The Catholic Sobriety Coach on Shame, Neuroscience & Healing with Christie Walker – 09/24/2026

A testimony that starts in high school Christie Walker opens up about believing "the lie as old as time" — that she needed alcohol to belong. What began at teenage parties escalated through her early twenties until a roommate and a boss told her plainly that she was going to lose her job and her home. She pursued outpatient treatment at 22, went back out drinking, and then made the decision that stuck. She has now been alcohol-free for more than 29 years, crediting Alcoholics Anonymous for the mindset shift and the Lord for the healing. Her faith journey and her sobriety journey, she says, run parallel — she couldn't have had one without the other. Called to coach, years before she knew it Christie was sober 25 years before the Holy Spirit prompted her toward coaching. After she began, she found an old journal entry from six years earlier in which she had prayed to help other Catholics who needed encouragement figuring out how to live life without alcohol. The four pillars: faith, neuroscience, inner healing, identity Christie explains why she doesn't start with the drinking behavior. Alcohol misuse, she says, is usually a symptom of something else. The Catholic faith brings the graces of the sacraments. Neuroscience explains what alcohol does to dopamine, serotonin, and the brain — which removes enormous shame when a woman finally understands why her friend can stop at one and she can't. Inner healing addresses the wounds and lies underneath the habit. Identity grounds it all in knowing you are a beloved daughter of God — which reframes God as a loving Father who wants your freedom even more than you do. "Wine chatter" and knowing when you've arrived One of the most practical segments: Christie describes the internal negotiating that starts around 3:00 in the afternoon — should I, shouldn't I — hours before anyone actually pours a drink. Julie compares it to "food noise" while dieting. Christie's marker for freedom isn't a number of days sober; it's whether you can take alcohol or leave it with peace. Some women need to stop completely. Others can reduce and the noise quiets down. The work is figuring out which one you are. Shame, the sacraments, and the return to the Eucharist Christie shares that many clients come to her having avoided confession and the Eucharist for years because of shame. Alcohol isn't evil, she says, but the enemy uses it as a tool. When women return to the sacrament of reconciliation and to Mass, she consistently sees their sobriety and awareness grow by leaps and bounds. Mommy wine culture Chris raises the cultural normalization of wine as the default outlet for overwhelmed young moms. Christie agrees it starts innocently as a buffer and can evolve into feeling trapped. Ways to work with Christie Sacred Sobriety Lab — group coaching plus a self-paced course, available as a one-year or lifetime membership. Women only. Members gain access to all seasonal programs. Seasonal resets (3x per year) — Sober(ish) Summer Reset, Sober(ish) Advent & New Year Reset, and Freedom 46, a journey through Lent. One-on-one coaching — primarily with women, though Christie does coach some men. Find Christie Learn more at TheCatholicSobrietyCoach.com. She's on social media as @thecatholicsobrietycoach, and hosts The Catholic Sobriety Podcast. Catholic Women Now airs on Iowa Catholic Radio with hosts Julie Nelson and Chris Magruder. More at IowaCatholicRadio.com. #CatholicSobriety #SoberCurious #CatholicWomen #AlcoholFreedom #CatholicPodcast #SobrietyJourney #CatholicFaith #DrinkLess #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicWomenNow #SoberLiving #FaithAndHealing #InnerHealing #CatholicMoms #Sobriety Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio: Sunday Dive with Katie Patrizio Man Up! with Joe Stopulos Catholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson The Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr Be Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe Be Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián Moncada Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen Faith and Family Finance with Gregory Waddle The Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick Smith The Daily Mass from St. Francis of Assisi The Daily Mass from St. Pius X The Daily Mass from St. Theresa Sunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint John Want to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.