Beside the Influence | Make room for what comes next
Victoria English and Matt Gardiner, the coaches at Beside the Influence

Alcohol has taken enough space in your life. Make room for what comes next.

Support to stop drinking, grow in your alcohol-free life, or find your footing when someone else’s drinking affects you.

Coaching, education, and a community beside you.

Take the First Step Tell us a little about yourself, then book a conversation. No obligation to enroll.
  • 01Victoria EnglishAddiction & Recovery Specialist
  • 02Matt GardinerLevel 2 Recovery Coach

What would you like to change?

“I want to stop drinking.”

You are tired of negotiating with yourself about alcohol. Get support to understand your patterns, build different habits, and move toward a life without drinking.

“I have stopped drinking. I want more from life.”

You have made a meaningful change. Stay connected to it while building confidence, stronger relationships, and goals that give you something to look forward to.

“Their drinking is affecting me.”

You spend so much energy thinking about them. Find support to understand your experience, set healthier boundaries, and make your own well-being a priority.

Different starting points. Support that meets you where you are.

Understand the patterns. Practice a different way forward.

  • What happens when stress hits?
  • When social plans revolve around drinking?
  • When someone you love breaks another promise?

Our work brings education into everyday life. Explore the connections between alcohol, habits, emotions, and relationships—and learn practical ways to respond with greater intention.

Understand what keeps repeating.

Recognize patterns in your habits, thoughts, and relationships.

Build skills you can use.

Practice communication, boundaries, and habits that support your goals.

Stay connected as you grow.

Find perspective, encouragement, and accountability through group coaching and community.

Meet the people beside you.

Portrait of Victoria English

Victoria English

  • Addiction & Recovery Specialist
  • Certified Family Addiction & Recovery Specialist

Victoria brings Stanford University training, experience as a senior-level alcohol recovery coach, and her work as an author to conversations that can be difficult to have.

Her work helps people understand alcohol’s impact, reconnect with their own identity, and find a steadier path forward.

Portrait of Matt Gardiner

Matt Gardiner

  • Level 2 Recovery Coach
  • NeuroHealth Coach
  • Breathwork Instructor

Matt brings more than 30,000 hours of coaching and mentoring experience, alongside his own journey from daily drinking to an alcohol-free life.

Having also experienced his father’s struggle with alcohol, he brings a personal understanding of how drinking can affect both an individual and the people who love them.

Bring your questions. You do not need a polished story.

A little clarity before you begin.

Do I need to know which support is right for me?
No. Tell us what you are experiencing, and we will explore the options together.
Can I get support if my loved one still drinks?
Yes. Your access to support does not depend on their decision to change.
What happens when I take the first step?
Answer a few questions about yourself and what you are looking for, then book a conversation. We will listen, answer your questions, and discuss whether our support fits your needs.
Is this therapy?
No. We provide group coaching, education, and community support, rather than therapy or medical care.

What would you like more room for?

Clearer mornings. Stronger connections. Goals of your own. More time being present in your life.

Whatever brought you here, we would like to hear what you want to be different.

Take the First Step Start with a few questions. No obligation to enroll.
No obligation
to enroll.
Take the First Step
MEET THE COACHES

A shared purpose.
Two personal perspectives.

Get to know Victoria English and Matt Gardiner, and the experience they bring to Beside the Influence.

Victoria English

Victoria English

Addiction & Recovery Specialist | Family Recovery Specialist | Author | Senior-Level Alcohol Recovery Coach

Victoria English is a Stanford University-trained Addiction and Recovery Specialist, Certified Family Addiction and Recovery Specialist, author, and senior-level alcohol recovery coach.

Since 2021, she has served as Head Coach for Alcohol-Free Lifestyle and co-host of the Alcohol-Free Lifestyle Podcast, helping individuals and families understand the biological, emotional, and relational patterns surrounding alcohol use and recovery.

Victoria holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and is a Certified Integrative Nutritionist. Her additional education includes training in the Psychology & Embodied Cognition of Emotions through the University of Cambridge.

Her experience also includes serving as an addiction liaison for cancer patients at Rose Medical Center and writing The Addiction Diaries.

At Beside the Influence, Victoria helps family members better understand what alcohol has changed within the family system, reconnect with their own identity and instincts, and create a steadier path forward.

MEET VICTORIA →
Matt Gardiner

Matt Gardiner

Family Recovery Coach | Level 2 Recovery Coach | NeuroHealth Coach | Breathwork Instructor

Matt Gardiner is a seasoned coach, breathwork guide, and recovery professional with more than 30,000 hours of coaching and mentoring experience.

His work spans alcohol-free and recovery coaching, neuroscience-informed behavior change, breathwork, identity development, emotional regulation, performance coaching, and family recovery support.

Matt's work is also deeply informed by lived experience.

After years as a daily drinker, Matt has now been alcohol-free for more than seven years. He also experienced addiction from the family side: his late father struggled with Alcohol Use Disorder.

Those experiences have given Matt a unique understanding of both sides of the family system—the person whose relationship with alcohol is changing and the people whose lives have been shaped by living around it.

At Beside the Influence, Matt supports partners and family members as they rebuild stability, strengthen boundaries, understand their own patterns, reconnect with their identity, and create a stronger sense of direction and agency.

MEET MATT →
EDUCATED. EXPERIENCED. HUMAN.
Addiction & RecoveryFamily RecoveryNeuroscience-Informed CoachingStanford University TrainingUniversity of Cambridge TrainingNeuroHealthBreathworkNutrition & WellnessIdentity & Behavior Change