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    • 4 min read

Sonia Grimes, The Recovery Coach



Sonia Grimes' work involves helping people break free from dependency and negative beliefs around alcohol. Sonia talks to The Industry Leaders about her work and tells us how her journey from alcohol dependency to business leader inspires what she does.


How did you end up sitting where you are today?

As a former alcoholic and drug addict, I tried every intervention to get sober for almost 28 years and couldn't.

7 years ago, I understood something different, not about alcohol, but about the BELIEFS I had created around alcohol, which I had accepted as truth. They were not.

Alcohol was just an ACTION I took, and from there, I was suddenly and easily free from the stress, struggle, overthinking, fighting, praying for a change from the outside, when the gift of the change was within me.

I now coach others to that easy change through my Rapid Alcohol Recovery process and Simply Social Drinker Group program - neither is a 'never again' unless that is what you want, and it definitely doesn't have to be the only solution!


What kind of work does your role involve?

I am a Master Coach, Master of NLP, and Soul Plan Practitioner. My work brings all the strategies together in a coaching process with simple exercises to embed new awareness, building trust, and empowering beliefs that change your drinking, naturally and easily.

You don't have to never drink again. Without your learned 'emotional charge' around alcohol, you can easily enjoy a social drink without fear of 'failing', free from cravings or slipping back into daily drinking.


I don't demonize alcohol and do not create fear around it. Alcohol is what you DO when you are not who you ARE and when you have the discomfort of not BEING YOU.



What gets you excited about your industry?

Effortless change, new EMPOWERING BELIEFS, the easy releasing of limiting beliefs, powerful change, freedom, peace, and the understanding that who you are is not what you do.

I research, learn, absorb new information all the time. I create content that shifts thinking; I love the creative process of easy, joyful change.


What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Stop looking outside for your solution, and go within. Don't judge yourself for what you don't know. Become curious about what other information is out there — question everything. Don't accept anything that doesn't resonate with your soul. Your soul has all the answers; you just need to pause, breathe deeply, ask yourself the question, and let the solutions present themselves. They always do.

You cannot change from the consciousness that created the problem; that is the trap. You simply have to know how to widen your consciousness to possibility, opportunity and then ACT.


What, or who inspires you?

My own journey is my biggest inspiration; from being a drunk for 28 years, from hating myself, from struggle and stress to the place of peace and joy I now have. That is the greatest gift of my life, and it is easy!


How do you keep up to speed with what's happening in your industry?

I read/watch. I test, I use.


What was the most challenging project or situation you've overcome?

I don't see challenges. I surrender my trust to a loving Universe, and I work with people who know the areas of business that don't really interest me. I have tech support and a wonderful coach.


I guess running my group program for the first time was a big step. I didn't sleep too well during the set up of it and, as always, it came together in the perfect way to support my clients.





You finish work today and step outside the office to find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do?

Oh, I would travel and explore the world! I would also buy a villa somewhere in Europe and invite all my family for the summer, with water sports and everything thrown in!


I would also really invest in my brand, BIG time. This mad, painful drinking struggle has to end, and I am here to do it!


How do you switch off after a day at work?

Easy: walk my girls (two crazy dogs) by the water, read, watch some crime TV, cook, and talk to my son and friends.


If you had one wish for the future of your industry, what would it be?

That we could be tolerant of the different approaches for change.


What works for one doesn't work for all, we have different beliefs and needs, and that is as it should be. However, there seems to be thinking that one size fits all in my industry. Unfortunately, for those it doesn't' (like me), we slip through the net and feel more of a failure when the truth is, the method wasn't for us.



What book or podcast should everyone know about?

I LOVE Caroline Myss - all her work and, in particular, Advanced Energy Anatomy.


How should people connect with you?

I would love to hear from anyone who is still struggling to change their drinking; my details are:


I have a private FB group called 'From Alcohol Pain to Peace', which can be found here. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2448966251811814



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