Soulbriety: A Plan to Heal Your Trauma, Overcome Addiction, and Reconnect with Your Soul

by Elisa Hallerman

The founder of Recovery Management Agency—the world’s first agency devoted to helping addicts heal their addictions by reawakening their souls—uses her knowledge of depth psychology and her personal experience as a recovering addict to help you reconnect with soul, find meaning and live your purpose.

On her fifth anniversary of sobriety, Elisa Hallerman still awoke with a hurting heart.  This is not right. I am not happy.  Sobriety was supposed to fix her, right? Isn’t that what sobriety is all about? 
 
Hallerman quickly realized that though she had freed her addiction to substances, she had not freed her soul. After years of trauma and substance abuse, she had only covered up the wounds, rather than truly healing them from within. Despite her sobriety, her current lifestyle – a top talent agent and partner at WME, representing the best of Hollywood’s elite – was making her sick. While she was no longer clinging to drugs and alcohol, she was still using food, men, work, ego-inflation and other addictive behaviors to push away the pain.
 
And so she quit it all, in an effort to ignite her life and reconnect to her soul.
  
Since then, Hallerman received a doctorate in Depth Psychology and established the first-ever Recovery Management Agency, one that helps addicts not only recover and their addiction but reawaken their soul connection and live their unique purpose. Leaning on her studies and expertise, Soulbriety brings together Hallerman’s story, philosophy, and methodology encouraging and facilitating us to use our soul as our map, as nourishment, and to create deep meaning in our lives.
  
Soulbriety  is not just about getting sober; it’s about true, soul-centered wellness. It starts when you  slow down  and  grow down , in a way you’ve been yearning for—but probably didn't quite know how to before. To explore your unconscious root system, plumb the depths of your soul, travel your own individual hero’s journey. Hallerman shows us exactly how to get there with step-by-step solutions and incredibly affecting storytelling. And Hallerman is not alone in this endeavor; she has affected thousands of lives, healed many wounds, and inspired countless others to take charge of their life by taking charge of their soul. As actress Jamie Lee Curtis says in Soulbriety ’s forward, Hallerman is “a crucial voice for these unprecedented times.” 

Genres: Personal Growth, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

Published December 6, 2022

Reviews

[Miya (severe pain struggles, slower at the moment) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was beautiful. Deep, honest, and hard at times. I really liked how trauma and addiction are talked about together. It is full of compassion. I think am I am still processing everything, as a deep feeler and HSP, this just went straight to my heart and hasn't left. All the feels. I would about recommend this to anyone...all the humans in this world could get sometimes from reading this.

[Taylor Sprague · Rating 3 out of 5]

I sincerely wanted to like this book more than I did, especially because the foreword by Jamie Lee Curtis was incredible.

To start with the good, I appreciate the vulnerability Hallerman brought to this book and I certainly walked away with some new things to consider. Any time an addict/alcoholic shares their experience, strength, and hope is a powerful gift to the community. The way she flips the requirement for spirituality on its head by encouraging folks to “grow down” into their soul really resonated with me, and I think it will resonate with a lot of folks, especially those who are trying to navigate recovery but don’t consider themselves to be spiritual.

Overall though, I found this book a bit frustrating to read. It’s written in the present tense which became very hard to follow. The there were typos, weird word choices, and a lot of ungrammatical sentences. It felt very repetitive at times and like the same idea was just being worded in different ways. And my biggest frustration was that Hallerman seems to write from a bit of a savior complex in the way that she spoke about her work and relationship with clients.

If you are someone looking for inspiration in recovery or navigating difficult times, this book is worth picking up for the unique ideas it presents about trauma, healing, and personal development. But it may help to manage expectations of the writing going in.

[enjoyingbooksagain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a open, Raw emotion memoir that will help so many people with understanding addiction and how it takes over ones life or a loved ones life. The author Elisa Hallerman PhD shares so much about addiction and the information about helping getting over the trauma and reconnecting ones soul. I think memoir’s like this are so important for people to read so they can have some insight to the role addiction can play with ones mind, body and soul. I recommend reading this. I wish Dr. Elisa Hallerman the best in life in her ever going journey in life.

[Megs_Ginelli]

Soulbriety: A Plan to Heal Your Trauma, Overcome Addiction, and Reconnect with Your Soul
By Elisa Hallerman
Hachette Books
Published 12/6/22

TW- explicit drug use described

I do not have problems with substance abuse, although there are people close to me that do. I have actually had an eating disorder for a very long time, and so that search for the soul is still very familiar to me. Hallerman says on page 42 “before addiction is a problem, it often looks like a solution.” And this is key, this is why addictions happen and take hold. And soon you feel isolated and lost, like something is missing. Even when you get to a good place, a strong recovery, you need a purpose, you need joy and meaning.

Soulbriety by Elisa Hallerman is her story of surviving addiction and trauma but not being connected to and guided by her soul. She shares her journey and revelations along the way, encouraging you to connect to a part of yourself you left behind.

Hallerman has a doctorate in Depth Psychology. I’ve never heard of this, it is new to me. It involves trying to understand the language and dynamics of the unconscious. She created a Recovery Management Agency (RMA) the first of it’s kind, based on a talent agency model. (Before her career in Depth Psychology and addiction Hallerman was a very successful talent agent.)

