Welcome to My Sober Girlfriends!
THE PDX-based social community for badass sober women to connect, learn, & have fun!
Are you a badass sober woman who's been looking for a like-minded community? Come grow with us!
Doors open only 4 times a year, and we have closed for the spring 2024 cohort. We'll be opening again in June, so stayed tuned through our email list! (Sign up at mysobergirlfriends.com)
(Email [email protected] with any questions.)
My Sober Girlfriends is the place for you to:
Meet like-minded women
Strengthen your confidence and pride in your sobriety
Feel heard, understood, and celebrated as your authentic self
Build your emotional intelligence and conscious communication skills as a whole-hearted human
Explore topics that support you living your best sober life
Have fun!
Here's the thing. Our world isn't the same as it used to be. We're looooooong past the tribal groups of forty people that knew each other from cradle-to-grave, but also gone are the bridge clubs, bowling leagues, and neighbors shooting the shit with each other while they sat on their front stoops snapping beans. We're missing something vitally important, and that thing is community.
That's hard enough, but add sobriety on top of it, and... oh a little global pandemic... and now what in the heck are we supposed to do?
Sure there are recovery groups, but that's not exactly what you're looking for.
You may or may not consider yourself to be in recovery, and may or may not tell people you are "sober" because even though you ARE sober, you're afraid of the way people will react to that term. They don't get it.
Member Experiences:
"I didn’t realize I was sober until I attended one of your events. Now I have been able to embrace sobriety as part of my identity."
"All of my old friends drink, and I didn’t know where to find new friends. When I saw your group, I thought This is what I need!"
"I was in another group, and I was hoping that we were going to become friends, but all they wanted to talk about was this new wave of sobriety and how to get other people to become sober. And then it kind of fizzled out. There was another Meetup group that I wanted to join but they weren’t consistent, and then it needed a new leader but I don’t have time to commit to leading anything. So when I saw your group, I realized it was perfect."
Even if you have a loving partner, family you spend a lot of time with, a rewarding career, friends who tell you they support your decision... you may still feel this deep-down discomfort that you can't put your finger on.
What you feel is a yearning to be around other women who DO get it.
Sobriety is important, and it's the best decision you ever made for yourself, damnit!
What we are doing in this community is unique, and it matters.
As Oprah Winfrey said, “Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher.”
What our members say:
"Thank you for bringing a structure and your real-ness and friendship to our meetups. I so appreciate your openness and sharing of practices that make me feel seen, heard, and allow me to learn and grow in a way that feels in total alignment."
"I have so much gratitude for this group. In a time where I was searching for meaning, depth, and finding my way back to myself, this group was a constant reminder that I wasn't alone...I now understand what sober friendship can look like and I'm excited to reintroduce my sober self to the world!"
"I always come away from our get-togethers feeling happier and more fulfilled than when I arrived."
Let's be honest. You may not know exactly what that uncomfortable feeling is that is running in the background, and you may tell yourself you don't have time for a sober community.
After all, you've got your partner, spend time with family, your career, graduate school, a house, pets... whatever it is... taking time for yourself to join a sober community seems frivolous. Your emotional, spiritual, and social needs don't really matter when you have so much to do, right?
Besides, you can just ignore that feeling by focusing on the next meal to be made, the backlog of podcasts to be listened to...
And yet... it does matter. A lot.
Long-term research proves that the feeling you have and are trying to ignore is there for a reason.
Positive relationships are the key to a happy life*, yet it's really hard for us to prioritize the things that make the biggest difference**.
In the beforetimes, it was easy to mindlessly add that box of wine to the grocery cart every week-- money and time just kind of slipped away back then, and besides...shopping and consuming is what society programs us to do! Easy peasy!
In that context, it makes sense that a conscious choice to allocate your resources to a sober community available to you right here in Portland when lonely sober women all over the world wish desperately that something like this existed where they are... a community that can give back so much more to you than that box of wine sucked FROM your life... it doesn't feel... familiar.
That's because this is some counterculture feminist badassery.
One of the founding members, Sarah Grace. Writer and producer.
Our Vision
To be a community where:
- Sober women can learn to cultivate deeper, more compassionate relationships with themselves and others.
- We can step outside of our comfort zone to explore new activities, topics, and learn together.
- Members can grow in assuredness and pride in their choice to live a clear-minded life (and have fun along the way!)
Whether you are newly sober, or "quit partying" years ago, this community is for you.
Life isn't going to clear the schedule for you just so you can decide to do this.
You get to decide what's important to you. The rest will work itself out.
Everything in the membership is invitational. No one is going to coerce you to attend anything.
One Member's Experience:
"Just having you there has been comforting, even when I haven’t been attending the events. It feels good just knowing the group is there."
All you need to do is sign up, and start with interior curiousity. What is it like to be a new member of this group?
Remember, every single person started as a new member.
They didn't know anyone either.
They were nervous.
They didn't know what exactly to expect.
It's pretty exciting... how often do you get to have a cool experience like this... joining a badass sober women's community... that DOESN'T EXIST ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD?!
How will you grow and change as a result of putting yourself and your sobriety first?
What does membership include?
- The greatest value lies in this collective of other kind, intelligent, wholehearted sober women from our local area. It's the only place to find a group of humans like this. We pride ourselves on our shared community culture.
- You'll have a monthly opportunity to meet each other and connect through conversations on topics you actually want to talk about (not typical small talk).
- You'll be in an off-Facebook membership site so you can follow up with individual members, offer your own invitations to the group, respond to invitations from others for activities of your choice, share sobriety milestones, etc.
- Members create events that they offer to other members!
Note: We are a social community, not a recovery program per se, so while our past may come up as a natural part of conversation, we don't make it the focus of the community. You won't hear us sharing our "drunkalogues" as a regular part of facilitated events. At the same time, you and your history, and wherever you are at this moment is welcome.
Note: We do ask for members to be at least 30 days sober, as the first 30 days are a delicate time that typically need a different kind of support.
For only $45/month or $450 for the year, you'll be able to connect with like-minded, open-hearted women through:
- An off-Facebook membership forum where you can chat and private message
- The opportunity to extend and respond to invitations from other wholehearted, badass members
- Opportunities to attend facilitated events where you can learn to expand your relational capacity, and explore personal development while you connect more deeply with other members
- Opportunities to attend workshops on topics that support and inspire us in self-actualization and inward or outward growth
The community is founded by Naomi Veak.
She moved to Oregon from Wyoming for college, and never went back. She's lived in Portland for almost 20 years.
Naomi ditched alcohol and marijuana in May 2018, and began leading events for other sober women starting in January 2020.
Naomi has a Master's in Education, over a decade in the hospitality industry, she's an authentic relating facilitator, and a nature-connected life coach.
She brings a lifetime love of learning, socializing, and a deep interest in personal growth and behavior change to her work creating and sustaining this community.
Logistic Details:
- You can cancel anytime
- If you don't, when the price of the membership goes up, your price will always stay the same as when you joined!
- The membership opens only four times a year to welcome in a group of new members at a time.
- There is no time commitment or requirement for attendance.
More questions?
Check out these FAQ's.
"You are cultivating the fertile soil that is helping my sobriety thrive."
My Sober Girlfriends member
When you register, you'll be asked to create a member profile. Once you are in, look for the next gathering so you can RSVP! There is no obligation or time commitment. We understand that our members live full, busy lives, and you are welcome to engage with the community in the way that works for you.
Any questions, email [email protected]
**https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/06/well/social-calendar-happiness-challenge.html
