Changing Your Drinking and Supporting Loved Ones Through the Process with Amber Hollingsworth
To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
Release Date: 09/10/2025
The Experience of Being Sober Over 50 with Donna Ferris
To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
Episode #351 Hey there! I'm glad you're here. I'm so happy to have Donna Ferris back on the podcast. Donna joined me years ago to talk about her first book and memoir, We've Got to Stop Meeting Like This, and today we're doing something a little different. Instead of an interview, we sat down together to talk about what we each expected before getting sober and what we've actually experienced on the other side. You'll hear a bit more about Donna's story in this episode, and I'm linking her first episode in the show notes if you want the full background. Donna's second...
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Create a Spring Mood Board Just For Fun
To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
Episode 350 Grab your poster board or foam board, some magazines, and a glue stick. We are about to get crafty. If you're looking for a creative project to help you get clear on what you want in your life right now, this episode is for you. A mood board is a visual representation of how you want to feel right now, this season, this chapter. A mood board is made up of images, quotes, words, and notes to yourself that match the feeling you want to carry into spring. I'm walking you through a reflection to help you put yours together. It's fun to create, but it's also a helpful way to...
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A Peek Inside My Online Community For Midlife Women Living Alcohol-Free
To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
Episode #349 Hey there! If you’ve heard me talk about my online community and aren’t really sure what it is or how it works, or if you’ve been curious about joining my community, this episode is for you. If you're inside ELEVATE, thank you for taking the leap with me! 🫶 This is one of those episodes, where I said to myself, why in the heck have you not done this sooner? Before you dive in, this is an honest look at why I believe in community in midlife and in living alcohol-free, especially in 2026. I will give you a peek into how my community,...
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You're Not Alone if You're In the Middle of a Life Transition
To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
Episode #348 Hey there! I'm glad you're here. I recorded this short and sweet episode to let you know if you're in the middle of a transition in your life, or multiple transitions, I'm here. Sometimes, that is the best thing I can offer - to let you know you're not alone during this time. In this episode, I share two transitions I'm recognizing with a move and my son living at home. I also talk about why it's helpful to recognize when you're in the "middle" of a transition, and some simple things I do for myself. I share a story about my mom and how I learned from...
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A Look Inside My First Two Years Alcohol-Free: Is This Lifestyle For You?
To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
Episode #347 Hey there! I hope you're having a nice day. If you are curious about living alcohol-free, and ready to make it a lifestyle, or if you've decided to live alcohol-free and you're months or more in and you're not sure if it's the lifestyle for you, this episode is for you. In this episode, I give you my perspective of an alcohol-free lifestyle and what my decision to go alcohol-free gave me in the first two years of living alcohol-free. It's an honest look into my experience after 30 years of being a drinker, a party girl, and a woman smack dab in the middle of life...
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Hey There, Im Lori! A Reintroduction to the Podcast and Me
To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
This is an episode you can have playing in the background as I give you a little bio and reintroduction to the podcast. ☺️ I'm reintroducing myself and the podcast after being in a bit of a transition. I share my story from losing both parents, to meeting my husband Bill in a bar back in '97, to navigating life with our 24-year-old son and our rescue corgi, Franklin Blue. I open up about my journey to sobriety, which started at 43 when I realized alcohol wasn't serving me anymore. After 30 years of drinking and almost two years of trying to moderate, I quit on August 11th, 2013. Now,...
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Becoming a Party Girl: The Night I Went All In on Alcohol at 14
To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
In this episode, I take you back to 1982 when I was 14 years old and the night I became a "party girl." I share the story of my first real experience with alcohol at a date party, from getting ready in my bathroom with my sweet mom Carol Jean, to wearing that pink striped dress that hid my nervous hives, to discovering how alcohol made me feel lighter, looser, and more confident. This was the night that changed everything. It's when I told myself, "I'm cool as long as I have alcohol," and started chasing that feeling for the next 30 years. I reflect on why remembering this moment is so...
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What I'm Doing to Take Care of Myself Right Now - Ideas For You
To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
Hello! I recorded an episode to let you know what I'm doing to take care of myself and my anxiety right now. These are some of my favorites that I focus on throughout the week, not daily as a "work from home" gal. I wanted to check in with you to let you know I'm still here and offer ideas to find relief without drinking alcohol. Here are the daily prompts that I walk you through to practice: Ask yourself: What do I need less of right now? What do I need more of right now? What can I do for myself right now? What can I let go of for today? You don’t need to...
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New Year, Same Courageous and Capable You
To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
Happy 2026! Thank you for listening to the podcast. I appreciate you! In this episode, I offer you a different take on "New Year, New You" energy. I hope that you take time to reflect on how far you've come in life and go "all in" on what you want and don't want in 2026. I’ll be back to the podcast, but right now I’m doing a lot of reflecting and soul-searching. To stay in touch, you can join For personalized support through private sessions, To walk alongside me and other women living alcohol-free, you can join
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A Holiday Check-In: You Are Not Alone
To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
Hello! I'm so happy to be here with you. I'm popping in to check in with you this holiday season. As 2025 comes to a close, I want to offer words of encouragement to help you navigate the holiday alcohol-free. Whether this is your first year, your second, or many years in. I talk about growth, discomfort, awkward moments, grief, and why outgrowing alcohol is a sign that you’re evolving, which is a good thing! I also share where I am right now, slowing down, focusing on one thing at a time, and letting intuition and flow guide me. And a personal story from my first sober...
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
Hope For Families Recovery Center
Connect with Lori
Private Coaching complimentary discovery session
Join my community Team Alcohol-Free
Download The Daily Sobriety Toolkit