Changing Your Drinking and Supporting Loved Ones Through the Process with Amber Hollingsworth
To 50 and Beyond - Sobriety for Midlife Women
Release Date: 09/10/2025
Choosing Yourself in Midlife | My Interview on The Change Effect Podcast with Noelle Van
To 50 and Beyond - Sobriety for Midlife Women
Hey there! I'm sharing my interview with my friend Noelle Van on her podcast, because it's all of our favorite topics that we discuss on To 50 and Beyond! In this episode, we talk about: The myth of “rock bottom” and why real change begins with your decision, not a catastrophic event. How negotiating and bargaining with alcohol keeps us stuck Navigating the unique challenges of quitting alcohol in midlife The ways alcohol-free living can bring clarity, emotional freedom, and renewed energy during the perimenopause and menopause transition. The importance of...
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Expectations and Empowering the Word "Still"
To 50 and Beyond - Sobriety for Midlife Women
Episode #341 Hello there! I'm glad you're here. Today, I want to have a conversation about the word “still” — how it can either make us feel stuck, like we’re not doing enough, or trapped in frustration and confusion. But it can also be a word we use to empower ourselves. This year especially, I’ve had heartfelt conversations with women who feel like they’re in a transition, still figuring things out. Whether it’s about their relationship with alcohol or their life in general. There’s a lot of outgrowing happening, a lot of evolving, and I want to talk about what it...
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Tired of Sounding Like a Broken Record? Try an "Opposite Day!"
To 50 and Beyond - Sobriety for Midlife Women
Episode #340 Have you ever found yourself saying you want to try something new or stop doing something? If you said, Yes! This episode is for you! "Broken-record-idis" is a thing, and I share my recent experience declaring an "opposite day"—a simple practice of intentionally doing something opposite of your usual routine, especially in midlife. Whether it's skipping the grocery store to avoid wine, taking a different walk route, or wearing something unexpected, small shifts can spark joy and motivation. Planning a day to do the "opposite" is about breaking monotony, releasing...
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Reminders to Help You Stay Alcohol-Free on Vacation and in Restaurants and Redefine "Day One"
To 50 and Beyond - Sobriety for Midlife Women
Episode #339 This episode is inspired by a few of my listeners who reached out to me via my email. I've heard from so many women over the past seven-plus years who have said, I'm on day one, and I've heard from a couple of listeners recently who have shared their experiences and their challenges with staying alcohol free on vacation and in restaurants. In this episode, you will hear more about my first vacation sober, my experiences in a restaurant in the early days, and honest reminders to help you stay alcohol-free on vacation and in restaurants. You will also hear a straightforward reminder...
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Noelle Van on Long-Term Recovery and How to Transition Out of Corporate
To 50 and Beyond - Sobriety for Midlife Women
Episode #338 Hello there! I'm happy you're here. Today's episode is a conversation among midlife friends. Our guest today is Noelle Van. Noelle has been on the podcast twice before, starting with episode 24 (see below). She is someone I appreciate having conversations with because she is authentically herself. During this episode, Noelle and I talk about where Noelle is with getting older - the joys and challenges. Noelle talks about how being in recovery has helped in other areas of her life and where she is now in long-term recovery. Noelle talks about her life in...
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End-of-Year Check-In: What Will You Focus on and Not Focus On?
To 50 and Beyond - Sobriety for Midlife Women
Episode 337 Picture us sitting down with our favorite beverage and notebooks, and I ask you: What do you want to focus on and not focus on before the clock strikes midnight on 1/1/2026? It's a question I asked myself before I recorded this episode, and this is what we're talking about today! I share a letter I wrote to myself on 12/31/24 with my goals and dreams for 2025. I talk about what is working in my life that I want to continue to focus on in 2025, a few things I want to start, and something I want to let go of and not focus on. Throughout the episode, I check in with you to help...
