ABOUT THE EPISODE:
In this episode, I share the reason behind my passion for helping parents navigate this stressful season of life and share eight important, free, and available ways of being that will help your child become more motivated to change their relationship with substances.

I spend a lot of time talking with professional experts and parent-experts - those of you living with and parenting young people who misuse substances. I recently took some time to reverse-engineer the things I've heard consistently that helped make the experience better and that have helped kids move faster through this period in life.

What I found in the process were eight nuggets of wisdom and insight that you can start implementing today - and we need to act quickly because our young people are dying at an unprecedented rate. 

As a precursor to the eight insights, I share recent statistics about teenage overdose deaths in the U.S. to emphasize why I'm so passionate about bringing parents more tools, skills, and knowledge when their child misuses substances.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Teen overdose statistics
• Hopestream podcast episodes mentioned: #3, #136, #151, #17
• Center for Motivation and Change
• Beyond Addiction, How Science and Kindness Help People Change

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Find us on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
For many parents, having their teen or young adult child undergo psychological evaluation can feel incredibly stressful. They worry that even talking to their son or daughter about the process can make it seem like they think their child is broken, or maybe even that they're crazy.

When my son entered wilderness therapy, I'd never even heard of psychological evaluations - so I never knew it could have been a tool to provide insight into his challenges and strengths. 

And for parents taking a “wait-and-see” approach to addressing their child’s behavior, these evaluations can be beneficial to get a thorough and professional assessment of your child’s psychological strengths, weaknesses, and specific needs. This information can be critical and directive when you're making treatment decisions.

My guest today is Dr. Alison LaFollette, a psychologist based in Salt Lake City with over a decade of experience conducting psychological and neuropsychological assessments. The last seven years of her career have involved working with young people in residential treatment programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and wilderness therapy programs. Given her extensive education and experience, she has a lot to share with us about how evaluations can benefit families with young people who struggle with substances and mental health.

In this episode, Alison and I discuss:

• Myths and misperceptions about psychological assessment
• Who’s qualified to conduct these assessments, and who isn’t 
• Ideas for approaching your child about doing an evaluation
• How test results can be used to direct treatment options

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Alison LaFollette's website: lifeelevatedpsychological.com 
• Hopestream podcast episode 79 with Virginia Holleman on insurance for behavioral healthcare coverage

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Find us on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
The experience of parenting a child in, or transitioning out of, treatment almost always feels like uncharted territory. And for each of us as individuals, it usually is.

But what if there was a way to zoom out and find patterns within thousands of family experiences? With that insight, we might even be able to predict situations we find ourselves in and prepare appropriately.  

My guests today have done just that.  Hillary Moses and Jen Murphy have a combined 40 years of experience working with kids in treatment and their families.  They are co-owners of Solutions Parenting Support, and authors of the new book H.O.M.E.: Strategies for making home a SUCCESS, during and after treatment.

H.O.M.E. is not just a guidebook to chart the territory you’re in or heading toward. It’s also an thoughtful model to sustain personal growth during an incredibly difficult time.

In this conversation we cover:

• behavior patterns of kids in recovery
• a simple model to apply when you're faced with a situation you don't know how to handle
• navigating boundaries and self-ownership for kids 18+
• and how the self-assessment questions provided by the H.O.M.E. model can keep us grounded and in control.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Solutions Parenting Support

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Find us on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
A common feeling parents express when they have a child struggling with substance misuse or addiction is helplessness. It feels as though day-to-day events whiplash you around, and there's nothing you can do to help create stability or calm - let alone encourage your child to accept help. 

The good news is there are ways to wield great influence in your home, with your child who struggles, and in your relationships in general. 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.

You'll hear:

• why we shouldn't wait till everything is "right" to enjoy our kids and life in general
• why it's totally normal to feel knocked over when your child is misusing substances
• when is the worst time to engage with your child
• our point of view on rock bottom
• a spolier alert if you're using the yell, blame, punish, restrict approach
• thoughts on kids who "just" use marijuana and harm reduction
• why Cathy wants you to go to a marijuana dispensary
• what you're 100% in control of

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Huberman Labs Podcast on the effects of cannabis and marijuana on the brain and body
• The Marijuana episode on Hopestream with Dr. Nzinga Harrison
• Stages of Change podcast episode on Hopestream
• Two Sparrows in a Hurricane - Tanya Tucker

Research on parent’s influence: According to Marlowe et al. (1996), substance abusers reported that family members exerted substantially more influence over their decision to enter treatment than other sources of influence, including legal pressures exerted by court-mandated treatment. Research has also shown that family members and significant others can be important resources in treating drug abuse (Azrin, 1976; Garrett et al., 1997; McGillicuddy, Rychtarik, Duquette, & Morsheimer, 2001; O'Farrell & Fals-Stewart, 2003; Sisson & Azrin, 1986; Szapocznik, Kurtines, Foote, Perez-Vidal, & Hervis, 1983; Thomas & Santa, 1982).  

