical wellbeing

The early roots of drinking and the pressure to fit in

The strain alcohol can place on our closest relationships

What happens when our drinking habits begin to clash with our core values

That crucial moment when the negative impacts start to outweigh the benefits

The tipping point — and the courage it takes to make a change

And above all, bravery — in choosing honesty, vulnerability, and freedom

This season has been nothing short of transformative. Whether you’ve been with us since Episode One or just discovered us, thank you for listening, sharing, and connecting with us through the @sober.freedom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram community.
With love and gratitude:
To our listeners — your support means the world

To Kupod Studios — thank you for creating such a warm, welcoming space behind the scenes.

To our incredible guests — your stories and insights have inspired and empowered us in ways we’ll never forget.

Season Two is already taking shape, and we can’t wait to share what’s next!
Interested in supporting or sponsoring the podcast?
We’d love to hear from you: Sober.Freedom.UK@gmail.com
The Sober Freedom podcast is hosted by Christal Dauncey and Lisa McGinnis.
Please also subscribe, rate and leave comments wherever you listen to help us reach more people!
The show is recorded at KUPOD Studios in Oldham and produced by Matt Dean, with video production from Eddie Corteen for KUPOD Productions. 
For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kupod.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Lisa and Christal are joined by Vicky, founder of My Happy Balance, as she reflects on the life-changing moment that led her to sobriety five years ago. A sense of deep disconnection at a friend’s wedding became the turning point, prompting Vicky to take an honest look at her relationship with alcohol—and she didn’t like what she saw.
Vicky opens up about the inner conflict she faced: the overwhelming desire to stop using alcohol as a coping mechanism while still feeling the pull to drink. She shares how she created rules to mask her drinking habits and the justifications she clung to in an attempt to stop.
We also dive into the societal pressures that kept her stuck—the fear of how friends might react if she chose sobriety—and how the isolation of the COVID lockdown forced her to make a choice: let her drinking spiral or stop altogether.
Drawing on her expertise as a health and nutrition coach, Vicky explores the physical impact of alcohol on the body, particularly how it can worsen symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. Her approach at My Happy Balance focuses on adding more of the "good stuff"—strength training, nutrition, and wellness—to support women through life’s challenging transitions.
Today, Vicky is thriving. Five years sober and nearly five years into running My Happy Balance, she shares how sobriety was the foundation for building the business and life she has today.
Fun fact: Christal, Vicky, and our producer Matt know each other from the party scene (almost 20 years ago)—and now, years later, they've come full circle, reconnecting through the podcast for a powerful and inspiring conversation.
Connect with Vicky:
Website: My Happy Balance
Instagram: @MyHappyBalance

The Sober Freedom podcast is hosted by Christal Dauncey and Lisa McGinnis.
To leave comments, ask questions and interact with the show, follow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @sober.freedom on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Please also subscribe, rate and leave comments wherever you listen to help us reach more people!
The show is recorded at KUPOD Studios in Oldham and produced by Matt Dean, with video production from Eddie Corteen for KUPOD Productions. 
For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kupod.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this heartfelt episode, Lisa and Christal sit down for a much-needed catch-up, reflecting on the powerful personal stories and professional insights shared by recent guests.
They open up about the changes they’ve been making in their own lives, including new practices they’re exploring to support their mental health, wellbeing, and personal growth.
The episode also dives into their restorative experience at The Goddess Movement  day retreat – a space dedicated to healing, empowerment, and connection.
Curious to learn more about the retreat? Head over to Instagram: @thegoddess_wellness_movement

The Sober Freedom podcast is hosted by Christal Dauncey and Lisa McGinnis.
To leave comments, ask questions and interact with the show, follow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @sober.freedom on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Please also subscribe, rate and leave comments wherever you listen to help us reach more people!
The show is recorded at KUPOD Studios in Oldham and produced by Matt Dean, with video production from Eddie Corteen for KUPOD Productions. 
For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kupod.co.uk⁠⁠⁠

