Sobriety, Love & Relationships With Kate Taylor

So, what happens when you quit drinking but your partner doesn’t? Is your relationship doomed? Will they start side-eyeing your mocktails? Or will love prevail? On today’s episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia and Kathleen are diving into the messy and complicated world of love in sobriety.

To help us untangle it all, we’re joined by the incredible Kate Taylor! Kate is a writer who has worked for Disney and the United Nations (yes, she’s that cool), and she’s a big, bold voice in the sobriety space. After drinking a bottle of wine a night for 20 years, she’s been sober for over three years—and she shares her journey with humor and honesty on Instagram. She currently lives in Shropshire, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a massive rescue puppy (who is probably the best listener in the house).

So… can your relationship survive sobriety?

In this episode, we’re asking the big questions:

💡 What happens when one person quits drinking but the other keeps going?

💡 Can you really be in a happy relationship with someone who drinks when you don’t?

💡 How do you handle resentment, jealousy, and judgement

💡 And… is dating sober basically The Hunger Games? (Spoiler: kinda, yeah.)

Kate gets real about what it was like to be the fun, party-loving drinker in her marriage—until she decided to stop. She shares the surprising ways her relationship changed (the good, the weird, and the "is that wine I smell?!"). Plus, we get into the emotional rollercoaster of intimacy in sobriety, setting boundaries without being a buzzkill, and what happens when your partner finally decides to take a break from drinking... but doesn’t do the emotional work.

What You’ll Take Away (Besides an Urge to DM Kate ‘OMG SAME’)

✨ How to set boundaries in your relationship without starting WWIII

✨ Why quitting drinking makes you way more self-aware (for better or worse)

✨ The truth about emotional vs. physical sobriety (yes, there’s a difference)

✨ Why watching your drunk friends repeat themselves for the 5th time is painful

✨ Tips for talking to your partner about sobriety without making it weird

Of course, we also get into Kate’s personal story—how she went from blackout nights to the moment that made her quit drinking, and how she’s navigating a marriage where sobriety wasn’t a shared decision.

And finally, the million-dollar question: Will her husband stay sober after his one-year experiment, or is Kate in for a plot twist? She’s keeping it real, and we’re here for every juicy detail.

This is Sisters in Sobriety—the podcast and community helping women change their relationship with alcohol, one hilarious and heartfelt conversation at a time. Check out our Substack for extra tips, tricks, and resources.

Episode Highlights

[00:00:00] Welcome to Sisters in Sobriety! Meet Kate Taylor and today’s topic—when one person in a relationship stops drinking.

[00:03:00] Kate’s childhood: growing up around famous writers and endless bottles of booze.

[00:06:22] Drinking, blackouts, and the morning-after anxiety spiral.

[00:08:00] The moment Kate knew she had to quit—drunk Kate leaves sober Kate a message.

[00:14:00] How drinking shaped Kate’s marriage (hint: lots of "do you remember what you said last night?" moments).

[00:19:25] The dreaded reading the room moment the morning after an argument.

[00:22:42] Kate quits drinking, but her husband doesn’t—at first, it’s fine... right?

[00:24:49] One year into sobriety: "So, uh, why are you still drinking?"

[00:26:13] Her husband decides to take a break from drinking—how did that change their marriage?

[00:28:48] Why men (especially in the UK) struggle with socializing sober.

[00:32:51] The big fear: what happens if he starts drinking again?

[00:36:25] How to have the conversation about drinking without making your partner defensive.

[00:38:54] Writing letters instead of talking—Kate’s genius communication hack.

[00:42:49] Setting boundaries vs. giving ultimatums (and why it’s not the same thing).

[00:44:12] The awkward reality of sober intimacy—yes, it’s weird at first.

[00:49:14] The baggage we carry from alcohol-fueled experiences and how it affects intimacy.

[00:50:21] What’s next for Kate—career growth, self-discovery, and making up for lost time.

[00:51:34] Kate’s honest take: Will her marriage survive if her husband starts drinking again?

[00:52:31] Final thoughts from Kathleen and Sonia—relationships in sobriety, part one of many.

Links & ResourcesFollow Kate: Walking the Straight LineSisters In Sobriety Substack – Extra tips, tricks, and community support.Sisters In Sobriety Instagram – Let’s connect!Email Us – Got thoughts? We want to hear ‘em.Kathleen’s Website – Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast.Kathleen’s Instagram – Talking relationships & sobriety every day.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sisters-in-sobriety/donations

You know that sinking feeling when you wake up with a hangover and think: “I’m never doing this again”? We’ve all been there. But what happens when you follow through? Sonia Kahlon and Kathleen Killen can tell you, because they did it! They went from sisters-in-law, to Sisters in Sobriety. In this podcast, Sonia and Kathleen invite you into their world, as they navigate the ups and downs of sobriety, explore stories of personal growth and share their journey of wellness and recovery. Get ready for some real, honest conversations about sobriety, addiction, and everything in between. Episodes will cover topics such as: reaching emotional sobriety, how to make the decision to get sober, adopting a more mindful lifestyle, socializing without alcohol, and much more. Whether you’re sober-curious, seeking inspiration and self-care through sobriety, or embracing the alcohol-free lifestyle already… Tune in for a weekly dose of vulnerability, mutual support and much needed comic relief. Together, let’s celebrate the transformative power of sisterhood in substance recovery! Kathleen Killen is a registered psychotherapist and certified coach based in Ontario, Canada. Her practice is centered on relational therapy and she specializes in couples and working with individuals who are navigating their personal relationships. Having been through many life transitions herself, Kathleen has made it her mission to help others find the support and communication they need in their closest relationships. To find out more about Kathleen’s work, check out her website. Sonia Kahlon is a recovery coach and former addict. She grappled with high-functioning alcohol use disorder throughout her life, before getting sober in 2016. Over the last five years, she has appeared on successful sobriety platforms, such as the Story Exchange, the Sobriety Diaries podcast and the Sober Curator, to tell her story of empowerment and addiction recovery, discuss health and midlife sobriety, and share how she is thriving without alcohol. Your sobriety success story starts today, with Kathleen and Sonia. Just press play!

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• Latest episode: 2025-07-28
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