Interview With Your Fave Instagram Therapist (Pt. 1)

Amanda E. White, LPC, talks liquid courage, healthy relationships, and productive fighting

Hey, y’all! Welcome to this paid subscriber-only edition of Beyond Liquid Courage. In addition to my free weekly column, where I answer subscriber questions about alcohol-free dating, intimacy, and relationships, these paid issues dive deeper into my life as a writer and provide resources to support you on your dry humping journey (wink wink).

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Before we dive into Amanda’s interview, I want to let y’all know that I’m co-hosting a sober pride event on June 11th in Brooklyn! Grab your ticket here.

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This bonus issue includes an interview with your favorite Instagram Therapist, Amanda E. White, LPC. You might already be one of the half a million people who follow her on Instagram, or have a copy of her incredible book, Not Drinking Tonight A Guide to Creating a Sober Life You Love. (And if not, what are you waiting for?!) 

Amanda’s insight is particularly valuable because she has her own sobriety journey in addition to being a therapist who focuses on substance use disorder. I interviewed her for my book, Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, and I wanted to share some of her wisdom here as a special preview. 

This interview was condensed and edited for clarity.

How can someone boost their confidence in early sobriety or sober curiosity?

There's a very specific erosion of self-esteem that happens if you're constantly breaking promises to yourself. For example, I would tell myself every day I was not going to drink again. And when you are in the habit of saying all these things to yourself and then breaking all these promises, you don't learn to trust your own word. It's really, really important in early sobriety that people are careful with the promises they're making to themselves. It’s helpful to start with small goals and slowly build confidence over time. Underpromise yourself and over-deliver so that you can start to rebuild that trust in yourself.