We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tina Von Sachs a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tina , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

My biggest advice is to be authentically you and seek connection. Everything is about connecting with others.

When I started my own business (Holistic Wellness and Transformation/Recovery coach for Women), during Covid, my biggest obstacle was being brave enough to share my own story of struggle and then transformation. I went through a very tough time of my life full of self destructive behavior that not only affected myself and overall well being physically and mentally, but also the people close to me. My family and my friends. I am a certified Life coach, an Energy Leadership Master Practitioner yet was lost in the fog of excessive drinking.

I knew I had to change or would end up dead, in jail, isolated and alone eventually. Alcohol had a strong grip on me and at some point put me in such a dark place that I wanted to end it all. I was horrified of being labeled as an alcoholic, full of shame, guilt and self loathing but eventually had to step out of denial and face my demons.

Once I opened up about my struggles, I found communities full of people like me. I knew I was not alone. I started looking for books, reading about Alcohol and how it affects the brain and chemistry with our bodies. I started learning and understanding while having the support of others. I then created a 30 day Program, called the SoberMonthExpriment, a day to day guide on how to take a break, how to disconnect to re-connect and experiment what its like without the substance for 30 days. During Covid in 2020 and 2021 I helped women from all over the world change their relation ship with alcohol with 1:1 coaching and group coaching sessions. I created a web site, a free e-book and started mentoring in sobriety groups.

I noticed that Alcohol was not the problem but our underlying belief systems, thought distortions and lack of self love. If people would understand how to connect to self and fill their cup first, developing a deep connection and love to self, the need to fill a void with any outside substance falls away.

Today, I continue to help women around their world getting their power back and making Alcohol not a thing any longer. I also work as a bilingual Health coach using the same principles to help people change their relationship with food. I am currently in the process of writing a book and becoming a certified Yoga Teacher to further reach people, especially offer the healing power of Yoga in local recovery centers.

Tina , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I always wanted to help people. I worked as a Fitness Instructor for several years but soon found that while moving the body and Fitness is great, many members still seemed unhappy and would not lose weight, often sharing their life struggles with me before, or after class. I decided to sign up for a very thorough Life Coaching Certification while working full time, taking care of my 3 children.

I graduated in 2018 and added an Energy Leader ship certification understanding that we are all energetic beings, fascinated by how our thoughts affect our emotions and our actions. Despite this knowledge I had a dark side. I was abusing alcohol and had absolutely no control over it. This excessive drinking would create a lot of harm in my personal life but also left me depressed, feeling hopeless full of shame and guilt. On the outside, only the people closest to me knew. I kept up my teachings, my work and other responsibilities. On the inside, I was broken. I knew that in order for me to be able to truly help others, I had to first help myself. So, I started searching. I did Therapy, a 12 Step Program offered by a local church and AA but nothing helped. One day, I searched the internet and found 2 books that changed my life.

With that I found communities full of people that struggled, just like I did and I no longer felt alone. I started to open up, I started to believe that I have the power to change. I started to see others succeed and eventually I did too.

Today I work as a Health and Transformation/Recovery coach. My teachings focus on long term behavior change rather than total elimination of the substance. I specialize in gray area drinking as well as weigh loss with emphasis on understanding what true self care means as well as the importance of understanding ones belief systems and how they direct our lives until we become aware of them. It’s an incredible gift to be able to witness transformation in people and change that is identity based. My clients are woman from around the world.

I offer 1:1 and small group coaching. My program SoberMonthExperiment is a program that runs every month. Its designed to educate women about alcohol, the role our conditioning plays and gives tools that empowers them to take their power back without shame, labeling or judgement. It’s not about absolutism. It’s about understanding WHY we are numbing, examining our beliefs, creating new belief systems that support our growth and getting to a place in life where numbing is no longer needed.

I offer the same program for weight loss clients. What sets me apart from others is that I lived through it. I was a heavy drinker for 35 years and struggled with my weight and body image for just as long. I know what it feels like to be on this hamsterwheel of starting and stopping and what true darkness is like. I found the light and I love to show others the way.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy has been to truly connect with my clients and make them feel seen, heard and understood. Meeting them where they are without judgment or labeling and then gently allowing them to find their own solutions by holding space. I never stop believing in my clients. The aha moments, the light bulbs, the little moments they re-discover them selves and and with that start making decisions that are no longer destructive but helpful for their soul and growth are the testimonies that they share in referring others to my practice.
The testimonies and referrals is what grows my clientele.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

The ability to listen with empathy. To truly seek to understand what another person is going through. To be able to be this beacon of light for someone who cant just see it yet is truly what can make a huge difference in a persons life. Especially when they are suffering in silence which is so often the case when it comes to an addictive behavior. This is the case with alcohol and food. People feel isolated in their struggles and that leads to a cycle of hopelessness and often propels them deeper into the addiction and despair. My passion and purpose is to show that there IS as way out. That there IS a light at the end of the tunnel and that it does not have to be so painful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tinavonsachs.com
• Instagram: @tinavonsachs and @sobermonthexperiment
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinavonSachsLifeCoaching
• Youtube: Tina von Sachs – SoberMonthExperiment