Slow Down and Grow Down: Soulbriety & Life Lessons from Hollywood Agent Turned Recovery Doctor, Elisa Hallerman
On her fifth anniversary of sobriety, Elisa Hallerman awoke with a hurting heart.
Elisa quickly realized that she had freed her addiction to substances but had not released her soul. After years of trauma and substance abuse, she had covered the wounds rather than truly healing them from within.
Despite her sobriety, her lifestyle as a top Hollywood talent agent, with clients like Vince Vaughn and others in the Hollywood elite, made her unwell. In this episode, Elisa shares her path to Soulbriety: a soul journey from being addicted to drugs and alcohol, suffering from PTSD and chronic trauma, to changing her career entirely and going back to school in her forties. This conversation includes a discussion of substance abuse, eating disorders, and grief.
Elisa’s book - SOULBRIETY: Heal Your Trauma, Overcome Addiction, and Reconnect with Your Soul is one of my favorites of the year. It’s not just about getting sober; it’s about soul-centered wellness, life lessons, and the practice of slowing down and growing down in a way many of us have been yearning for.
In this episode, we discuss:
What trauma means, how to spot it, and what to do to begin to treat it
How Dr. Hallerman found something missing on the fifth anniversary of her sobriety, retiring from the entertainment industry, and going back to school for a doctorate
Feeling shame: for existing, for being a woman who dares to sit in rooms with men, and for having a brain and ambition
The “work mask” and protective shield Dr. Hallerman wore as she navigated her Hollywood experience and how we can each begin to break through our maks and become our authentic selves
The Vince Vaugh breakup and how that experience became one of the best things that ever happened to Dr. Hallerman
Why disease is part of the family unit - and how disordered behavior and addiction is often bringing awareness to something that’s been bubbling under the surface of the family system
Why having breakdowns within the family unit, setting boundaries, and eventually re-establishing relationships can be the best emotional path forward
Depth Psychology, soul as a meaning-making machine + the 12 steps we go through
“Growing down” into who we truly are
The Soulbriety method, pausing in the darkness, applying a different way of knowing, and allowing our pain to be alchemized into purpose
Soul vs. Spirituality: the difference and why it’s important to work with both
Resources:
Learn more about Dr. Hallerman’s work and get her new book SOULBRIETY: Heal Your Trauma, Overcome Addiction, and Reconnect with Your Soul
Follow on IG at @drelisahallerman
Want to chat about this episode? Text 📲 at +1 (323) 405-9256
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Your Woo Woo Best Friend is a podcast about attainable transformation by Andi Alleman. The show offers a no bs approach to spirituality + cosmic ideas & practical advice for a high-vibe life. Our show features solo episodes with stories, ideas, tips, and musings collected and downloaded and interviews with radically magical and inspirational guests. We bask in the light and dabble in the dark.
This show is produced, mixed, recorded + additional music by Ben Alleman
Closing music: Pet Fangs
