Do you have a drinking or thinking problem? This question is at the heart of Colleen Freeland Kachmann’s coaching philosophy, encouraging women to consider the root causes of their alcohol habits.
For decades, the traditional recovery model has treated alcohol use disorder with rigid adherence to lifelong sobriety. And while quitting drinking does work for some, millions of high-functioning, gray area drinkers are not comfortable with the black and white approach.
Colleen Freeland Kachmann, Founder and CEO of Emotional Sobriety Coaching©, believes it’s time to shift the conversation. An Intuitive Drinking Coach and host of the top one percent global podcast It’s Not About the Alcohol, Colleen is offering a bold new alternative to the addiction treatment industry.
Her message is simple and resonant: “Get happy, not sober.”
From Daily Drinker to Thought Leader
Colleen spent over 15 years as a high-functioning daily drinker. “Alcohol became my reward for the fact that I was able to accomplish more before lunch than most people did in a week. So I thought I was getting away with it,” she reflected.
But staying up too late, drinking every night for her much-deserved ‘me-time’, only to race through another day so she could do it again, finally caught up with her. “I was finally willing to do anything to make it stop. And the only option appeared to be admitting I was an alcoholic,” she said.
She joined a traditional sobriety program only to quickly realize that white-knuckling her way through abstinence didn’t solve the deeper problem.
“Of course, it felt good to stop drinking. But my life still revolved around the topic of alcohol. I didn’t want to identify as a ‘non-drinker’ or label myself as ‘alcohol-free.’ I wanted to feel like I could trust myself again,” she said.
“I shifted from working on the problem to creating the solution. I knew that if I focused on healing my relationship with myself, my relationship with alcohol would reflect that,” she says.
Colleen’s personal recovery journey sparked a new path rooted in emotional intelligence, self-compassion, and science.
Emotional Sobriety is Freedom From Internal Pressure
Colleen launched Emotional Sobriety Coaching© to help high-achieving professional women—executives, entrepreneurs, and career moms—reduce alcohol consumption by 80 percent without requiring total abstinence. Her program addresses what she sees as the core issues: the outdated belief that the value of a human being is measured in productivity and an inability to process emotions.
“From the time we are little girls, women are taught to optimize for their behavior and suppress emotions that make other people uncomfortable. That’s why we feel like we’re living in a pressure cooker by the time we get to mid-life,” she explains.
Backed by addiction and recovery coaching certifications, an MSc in Health Coaching, a BS in Biology and Chemistry Education, and specialized training in women’s functional and integrative medicine, Colleen combines evidence-based strategies in self-directed neuroplasticity with mind-body tools in nervous system regulation. Her methods are as practical as they are meaningful.
Rethinking the Recovery Narrative
“The idea that ‘once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic’ is false,” Colleen explained. “Brain scans of the prefrontal cortex show the ability to self-regulate is stronger in people who have overcome an addiction.”
Her coaching approach helps women dismantle internal narratives that rob them of personal power and autonomy. “Our needs are always changing. We don’t need to make more rules for ourselves. We need to learn how to trust our own intuition,” she advised.
Colleen admits her approach is not a good fit for everyone. “For some people, it’s easier to just quit,” she said. She created a quiz that has gone viral, “Do you have a drinking or thinking problem?” to help women discern if her philosophy is a good fit for their unique situation.
The Bridge Between Science and Spirituality
Through a deep study of neuroplasticity, addiction science, and identity mindset, Colleen found a new way to regain control over alcohol. “We are the creators of reality. The human brain is the most powerful tool in the Universe. If you think it’s possible to change, you’re right. If you don’t believe it’s possible to change, you’re also right,” she said.
Her message resonates with women ready to move beyond fear and shame and into empowerment. “The solution to alcohol use disorder is a feeling. When you feel confident and in control, you drink like someone who is confident and in control.”
Reclaiming Personal Power
Colleen’s mission is clear: to help women reclaim their personal power with emotional sobriety. Her thriving 7-figure coaching business proves there is an appetite for autonomy. By reframing recovery as a journey of personal growth rather than deprivation and rule-following, she offers hope to those who have felt unseen by the traditional system.
To learn more, visit Emotional Sobriety Coaching or listen to her podcast, It’s Not About the Alcohol.