The Unicycle Committee with Richard RohrThe Unicycle Committee with Richard Rohr
Emotional Sobriety: The Next Step in Recovery
Thom’s Nutshell: Emotional Sobriety is like riding a unicycle. Allen shares some special interactions he had with Father Richard Rohr, and Thom returns to the show to talk Emotional Sobriety with Patrick. Richard Rohr’s latest writing, about The Odyssey: https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-odyssey-a-story-of-homegoing/ Our music is provided by the great southern artist Jefferson Ross. Learn more about Jefferson at jeffersonross.com Visit our website: www.emotionalsobriety.info Learn more about Joe C., Secular AA and Rebellion Dogs here: https://rebelliondogspublishing.com Follow us on social media: Instagram: thomrutledge2 Joe C. Twitter: @Rebellion_Dogs Friendly Circle Berlin workshops: https://friendlycircleberlin.org/events Allen’s book, 12 Essential Insights for Emotional Sobriety: https://www.amazon.com/12-Essential-Insights-Emotional-Sobriety/dp/1955415129/ Join Allen & Thom at our Thursday night, 7pm PST Zoom meeting on Emotional Sobriety and the Steps (login information below): https://zoom.us/j/330149513 Password: 375986 For our ongoing workshop video series on Emotional Sobriety and the 12 Steps, visit our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEM2-kqLkfp3I4c0jy-X-g Also, please join our “Emotional Sobriety and Recovery” FB Group at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/120450976662519 We’d love to stay in touch in between meetings. We appreciate feedback! Contact Patrick, our producer, at pndirective4@gmail.com for any questions or comments.
32:00•16 Oct 2026
The Unicycle Committee: Emotional Sobriety, Richard Rohr and Inner Freedom
Episode Overview
- Emotional sobriety is presented as ongoing practice, likened to riding a unicycle that requires daily attention and balance.
- People across medical, coaching and retreat settings respond strongly to emotional sobriety concepts and report significant personal shifts.
- Richard Rohr describes later life as a time of fewer "big deals" and speaks honestly about the emotional impact of physical helplessness and dependence.
- The episode highlights a movement from personal story to shared and universal story, with mistakes framed as key teachers in recovery.
- Thom explains the inner "committee" and suggests creating a conscious, "benign dictatorship" where a wiser self leads while still learning from other inner voices.
“People are thirsty to figure out how to achieve freedom, especially emotional freedom… that kind of freedom from our emotions is possible.”
What drives someone to seek a life of emotional freedom rather than just white-knuckling sobriety? This episode centres on that question as Dr. Allen Berger, Thom Rutledge and Patrick talk about emotional sobriety as a daily practice rather than a finish line.
Allen kicks things off by sharing his recent whirlwind of teaching trips — from a prescription drug abuse conference in West Virginia, to a recovery coaching training with yogi Tommy Rosen, to a men’s retreat at Hummingbird Music Camp in New Mexico. Across these very different settings, he keeps seeing the same thing: people are "thirsty to figure out how to achieve freedom, especially emotional freedom," and many had their lives "changed" by being introduced to emotional sobriety.
At 84, he says one major change is that "there's not a lot of big deals anymore," and admits that his biggest struggle now is "being so dependent on other people for my care." He talks about the shift from "my story" to "our story" to "others' stories" and finally "the story," and how the 12 Steps show that "it's my mistakes that are my teachers" rather than purity or doing life "right." Thom and Patrick bring the metaphor that gives the episode its title: emotional sobriety is like riding a unicycle — wobbly, ongoing, and something "you have to do every day." Thom talks about our inner "committee," the different parts of the self, and why the job is to create a "benign dictatorship" where a wiser self is in charge while still learning from even the so‑called "bad guys" inside.
A big highlight is Father Richard Rohr’s presence at the men’s retreat and his reflections on ageing, dependence and meaning. If you’re curious about going beyond just not drinking and want to think about emotional freedom, ageing, spirituality and self‑respect, this conversation might be the next step you’ve been waiting for. How might your own "unicycle committee" be steering your recovery?
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