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How to Love What’s On Your Plate: Finding Joy and Balance in Food and Life with Stephanie Valentine
To 50 and Beyond - Sobriety for Midlife Women
Episode 336 Hello! I'm glad you're here. In this episode, I talk with Stephanie Valentine, a holistic nutritionist and mental health coach, about loving what’s really on your plate—both with food and in life. Stephanie shares her journey and her cookbook Love What’s On Your Plate, focusing on mindful eating, nourishing rituals, and true self-care. We explore how wellness isn’t about being perfect, but about finding joy and balance as life changes, especially in midlife. Stephanie encourages easing up on the strict rules around food, exercise, and rest, and embracing...
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Life After Alcohol: Navigating Thoughts About Drinking Without Drinking
To 50 and Beyond - Sobriety for Midlife Women
Episode #335 Drinking thoughts can be frustrating after you stop drinking. I have had many conversations with women recently that prompted this episode. If you're in "them", you're going to get through them. Drinking to quiet the thoughts only makes them stick around. In this episode, I talk about the most common thoughts many midlife women experience, like "I could have just one," "I deserve a drink," and "Why can’t I drink like others?" I share a walk-through of what my day looked like after I stopped drinking—from waking up proud of not drinking, through the...
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Changing Your Drinking and Supporting Loved Ones Through the Process with Amber Hollingsworth
To 50 and Beyond - Sobriety for Midlife Women
Episode 334 Hello! Thank you for being here today. This episode offers hope to anyone seeking to change their drinking, as well as to family members who wish to support their loved ones through the process with compassion and understanding. I'm honored to welcome our guest, Amber Hollingsworth, to the podcast. Amber is a master addiction counselor, founder of Hope For Families Recovery Center, and creator of the YouTube channel Put The Shovel Down. With over two decades of experience, she’s helped thousands of families navigate addiction recovery using innovative,...
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A Conversation About Seasons of Life, Aging, and Recovery with Leigh and Anne Walkup
To 50 and Beyond - Sobriety for Midlife Women
Episode #333 Hey there! I'm so happy you're here. Today, I'm talking to two of my favorite people, Leigh and Anne Walkup. The sisters are back on the podcast to share their thoughts on aging (the joys and the challenges), perimenopause, and we talk about the different seasons of life. We also talk about recovery and sobriety in the news - it's good news and it's here to stay, as you will hear. The sisters share their thoughts about what recovery is like and why it's beneficial to embrace. They also share their favorite beauty product at the moment, what they're reading and...
info_outlineEpisode 334
Hello! Thank you for being here today.
This episode offers hope to anyone seeking to change their drinking, as well as to family members who wish to support their loved ones through the process with compassion and understanding.
I'm honored to welcome our guest, Amber Hollingsworth, to the podcast.
Amber is a master addiction counselor, founder of Hope For Families Recovery Center, and creator of the YouTube channel Put The Shovel Down.
With over two decades of experience, she’s helped thousands of families navigate addiction recovery using innovative, relationship-focused strategies like the Invisible Intervention. Known for her relatable, no-nonsense approach,
Amber's philosophy is centered on empowerment and compassion, believing that people don’t need to hit rock bottom to recover and that recovery is about redirecting addictive energy toward positive, fulfilling life goals.
She emphasizes that individuals and families have the influence and strength to create lasting change through trust, safety, and a strengths-based approach, rather than relying on shame or control.
You will hear Amber talk about:
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The true process of changing your drinking—and where to begin by taking intentional breaks from alcohol
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The early signs it may be time to rethink your drinking, and what Amber calls “stage three”
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Why is moderation so challenging, given how alcohol impacts brain chemistry and self-control
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How to navigate what Amber describes as "the bargaining stage" to stay alcohol-free
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What to expect in early sobriety and how to approach a break from drinking
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The instincts family members have that can unintentionally hinder progress—and what they can do to truly support a loved one
Amber offers hope, insight, and actionable tools for anyone facing change or supporting someone they love.
Click here for Amber's YouTube playlist.
Connect with Amber
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