Demystifying Men's Apprehension Towards CRAFT and Therapeutic Support, with Steve Andrews
Last year, we launched The Woods, our private community for dads, stepdads, and male co-parents. And as much as we would love to help more dads who have kids struggling with substances, they don’t come flocking to our services. I wanted to dive into this imbalance and asked Steve Andrews to join me for a conversation. As a battle-tested dad and therapist, Steve gives us his best take on why men seem to have a natural aversion to approaches like The Invitation to Change and CRAFT and how we can reframe those ideas in a more accessible way.
The Difficult Realities of Using The Invitation To Change With A Child Struggling With Drugs or Alcohol, with Brenda Zane
Because I sit at a vantage point of seeing many parents working to understand and implement the Invitation To Change Approach (ITC) with their child who struggles with substance misuse, I see things others don't. I hear the frustrations and the celebrations, and I know that while an approach like the ITC is very powerful and effective, it isn't a magic wand.
Fathering With Accountability and Grace When Your Teen Struggles with Addiction, with Steve Andrews
We’re kicking off National Recovery Month 2023 with an introduction to a very special person, Steve Andrews. Not only is Steve a podcast guest, he’s also the new host of our community for dads of kids misusing substances, The Woods. Steve and I go back several years when we used to work together in our previous lives in advertising. Through a series of related events we got reconnected and learned we had a LOT to catch up on. In this episode, Steve shares his journey to finding recovery, how his middle son struggled with his own addiction and how leaving the world of advertising to become a therapist has radically changed his life. Steve is real, raw and doesn’t hold back in sharing what parents - and dads in particular - need to hear about taking accountability for our actions in parenting, while at the same time giving ourselves the grace to know we do the best we can with what we have at any given time. It’s a must-listen episode in our four-week series to recognize the incredible power of recovery.
Accepting the Invitation To Change: Two Parents Confront Fentanyl’s Hold On Their Daughter, with Eleanor & Dave
Eleanor and Dave raised their children in Silicon Valley, where they had a nice house, a beautiful community, and access to the best schools California had to offer. But as many parent’s come to recognize, economic stability is not necessarily a shield against substance misuse. In a single year, Eleanor and Dave watched their daughter spiral from a university student to using fentanyl regularly and living in her car. After a brief period of denial about the seriousness of her situation, the couple was finally forced to accept the reality in front of them. The hard work that followed should be held up as an example of what to do right, and that’s why I’m speaking with them today.
A Tribute To Bill Guy, A Role Model For Parents Who Love A Child Struggling With Drugs and Alcohol
It's a very special Hopestream episode today in memory of a dear friend and host of The Woods Community, Bill Guy. Bill passed away June 2nd and he leaves a big gap in the world. If you want to hear the voice of someone who led by example and epitomized the approach of love, education, empathy, boundaries and self-care when your child is misusing substances, you won't find anyone more pure than Bill.
Is It Ok To Use A CALM Approach With A Child Who Misuses Drugs and Alcohol? With Brenda Zane
In this short episode, I tackle the question of whether a calm approach can work when you have a child misusing substances. I share my perspective on why I believe parents often think they need to use aggressive, confrontational tactics to get their children to change and invite you into an experiment to test the theory.
the incredible influence of parents when your child struggles with substance misuse or addiction, with Cathy Cioth
A common feeling parents express when they have a child struggling with substance misuse or addiction is helplessness. In this candid conversation with my business partner Cathy, we talk about how parents can begin to take back some control and positively influence what's happening. It's empowering and uplifting, and we go on a tangent or two, as usual when we're talking to each other.
co-author of Beyond Addiction Carrie Wilkens, Ph.D., breaks down how parents can help their kids positively change their relationship with drugs and alcohol
In this episode, I’ve invited Carrie Wilkens, PhD, co-author of Beyond Addiction on the show again to unpack common stigmas around addiction, understand why using CRAFT and The Invitation To Change approach is not condoning substance use, and why staying curious and building connection is the key to motivating your child to make positive changes.
community required, treatment optional for lasting recovery; finding the freedom and joy of “normal” with Jo Colette
In this episode, I’ve invited Jo Colette, a mother, wife, and brilliant tattoo artist to share her journey from addiction to several drugs including IV heroin, to sobriety, and then to active recovery. These insights will help parents see why misusing drugs and alcohol is often a very practical solution for struggling teens without a lot of tools in their toolbelt.