In this powerful and compassionate episode, Lisa and Christal are in conversation with Nadine Pittam, a counsellor, psychotherapist, to explore what really lies beneath our drinking habits.
Together, we dig into the deeper emotional roots of alcohol use—and the liberation that comes from finally facing the pain that alcohol has been masking. So often, alcohol isn’t the problem—it’s the solution we’ve turned to in order to silence discomfort, override our feelings, and survive in a world full of social expectations.
But what happens when we stop drinking alcohol and all those emotions rise to the surface?
In this episode, we unpack:
Why alcohol is often used as a coping strategy rather than the core issue

The social expectations around drinking and how they keep us stuck

What we lose when we avoid uncomfortable emotions—and what we gain when we face them

How therapy can help unpick the inner stories, patterns, and past experiences that shape our behaviours

The role of shame, fear, guilt, and pain in addictive cycles—and how we begin to heal them

The idea that addictive behaviours might have been trying to save us all along

How therapy acts like an emotional audit, helping you trace the thread from what was true in the past to what’s true now

What to do when shame keeps resurfacing

How to sit with uncomfortable emotions instead of running from them

How to begin rewriting the stories that keep us feeling small or stuck

Why therapy can be a powerful act of reclaiming your voice and your truth

We can’t bypass the pain. If we do, we miss the lesson and the healing.
We explore scenarios, guided by Nadine’s gentle insight, including:This episode is a reminder that recovery isn’t just about putting down the drink—it’s about picking up yourself.
Whether you're newly sober, questioning your relationship with alcohol, or years into your journey, this conversation is a compassionate companion on your path. 
Connect with Nadine Pittam
https://www.nadinepittam.com
The Sober Freedom podcast is hosted by Christal Dauncey and Lisa McGinnis.
To leave comments, ask questions and interact with the show, follow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @sober.freedom on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Please also subscribe, rate and leave comments wherever you listen to help us reach more people!
The show is recorded at KUPOD Studios in Oldham and produced by Matt Dean, with video production from Eddie Corteen for KUPOD Productions. 
For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kupod.co.uk⁠⁠⁠

Trigger Warning:
This episode touches on sensitive topics such as addiction, family complexities, COVID 19, and grief. Please listen with care.
This episode is a raw and inspiring conversation about turning pain into purpose, embracing change, and creating something positive out of loss. Don't miss Cat’s powerful story and her commitment to helping others find their path to recovery.
In this episode, we continue Cat’s story from the previous episode.  Cat shares her personal journey of breaking old patterns and embracing radical change. Her path toward recovery began with a simple yet profound step: booking her first yoga class. Through yoga, she discovered a natural high, a sense of clarity, and a feeling of wellness that carried into the next day—signaling the start of a new chapter in cultivating positive habits to replace the destructive ones.
Cat also discusses how her awareness of the harm alcohol was causing in her life grew as she sought quiet space for reflection. Over time, she came to understand the importance of getting out of her comfort zone to make meaningful changes and the role that community plays in supporting recovery.
As Cat navigated her own healing journey, she also struggled with the guilt of not being able to fix her sister's struggles with alcohol, especially during the turbulent time of COVID-19. 
The pandemic escalated the impact alcohol had on Cat’s sister Paulette and Cat had to process the overwhelming challenge of accepting that she couldn’t cure her sister. Cat reflects on how nobody thinks alcoholism or alcohol-related death will ever affect them, but the reality of these consequences is undeniable.
Cat opens up about how Alcohol Change UK supported her, and how she is now an ambassador for the organisation. To honour her sister Paulette, she is running the Manchester Half Marathon to raise funds for Alcohol Change UK. You can support Cat and her mission by sponsoring her for the race, with all proceeds going toward the cause.
Links:
Sponsor Cat for the Manchester Half Marathon by visiting her instagram and clicking in the link in her bio @yoga_up_cat
To find about all of Cat’s Yoga Up classes visit: https://www.yogaup.co.uk/ 
For resources to support you in your sober journey please visit: https://alcoholchange.org.uk/ 

The Sober Freedom podcast is hosted by Christal Dauncey and Lisa McGinnis.
To leave comments, ask questions and interact with the show, follow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @sober.freedom on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Please also subscribe, rate and leave comments wherever you listen to help us reach more people!
The show is recorded at KUPOD Studios in Oldham and produced by Matt Dean, with video production from Eddie Corteen for KUPOD Productions. 
For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kupod.co.uk⁠⁠