This is a fresh take on a wide-reaching problem. Hallerman’s vulnerability and bravery are felt throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Books, and Elisa Hallerman for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Kelsey Mahoney (The Reading Nook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Go for my copy of this book!
Pub date: December 6, 2022

I was immediately intrigued by the title & description of this book, as a woman in sobriety. I've managed many times to find time in sobriety only then to relapse, not understanding underlying causes of my relapses. Soulbriety highlights Elisa (Lisa) Hallerman's profound thought on the fifth-year anniversary of her sobriety, as she recognized she was not feeling fulfilled as a sober woman. With sobriety and freedom from addiction, comes this idea that you will have peace of mind and clarity, yet she couldn't seem to pinpoint it. Soulbriety takes a deep dive into what Soulbriety means and how trauma, unaddressed and/or suppressed can lead to a dangerous path of addiction & mental illness: "They relapse because of what lies underneath the addiction. What I call the what and the why: what they are running from; why they are willing to destroy themselves. And the answer to the questions what and why, more often than not, is trauma."

Coupled with her own anecdotes and stories, Hallerman leads a great discussion of such an important topic. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone struggling with addiction, or anyone who is living a life beyond their wildest dreams in sobriety.

#NetGalley #Soulbriety

[Julia Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this book truly exceptional is its broad appeal. While it powerfully addresses the struggles of addiction and the pain of unresolved trauma, its core message of soul-centered wellness resonates with anyone facing life’s challenges—even if addiction isn’t part of your story. Hallerman’s method of “growing down” into one’s true self provides practical tools and compassionate guidance to help you reconnect with your inner purpose and create meaningful change.

I wholeheartedly recommend Soulbriety to everyone who is on a journey of self-healing. Whether you’re battling addiction, processing trauma, or simply seeking a deeper connection with yourself, this book offers transformative insights and a path toward lasting wellness. Five stars without a doubt!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I was interested in how she wrote a teaching memoir (a form of non-fiction that I am writing). As a teaching memoir it’s very well done - she keeps the book moving with interesting (hair raising at times) stories and lessons she learned.

I appreciated the stories at an emotional distance since I have not experienced the soul destroying addiction from which the author recovered and is helping others to do the same.

The lessons she learned are just as relevant to a non-addict, and I liked how she tied the hero’s journey, meditation, honesty, and other psychological techniques.

[Digital_Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should have had a ghost writer. Introduction had me hopeful. No actual useful information for self healing (at least in the first 6 chapters). It starts as a very long ad for her recovery agency, resume included, followed by stories of her clients. One story in which she inexpertly deals with law enforcement and ems had me frustrated to the point of putting this book down for good. There may be actual helpful information in there later but I could only cringe my way to chapter 6.

Untethered Soul remains my #1 recommendation to people looking to cope. If you’re still planning on reading this for the purpose of healing I recommend starting at chapter 7. Might be some amazing stuff there.

[Alexa Lantiere · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I appreciated Elisa’s approach of divulging common themes by telling stories about her own life and those of her clients. The work Elisa’s company does navigating mental health is a truly astonishing given the mental health services in the US. I honestly wish her team could be there everyone in crisis as the standard of practice. Personally I felt this book was just what I needed to help me rebuild soul connection and I am grateful for the ways I could relate to the stories. I found personification to be really helpful and was even able to find a name for my own addict.

[Judy Harper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. Recovery and trauma and addiction are all topics that mean a great deal to me, and I fully expected to love Hallerman's story.
But I didn't. I found it be confusing and poorly written, jumping in time and focus. Aside from Hallerman herself, there are no other people who function as fully developed characters, and I found myself struggling to connect or empathize.

I hope her story helps others. For me, it missed the mark.

[Erica Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. Elisa did an amazing job of describing the feelings of addiction, the hopelessness, the shame, the fear, the denial, the anger. I loved the stories and could relate to so much of what she shared. I would recommend this book to anyone, whether you suffer from addiction or a loved one does it's a great read!

[Hellerzilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciated the vulnerability and discussion in terms of trauma and addiction. Only issue I had was the word choices/thought explanations? It felt unedited at times. This was very informative memoir.

[Jocelin Aguilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

in this book she speaks about finding guides in our life that help us on our journey to reconnecting with our soul. then she goes on to say that her soul guided her to writing this book to help others & it for sure did help me so much. one of the best books i’ve read in my life.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part memoir. Part self help.

[Alyson Landry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening and honest

I loved the style of this book, it was so easy to read and understand with a combination of storytelling and wisdom.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a life saver and magical. I recommend it to anyone who wants to heal their trauma and substance abuse. I will always love Elisa Hallerman for writing this book.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book should have been marketed as a memoir, not offering any practical advice if you can't afford a private jet.

[Morganna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Skip to the last chapter for anything useful, that is where "the plan" appears. Reading James Hillman, Joseph Campbell, and Jung has been far more useful to me.

[Ashley Connolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic fundamental recovery principles repackaged with a new word but nevertheless an inspiring and uplifting read

[VLeighIsMe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grow down into the next version of myself

[Chandler Hedgehog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Are we supposed to heal from your autobiography, Lisa?

[Cindy Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Elisa Hallerman writes a very personal and engaging book. It reads like a memoir weaving her own experiences with addiction and the hurdles faced in recovery. She counsels us about the need for personal reflection and soul searching. She elaborates on the need to look deeper and find the causes beneath the addiction to truly beat an addition. While I agree with the strategy, she advocates that addiction always stems from past trauma. I don't believe that addiction is that simplistic or restrictive. My thoughts are that everyone has trauma in their lives but not everyone experiences addictions. I would love a deeper understanding of addiction and brain functioning or aspects of the brain that leads up to an addiction. Why it is easier for some to succumb to addition and others not so much. I know that an addiction is extremely traumatic itself. And that additive substances change the brain's reasoning to allow for a continuing need for the substance.
The book does read well and I did find useful information and strategies in the book. I do believe in the soul searching that is recommended - everyone should do some soul searching to evolve within their lives - addiction or not. I do also appreciate that this is a book written on the subject of addiction that is not overly focused on spirituality but is more secular and introspective.

[Yoshi Gillette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice biography of a sober person. Kind of like a very long A.A. share, also did a good job at staying in solution. Enjoyable