Sisters In Sobriety cover art

Sisters In Sobriety

Sisters In Sobriety

By: Sonia Kahlon and Kathleen Killen
Listen for free

About this listen

 You know that sinking feeling when you wake up with a hangover and think: “I’m never doing this again”? We’ve all been there. But what happens when you follow through? Sonia Kahlon and Kathleen Killen can tell you, because they did it! They went from sisters-in-law, to Sisters in Sobriety. In this podcast, Sonia and Kathleen invite you into their world, as they navigate the ups and downs of sobriety, explore stories of personal growth and share their journey of wellness and recovery. Get ready for some real, honest conversations about sobriety, addiction, and everything in between. Episodes will cover topics such as: reaching emotional sobriety, how to make the decision to get sober, adopting a more mindful lifestyle, socializing without alcohol, and much more. Whether you’re sober-curious, seeking inspiration and self-care through sobriety, or embracing the alcohol-free lifestyle already… Tune in for a weekly dose of vulnerability, mutual support and much needed comic relief. Together...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sisters In Sobriety Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • AI Journaling With Sean Dadashi

    AI Journaling With Sean Dadashi
    Feb 23 2026
    Sonia sits down with Sean Dadashi, co-founder of Rosebud, an AI-guided journaling app built to deepen self-reflection, emotional awareness, and intentional healing. Together, they explore how journaling can move beyond venting and become a powerful tool for insight — helping you recognize emotional patterns, understand triggers, and reshape the internal narratives that shape sobriety and personal growth.The conversation expands into the evolving role of AI in mental health and self-development. They discuss how guided prompts, voice journaling, emotional tagging, and pattern recognition can make reflection more accessible — especially for those intimidated by a blank page. At the same time, they examine the importance of keeping therapy, community, and real human connection at the center of healing, while using technology as a supportive tool rather than a replacement.Sonia and Sean also walk through specific journaling practices, including Rose-Bud-Thorn reflections, somatic journaling, gratitude work, boundary-setting exercises, and intention setting. They explore how Rosebud can support therapy preparation, unsent letters, difficult conversations, and voice-based emotional processing.Throughout the episode, they highlight how digital journaling can help expand emotional vocabulary, identify recurring behavioral patterns, and deepen therapeutic work between sessions.On a more personal note, Sonia shares her love of pen-to-paper journaling — the colored pens, the bedside rituals — and reflects on what it means to shift from analog habits to digital tools in a way that enhances, rather than replaces, the reflective experience.This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.Highlights00:00 — Introduction to Sean Dadashi and the mission behind Rosebud01:45 — Sean’s early relationship with journaling during family divorce04:10 — Moving from handwritten journals to digital reflection06:20 — Recognizing emotional and behavioral patterns over time08:05 — The “blank page problem” and barriers to starting journaling09:40 — How the “Go Deeper” function guides layered reflection11:30 — AI summaries, emotional tagging, and weekly reports13:05 — Metrics, character tracking, and narrative insights14:10 — Naming emotions and therapist-informed AI design15:20 — How Rosebud differs from generic chatbots16:40 — AI memory and long-term pattern recognition17:25 — Asking big-picture life questions through journal history18:50 — Year-end reflection archetypes and narrative mapping20:10 — AI personas: nurturing vs. direct reflection styles21:05 — Preventing AI from replacing human connection22:30 — Platform limits and ethical guardrails24:00 — Crisis response and safety considerations28:40 — Using journaling alongside therapy and coaching31:10 — Preparing for therapy sessions through reflection insights32:15 — Pen-and-paper vs. digital journaling debate34:05 — Voice journaling and emotional expression36:10 — Importing handwritten journals via photo transcription38:15 — Rose-Bud-Thorn framework and evening reflections40:20 — Somatic journaling and body-based awareness41:10 — Letter writing, boundary setting, and hard conversations43:00 — Facilitating real-life conversations using AI support44:05 — Intention setting and future-self visualization45:50 — Creating mantras and symbolic yearly totems46:40 — Building sustainable daily reflection practices47:30 — Closing thoughts and episode wrap-upRosebud https://my.rosebud.app/SIS Links💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • From High-Functioning To Whole Again With Marci Hopkins

    From High-Functioning To Whole Again With Marci Hopkins
    Feb 16 2026

    In this episode, Sonia sits down with TV personality, recovery advocate, and author Marci Hopkins to unpack the layered journey from trauma and addiction to emotional sobriety and self-trust. As the host of the award-winning talk show Wake Up with Marci and author of Chaos to Clarity, Marci brings both lived experience and professional insight to the conversation. Together, they explore healing, resilience, and what it really takes to rebuild a life after alcohol.


    The discussion moves through the experiences that shaped Marci’s relationship with alcohol, from early childhood trauma and family addiction to high-functioning drinking in adulthood. Themes of generational cycles, emotional suppression, validation-seeking relationships, and the normalization of alcohol surface throughout the conversation. The episode also examines the slippery slope from social drinking to dependence, how denial shows up, and the internal bargaining that often delays change.


