
Soberful
Veronica Valli and Chip Somers are experts on recovery. Chip Somers was most recently described by Russell Brand in his book 'Recovery' as a 'right social liability.' Together they have been sober for almost 50 years and have a LOT of stories, messes, experience and occasionally helpful advice to share on living in sobriety. They bring all of that (and more) to the Soberful podcast. This podcast is for anyone who wants to live an alcohol-free life, is struggling to get sober or who is in long-term recovery.
Latest episodes

May 1, 2024 • 43min
264: When Other People Sabotage Our Sobriety
Chip and Veronica explore how other people can try and sabotage our sobriety. This is an experience most people have in early sobriety. Whether it is from family, friends, colleagues we may have people in our lives who don't like the fact that we want to be sober. One of the most hurtful ways is when people tell us we aren't 'fun' anymore.To learn more, visit the show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 24, 2024 • 44min
263: Anything is Possible with Paul Churchill
Veronica interviews Paul Churchill from the Recovery Elevator podcast. We discuss how anything is possible in sobriety and how Paul went from blowing up his life and living in his parent's basement to living his dream life.To learn more, visit the show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 17, 2024 • 44min
262: Imposter Syndrome
Chip and Veronica discuss how imposter syndrome can manifest and sabotage our lives and sobriety. It creates fear and anxiety that have to be managed as we judge our insides by other peoples outsides.To learn more, visit the show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 10, 2024 • 38min
261: Life Enhancing Anxiety with Dr. Kirk J. Schneider
Veronica talks to Dr. Schneider about the human experience of anxiety. How can we deal with anxiety and understand it as part of our human functioning? Dr. Schneider is past editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, adjunct faculty at Saybrook University and Teachers College, Columbia University, and president of the Existential-Humanistic Institute (EHI). He is also a Fellow of five divisions of the American Psychological Association (Humanistic, Psychotherapy, Clinical, Theoretical and Philosophical, and Independent Practice) as well as a frequent speaker at conferences and in the media. Dr. Schneider is also the recipient of Honorary Diplomas and Memberships from The Society for Existential Analysis, UK; The East European Association for Existential Therapy; and the Living Institute, Toronto, Canada, whose diploma in “Existential-Integrative” Therapy is based on Dr. Schneider’s original model of this approach. He has authored or coauthored twelve books, including The Paradoxical Self, Horror and the Holy, Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy, Awakening to Awe and the forthcoming Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy. Several of these works have been translated into Chinese, German, Russian, Greek, Turkish, Portuguese, Slovakian, and Korean languages. To learn more, visit the show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 3, 2024 • 47min
260: Ask Us Anything 6 Years
Veronica and Chip celebrate 6-years with the Soberful podcast. Questions answered: what was your first impression of each other? How have you changed over 20 years? Should you leave your partner if they don't support your sobriety? How to deal with stress and crabings? And can you get sober without God?To learn more, visit the show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 27, 2024 • 33min
259: The Alcohol Free Market With Dr. Emily Nicholls
Veronica meets Dr. Emily Nicholls to discuss the No and Low alcohol market. The deliberate blurring of marketing by alcohol companies and whether the alcohol-free market is a good or bad thing. Dr Emily Nicholls is a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of York, UK. Her research interests include gender, identity and alcohol consumption. Emily’s research has spanned different areas of drinking and non-drinking over the last ten years, from the ‘girls’ night out’ to drinking patterns and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also undertaken research into women’s experiences of early sobriety and, more recently, the ways in which ‘No and Low’ alcohol drinks are marketed and used by both drinkers and non-drinkers. To learn more, visit the show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 20, 2024 • 43min
258: Parenting as Prevention With Dr. Camilo Ortiz and Four D’s
As part of our parenting as Prevention series, Dr. Ortiz joins Veronica to discuss the four D's: Discomfort, distress, disappointment, and (mild) danger and how our kids need to manage these feelings in order to learn vital life skills as adults. Director of clinical training and associate professor of psychology, Dr. Ortiz conducts research on parenting, disruptive behavior problems in children, and child anxiety. Dr. Ortiz received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, before joining the faculty at Long Island University-Post. Dr. Ortiz is a licensed psychologist in and runs a private psychology practice in NY. He has made a number of media appearances to bring evidence-based clinical psychology to a broader audience. His latest work, Independence Therapy for child anxiety was recently described in an op-ed piece he wrote for the NY Times. You can follow him on X @DrCamiloOrtiz. To learn more, visit the show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 13, 2024 • 40min
257: Finding Joy in Sobriety
Chip and Veronica believe if sobriety wasn't joyful, fun and interesting, we wouldn't want to do it. Finding joy in sobriety is what underpins long-term sobriety. They discuss how to find your joy in sobriety.To learn more, visit the show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 6, 2024 • 39min
256: The Four Tasks of Mourning
In the second part, Veronica and Chip take you through the four tasks of mourning and how these actions can help us move through this important process of letting go.To learn more, visit the show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 28, 2024 • 42min
255: The Cycle of Grief
In this two-part episode, Chip and Veronica talk about the very necessary process of going through the grief cycle whenever we lose something.To learn more, visit the show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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