When the Operating Room Broke Her—And Built Something New

What if the wine you’re using to “wind down” is actually keeping you stuck in survival mode?

That’s the question I didn’t know I needed answered—until I sat down with Kathryn Traff, neuroscience expert, bestselling author, and founder of Kathryn Traff Coaching. In this raw, eye-opening conversation, we pulled back the curtain on something so many high-functioning women silently struggle with: using alcohol to cope.

Kathryn’s background is nothing short of incredible. For over 20 years, she worked alongside top neurosurgeons at places like Mayo Clinic and Stanford, supporting some of the most high-stakes, high-pressure brain and spine procedures in the world. But behind the mask and the scrubs, she was emotionally exhausted—carrying the trauma of what she witnessed in the operating room and the pressure to hold it all together.

Like many of us, she turned to alcohol. Not to party—but to survive. A glass of wine here, a ritual there… until it became a habit that affected her health, her clarity, and her connection to herself.

What struck me most is that Kathryn doesn’t just speak from lived experience—she speaks from science. She now helps driven professionals walk away from alcohol without shame through her REVIVE Method, a neuroscience-informed, faith-led coaching program that helps women get to the root of their drinking and create lasting change.

We talked about what daily alcohol use actually does to your brain—why you feel anxious, foggy, or emotionally flat—and how you can reverse that damage with the right support. And we also talked about the moment her life changed: a 17-hour trauma-filled day in the OR that led her to not pour a drink for the first time in years. That one decision became her pivot point… and the start of her healing.

💡 The Real Deal: My 3 Biggest Takeaways from Kathryn’s Interview

1. Daily alcohol use doesn’t just dull your emotions—it rewires your brain.
Kathryn explained how alcohol affects memory, mood, sleep, and the nervous system—and why those “normal” symptoms of burnout or irritability might actually be signs of neurochemical imbalance. The good news? It can be reversed.

2. You don’t need a rock-bottom moment to choose something better.
So many of us think, “I’m not drinking that much… it’s not a problem.” But Kathryn’s concept of gray zone drinking hit hard. You can be successful, functional—and still not be okay. You deserve support before everything falls apart.

3. Your healing doesn’t have to start with a big spa weekend.
One thing Kathryn’s journey reminded me of? That change starts with small, sustainable shifts. For me, that looked like planning five 20-minute-or-less things a day that restored me, matching my energy to my activity, and letting go of the “shoulds.” Your healing can start right now—with what you already have.

If you’ve ever poured a glass of wine just to survive another hard night…
If you’ve ever felt like you’re losing yourself while supporting someone else’s trauma…
If you’ve ever wondered if there’s a better way—

This conversation will meet you exactly where you are.

🎧 Watch or listen to the full episode here: CLICK HERE