“What You Resist Will Persist,” with John Amodeo“What You Resist Will Persist,” with John Amodeo
Emotional Sobriety: The Next Step in Recovery
Former guest and longtime friend John Amodeo joins Allen and Thom to advocate “gentle presence” 9 making ourselves available to the full range of what we’re experiencing in the moment, whether pleasure and pain. People are afraid of their emotions - “If I start crying, when will I stop?” The greater danger, in our experience, is the suppression of emotion. We also touch on processing failure and mistakes, cautioning against blame. When we get stuck in blame, we don’t learn and grow from our experiences. Buy John’s new book, The Power of Gentle Presence: Insights for Inner Peace & Deeper Relationships here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1HLNFV5 Visit our website: www.emotionalsobriety.info Follow us on social media: Instagram: thomrutledge2 Joe C. Twitter: @Rebellion_Dogs Learn more about Joe C., Secular AA and Rebellion Dogs here: https://rebelliondogspublishing.com 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.
37:17•16 Feb 2026
Embrace Your Emotions: The Path to Inner Peace
Episode Overview
- Embrace your emotions to foster inner peace.
- Avoid suppressing feelings to promote personal growth.
- Set boundaries with kindness for healthier relationships.
- Distinguish between healthy and toxic shame.
- Share feelings with safe individuals to combat loneliness.
“What you resist will persist.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? In this episode, Thom Rutledge and Dr. Allen Berger welcome back John Amodeo to discuss the transformative power of embracing emotions. John, a seasoned author and psychotherapist, advocates for a 'gentle presence' approach to dealing with emotions. This means allowing yourself to fully experience emotions, whether they bring pleasure or pain, without suppression. The conversation explores the dangers of bottling up emotions and how doing so can hinder personal growth.
John shares insights from his new book, "The Power of Gentle Presence," emphasizing that being present with our feelings is foundational for inner peace and deeper relationships. The hosts and John delve into the concept of healthy shame versus toxic shame, the importance of setting boundaries with kindness, and how genuine connections can alleviate loneliness. They highlight the value of accepting oneself, mistakes and all, as a path to emotional sobriety.
This episode is a reminder that feeling your emotions and sharing them with safe people is not just okay—it's essential for healing and growth. Ready to embrace your emotions and find peace?
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