The more we try to help our kids the more we lose ourselves sometimes. Tips for reclaiming control of your life.
If you feel like your mood depends on your child, you’re not alone. When your child is struggling with substance use, it can feel like your entire day rises and falls with what they do. If they’re doing well, you’re okay.If they’re not, everything feels off. One interaction can determine your whole day. This is […]
Why Your Child’s Behavior Hijacks Your Mood (and How to Take Your Life Back) Read More »
If you’re a parent whose child is struggling with alcohol or substance use, you’ve probably been told a hundred different things to do or not do and many probably feel like blame and make you feel worse. Let them hit rock bottom. You can’t help unless they want it. Don’t enable. I tried all of
What Is CRAFT? A Science-Based Approach to Helping Your Child Struggling with Addiction Read More »
A Compassionate Approach to One of the Hardest Parenting Decisions When your child is struggling with substance use, one of the most painful and confusing questions you may face is:“Should I kick them out?” There’s no easy answer. No perfect formula. And certainly no one-size-fits-all approach. But what I know for sure is this:This decision
Should I Kick Out My Child Who Uses Substances? Read More »
The holidays can be a challenging time, especially if you’re carrying the weight of your child’s substance use. If you’re dreading Thanksgiving, Christmas, or the holiday season in general, please know you’re not alone. I understand how overwhelming it can feel. The holidays often magnify everything we’re struggling with—the pain, the uncertainty, and the longing
How to Navigate the Holidays with Peace and Intention Read More »
When I see family involvement in recovery, it reminds me of how it’s considered “normal” for families to invest heavily in sports. From wearing team colors to traveling long distances and making significant investments in equipment and competitions. It’s a collective family effort that’s celebrated. Yet, when it comes to supporting a child struggling with
Why Do We Celebrate Family Involvement in Sports, But Not Recovery? Read More »
Yesterday I was sitting at my desk contemplating a social media post when I got an email thanking me for some of the classes I’ve offered. The sender shared she is now navigating her relationships confidently without sacrificing what feels right to her. Her email got me thinking about values, the impact they’ve had on
Parenting With Values Read More »
The sibling of your child struggling with substances has their own struggle with what their family is going through, but I haven’t shared much about supporting them, so I thought I’d do that today. Everything I share in this post is a slightly modified version of what I would tell you to do for your
Siblings Need Support Too Read More »
I was in Destin with two of my best friends for the last week. It’s always incredible to be in their presence and being with them on a beautiful white sand beach with crystal clear turquoise water is a bonus. I drove home from Destin yesterday feeling restored by our time together. After about 2 days with
Do You Need Rest, Restoration, Rejuvination, or Self Care? Read More »
Setting and maintaining boundaries is a crucial aspect of healthy relationships and personal well-being. It’s important to understand that the effectiveness of boundaries is not solely determined by the immediate behavioral changes in others. Two common pitfalls in measuring the success of boundaries are expecting others to change and having unrealistic expectations for the boundaries
Measuring the Success of Boundaries: Avoiding Common Mistakes Read More »
Last week I was in Sarasota near Siesta Key beach and took a walk through a neighborhood I had never been in before. I was talking to my mother on the phone as I walked, so I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was going. Next thing I knew was standing in front of
The Power of Community, Planting Seeds of Change Read More »
As parents of children struggling with substances, we’re used to identifying feelings of fear, anger, sadness, and guilt, but we don’t always identify the grief we feel. Probably because grief is usually associated with death, but there are many types of loss that cause grief. Ambiguous loss is when the person you’re grieving is physically
Identifying Ambiguous Grief When Your Child Is Struggling With Substances Read More »
One of the reasons anxiety is so debilitating is that it’s too vague to be solved so we feel powerless over it.
Understanding the difference between worry, stress, and anxiety, where they happen in your body, and what functions they serve will help you work through them as they come up.
Worry, stress, and anxiety are trying to signal to you that you have an unmet need so you can meet the needs that they’re signaling.
The Difference Between Worry, Stress, Anxiety, & Overwhelm & How To regulate Them Read More »
Are you dreading Thanksgiving & Christmas? When you’re already struggling because of your child’s substance use, the holidays can be overwhelming and painful. You can’t control what your child does, but you can be intentional with how you respond to what happens, plan ahead to meet your emotional needs, and set the tone for your
3 Steps To Create Holiday Peace & Maybe Even Some Joy Read More »
I contributed #5 to a Rent.com article. These are all great ideas about what to do with 15 minutes of free time. None of us knew what else was being contributed to the article so I love that the theme turned out to be slow down, meditate, and journal. 15 minutes doesn’t seem like a
What To Do With 15 Minutes Of Free Time Read More »
If you’re struggling with anxiety, fear, and panic about your child’s addiction this playlist is for you. So many struggling parents have reached out to me about this lately so I am putting some of my favorite podcasts and videos in one place for you. Listen as many times as you need to and take
Release Anxiety, Panic, and Fear About Your Child’s Addiction Playlist Read More »
This week I got to interview my daughter. You’ve been hearing my experience of her addiction so I think that it’s important to hear what her experience was like as well. Some of the things we talked about: · What was it like when I looked to you to be ok to make me
Interview With My Daughter Read More »
Do you ever feel like your mood changes like the weather? Last week I was full of gratitude and peace. This week I’ve been riding an emotional roller coaster. My daughter is safe in rehab and doing well, so these emotions are all about me and my personal battle. I’ve had to wean off my
Does Your Mood Change Like The Weather? Read More »
Our identities aren’t fixed. They can be changed. We talk about how to deconstruct and reconstruct our identities.
How Our Identity And Titles Limit Us And How To Change It Read More »
What do you want right now that you aren’t giving yourself? Today Kim and I talked about the reasons we don’t give ourselves what we want. Some of the topics we discussed: How successful dieting requires a mindset shift How your look at failure determines your willingness to try things you might fail at Limiting
Why You Don’t Give Yourself What You Want Read More »
Do you know if you have a fixed or growth mindset? If you’re like I was, you probably never thought about it before. Mindset about abilities determines our accomplishments and fulfillment. In this video we talk about: The difference between fixed and growth mindset How mindset is just a belief that can be changed Thoughts
How A Growth Mindset Can Transform Your Life Read More »