Sober, and passionate about sobriety!
I have been sober for almost 4 of the past 5 years, and am passionate about helping people who are struggling with alcohol or other substances too. That’s why I am a Bee Sober Ambassador for Bee Sober CIC (an organisation to help and support others trying to cut alcohol out of their lives, and to build sober social connections too!).
I also worked in a new Sober Bar ('Sobar') when it first opened in Bournemouth, the first Sober Bar on the South Coast of the UK. I love experimenting with alcohol free drinks (and have been doing so at home with friends for years now) and showing people that you can have the same taste without the messy end result, and feel socially included again! You can find Sobar on Instagram HERE and on Facebook HERE!
I have done more and more around sobriety since quitting myself, including a podcast back in 2019 (shared below!) about my journey to sobriety on an alcohol free podcast, a Thrive Programme video about my alcohol journey, going to alcohol free tasting events and pop-up alcohol-free off licences in London, training with the Amy Winehouse Foundation's Schools Programme to go into secondary schools and do talks and workshops on alcohol and drugs, and obviously my own mental health coaching too. I’ve also worked in Parliament for MPs, and worked for local councils too, worked directly with local homeless people during Covid (many of whom were struggling with addictions), and behind the scenes helping to write local authority policies and strategies on drugs and alcohol (amongst other related policy areas).
In 2019, I also designed and completed a 'Year of Fear' for myself, where I did one challenge a year to scare the hell out of myself and raise money for charity - 2 out of the 3 charities that I raised money for were alcohol-related charities (Alcohol Change UK, and Action on Addiction), so my heart has very much been in the sobriety/recovery movement for a long time.
In both my work and my personal life, I help people to discover the joy of ditching the booze and living an alcohol free life, and am passionate about giving people the opportunity to truly rediscover themselves in the process. I am always excited to try and experiment with new and unusual alcohol free drink combinations - after all, there are so many choices these days that sobriety is anything but boring! For me, learning to live without alcohol was the first step to an incredible quality of life, but alcohol free alternatives enabled me to move forwards and live a very normal alcohol-free life which I am so grateful for. Four years ago, the same options simply didn’t exist.
AMAZING CLIENT REVIEW
“I had been a year sober, meaning I hadn't had a drink in a year and yet I was feeling an ever intensifying amount of anxiety, specifically social anxiety and low self esteem. I hadn't felt so uncomfortable in my body and mind, and all of the tools I had accumulated over the years weren't helping. A friend of mine had gone through the Thrive Program and I was able to witness the transformation that she went through and was in awe of how it all came from her hard effort and work. There was no "magic" in it.
It was inspiring to watch, and yet I never thought I would benefit from the program because I had never known myself to be an anxious person. This "new me" felt foreign and unidentifiable and somehow a consequence of being sober! My friend told me that her Thrive Consultant was also sober and my ears immediately perked up. I inquired for the first time about whether or not this could benefit my current state. After talking to Lisa I was eager to begin right away and ready to put in all the effort required to begin to fully thrive.
I was very eager to do the workbook and always looked forward to talking to Lisa. I was surprised by how quickly I had some monumental shifts in my thinking habits and my beliefs. Processing the positives has been the most impactful for me. I process my positives everyday in a journal and it's become such a habit that after a challenging situation I will correct any poor thinking by processing the positive effort from that experience.
I began loving myself in a way that I had stopped feeling since elementary school. I have much better self talk. I catch myself a lot quicker when I do slip into negative thinking styles. I bounce back quicker than before and my overall sense of myself and the world is much more joyful! I am in control of my life in a way I have never experienced before.”
— Lisa D, 2019 (USA)
My sobriety work and goals
If you’re struggling with your alcohol consumption, or are wanting any advice or guidance on how to get started with sobriety, get in touch via the contact page or drop me a message on my social media and I’d be happy to help! I’d also highly recommend starting with the book ‘Alcohol Explained’ by William Porter - it really is a phenomenal resource with great insights into alcohol, and I’d recommend it for anyone even toying with the idea of cutting down or stopping drinking alcohol!
Please note - I am not a doctor and cannot give medical advice. If I believe the advice of a medical professional is needed, I will always advise clients on the need to consult their doctor, for their own health, wellbeing and safety.
2019 - ‘Truth About Alcohol‘ Podcast
In 2019, I recorded a podcast with Lee Davy, founder of the ‘Truth About Alcohol’ podcast and the ‘1000 Days Sober’ movement. The podcast, called ‘The Magic of Thrive’, talks about my own journey from poor mental health and drinking to sobriety, how The Thrive Programme helped me with this, and my thoughts on why people often turn to drugs or alcohol when they are struggling to cope.
