Session 457: Exploring Sober Curiosity
Therapy for Black Girls
iHeartPodcasts and Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D.
4.8 • 5.8K Ratings
🗓️ 1 April 2026
⏱️ 51 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
At the start of a new year, it’s common to see people vow to take a month-long break from alcohol. But as research continues to uncover the toll that alcohol can take on our overall health, Dry January has evolved from a yearly challenge into a full-on lifestyle change towards mindful drinking. Now, a lot more of us are asking, “What does it look like to invite more sober moments into everyday life?” This is where the idea of sober curiosity comes in. It’s not about adopting a complete anti-alcohol mindset, but about looking at it as more of an option rather than a necessity.
Here to dive into exploring sober curiosity with us is returning guest, Kristen Feemster, LMFT. As a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified personal trainer, she aims for wellness in both physical and mental health in her work. Today we’ll chat about what sober curiosity really means and why this movement is resonating so deeply for so many of us. We’ll also talk about practical ways to step into sober curiosity and how to build a lifestyle that feels sustainable and rewarding for your overall well-being.
About the Podcast
The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, a weekly conversation about mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. |
| 0:23.7 | I'm your host, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. |
| 0:30.0 | For more information or to find a therapist in your area, visit our website at Therapy for Blackgirls.com. While I hope you love listening to |
| 0:40.4 | and learning from the podcast, it is not meant to be a substitute for a relationship with a licensed |
| 0:47.1 | mental health professional. Hey, y'all. |
| 0:56.6 | Thanks so much for joining me for session 457 of the Therapy for Black |
| 1:00.3 | Girls podcast. |
| 1:01.7 | We'll get right into our conversation after a word from our sponsors. |
| 1:10.8 | This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. |
| 1:19.1 | At the start of a new year, it's common to see people vow to take a month-long break from alcohol. |
| 1:24.8 | But as research continues to uncover the toll that alcohol can take on our overall |
| 1:28.9 | health, dry January has evolved from a yearly challenge into a full-on lifestyle change towards |
| 1:34.6 | mindful drinking. Now, a lot more of us are seeing what does it look like to invite more sober |
| 1:39.6 | moments into everyday life. This is where the idea of sober curiosity comes in. |
| 1:45.2 | It's not about adopting a complete anti-alcohol mindset, |
| 1:48.8 | but about looking at it as more of an option rather than a necessity. |
| 1:52.7 | So whether you want to swap your cocktail for a mocktail occasionally or fully shift your |
| 1:57.5 | habits, the journey can look different for everyone. |
| 2:02.1 | Here to dive into exploring sober curiosity with us is our returning guest, Kristen Feimster. As a licensed marriage and family |
| 2:07.7 | therapist and certified personal trainer, she aims for wellness in both physical and mental |
| 2:12.4 | health in her work. Today, we chat about what sober curiosity really means and why this movement is resonating so deeply for so many of us. |
| 2:20.9 | We also talked about practical ways to step into sober curiosity and how to build a lifestyle that feels sustainable and rewarding for your overall well-being. |
... |
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