    Marci shares how practices like affirmations, forgiveness work, boundary setting, and cognitive “interrupters” can begin to rewire negative thought patterns.


    Marci walks through the defining moments that led to her final surrender — including the DUI that forced her to confront the reality of her drinking. She reflects on motherhood, marriage, career pressure, and the emotional reckoning that followed. The conversation closes on her path to advocacy, her commitment to breaking stigma, and how turning pain into purpose became central to her healing.


    This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.


    Episode Highlights

    00:01:00 – Marci’s introduction and recovery advocacy work

    00:03:00 – Childhood trauma and the first experiences of abuse

    00:05:00 – Living with her grandparents and early instability

    00:08:00 – Abuse and lack of maternal protection

    00:10:00 – Perfectionism and controlling the external image

    00:12:00 – Teen drinking, validation, and blackout weekends

    00:14:00 – Escaping home life through relationships

    00:16:00 – Party culture, drugs, and early adulthood

    00:17:00 – DUIs and hitting early warning signs

    00:20:00 – Using appearance and relationships for power

    00:23:00 – Career rise in television and media

    00:25:00 – Motherhood, ambition, and mounting pressure

    00:26:00 – Alcohol as “liquid courage” for auditions

    00:27:00 – Hiding drinking and increasing dependence

    00:28:00 – The failed attempt to moderate

    00:29:00 – The day of her final drink

    00:31:00 – DUI arrest and confrontation with reality

    00:33:00 – Surrender and return to AA

    00:38:00 – Emotional sobriety and healing trauma

    00:55:00 – Breaking stigma and normalizing recovery conversations


    Marci's Links

    Instagram

    YouTube


    SIS Links

    💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen

    📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email

    📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram

    🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast

    📸 Kathleen’s Instagram

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • Why You Can’t “Just Move On” From Trauma With Amber T

    Why You Can’t “Just Move On” From Trauma With Amber T
    Feb 9 2026
    In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia is joined by Amber Trejo, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified clinical trauma professional who specializes in complex childhood trauma and the family system. Amber is also a wife and mom of three on her own healing journey, and today she helps Sonia unpack how childhood wounds quietly shape adult life — and what it looks like to move from survival mode into safety, self-regulation, and connection.Sonia and Amber explore the ways complex trauma can show up long after childhood — through hypervigilance, perfectionism, emotional shutdown, and repeating relationship patterns. They discuss why so many people struggle to even name what happened to them, especially when emotional neglect, invalidation, or silent treatment were normalized.Amber shares a nervous-system-centered approach to healing, weaving in polyvagal theory, cues of safety versus danger, parts work, somatic grounding, and EMDR. The conversation touches on how trauma lives in both the brain and the body, and why healing requires more than simply intellectualizing the past — it’s about building real capacity for regulation, curiosity, and connection in the present.In the personal story thread, Sonia opens up about having very few childhood memories, the fear of “making it up,” and the complicated ways trauma can surface later in adulthood, especially in relationships and family dynamics. Together, they connect trauma work to sobriety — exploring addiction as a form of nervous system coping, why white-knuckling often isn’t enough, and how early recovery sometimes means doing whatever it takes to get through the hardest moments with compassion.This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.00:00 — Amber Trejo joins Sonia to discuss trauma healing01:00 — Amber shares her own childhood trauma and path to therapy03:00 — Trauma resurfacing through marriage and motherhood04:00 — Complex trauma vs single-event PTSD05:00 — Emotional neglect as an overlooked trauma wound07:00 — Why complex trauma shows up most in relationships08:00 — Sonia’s “grimy breaker” metaphor for trauma patterns10:00 — Minimizing pain: “but it could be worse”12:00 — Shame, invalidation, and not trusting emotions14:00 — Perfectionism as a survival strategy15:00 — Parts work and inner child healing17:00 — Intellectualizing vs healing in the body18:00 — Sonia on missing childhood memories20:00 — “What if I’m making it up?” as a trauma hallmark22:00 — Safety and resourcing before deeper trauma work25:00 — Cues of danger, passive aggression, and hypervigilance31:00 — Ventral vagal state: curiosity as a sign of safety33:00 — Addiction as nervous system regulation38:00 — Alcohol as relief before it becomes the problem45:00 — Early sobriety: small realistic coping tools49:00 — Creativity, aliveness, and building daily regulation practicesAmber's Links: Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/integrativetraumatherapist?igsh=MWpvdTI5emVyZzU4aA%3D%3D&utm_source=qrCourse for parents with trauma: https://stan.store/Integrativetraumatherapist/p/-sjwt4r2xWebsite: https://www.theintegrativetraumatherapist.com/SIS Links💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
No reviews yet