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Find us on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Sometimes, parents seeking guidance and comfort during difficult times are told to “choose happiness”.  My guest today believes instead, we should be choosing joy.

Alex Stavros is the CEO of Embark Behavioral Health, a leading network of premiere youth outpatient centers and residential programs.  Their “big hairy audacious goal” is driving down youth anxiety, depression, and suicide from the all-time highs of today to all-time lows by 2028.

In addition to his decade of work with Embark, Alex brings some unique personal experiences to the conversation.  As a child, his family uprooted their lives in Minnesota to serve people living in abject poverty in the slums of Peru.  This upbringing has given him some much-needed perspective on happiness, joy, and how each applies to the lives of families struggling with substance misuse issues.

In this episode, we discuss:

• the difference between happiness and joy - and why it matters to parents in particular
• how Embark is using this concept to change lives
• and the three major challenges to fixing the nation’s mental health crisis

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Embark Behavioral Health

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Find us on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
If you’re here listening to Hopestream, you probably know that working through substance misuse can take a heavy toll on family relationships.  Even after a child achieves sobriety, family dynamics are sometimes still disrupted by  the intensely  emotional process everyone has been through.

In this coaching episode, I’ll meet Alana, a Stream Community parent whose oldest daughter is now 11 months sober.  Alana has watched her struggle — especially during the first two years of COVID — with devastating  bouts of depression and anxiety, which have twice been made worse by personal traumas.

Alana is optimistic about her daughter’s sobriety, but she’s  still navigating those mental health issues. She wants her to be stable and independent but can’t seem to stop trying to “fix” her daughter’s life with a never-ending to-do list and nagging. In this episode, Alana and I work through:

• How she can encourage  good, sober choices by her daughter - without nagging her
• Recognizing progress and the importance of positive reinforcement
  how self-care changes the way our children see us
• and what I did wrong that pushed my son to continue his substance use 

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Find us on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Numerous studies show that adopted children are significantly more likely to develop substance use disorders. Is this true? If so, why? And how can parents of adopted children support and guide them through those tendencies?

Today I’m speaking with Eric Fawson. Eric has been practicing therapy for more than 15 years, focusing on attachment, trauma, and the substance misuse that often accompanies these issues. He has served as a Clinical Director and is currently a therapist at Elements Wilderness. Eric was also adopted at birth and has worked with countless adoptees, making him particularly qualified to talk about the unique challenges facing adoptive parents.

In this discussion, we’ll be exploring:

• why adopted children may struggle with addiction
• how parents’ state of mind can affect discussions about substance use
• and why it’s so important to be part of a community that understands what you’re going through as a parent with a child experimenting with or misusing substances

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• TCA - Therapeutic Consulting Assoc. 
• IECA - Independent Educational Consultants Assoc. 
• Allkindsoftherapy.com

Books:

• 20 Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew (Sherrie Eldridge )
• The Primal Wound (Nancy Newton Verrier)
• Being Adopted (Amy Wilkerson Lcsw)
• The Family of Adoption (Joyce Maguire Pavao)

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Find us on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Today I'm going to share from my heart some things I've been thinking about which haven't really seemed to fit into any other episode.  I decided to bump the show I had planned as the first in Season Four of Hopestream to share a few heartfelt thoughts with you as we head into a new year.⁠
⁠
You'll learn what I really want, more than anything, and why. You'll also learn something you don't get to do while you're in a very difficult season with your son or daughter.⁠ It's short, real, and a bit of a pep talk/love letter just for you.

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Find us on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
In this compilation of 12 impactful episodes, you'll hear from: 
Dr. Anna Lembke, Carrie Wilkens, Ph.D., Dina Cannizzaro, Dr. Brad Reedy, Cathy Cioth, Steve Sawyer, Dr. Gabor Maté, Mark LaPalme, Rebekah Mutch, Andy Goldstrom, Bill Guy and Anne Moss Rogers.

It's that time of year! This episode has become an annual tradition here at Hopestream, where I open up the vault from 2022, reflect on the year, over 50 episodes, so many guests, and pluck out a few of the golden nuggets that were shared.

It’s ridiculously hard because it feels like I’m picking my favorite children, but it’s meaningful in that I see common threads and themes that emerge through the various conversations.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Dr. Anna Lembke - episode 110, 
• Dr. Carrie Wilkens - episode 143
• Dina Cannizzaro - episode 138
• Dr. Brad Reedy - episode 101
• Cathy Cioth - episode 130
• Steve Sawyer - episode 104
• Dr. Gabor Maté - episode 131
• Mark LaPalme - episode 128
• Rebekah Mutch - episode 113
• Andy Goldstrom - episode 95
• Bill Guy - episode 137
• Anne Moss Rogers - episode 141

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Find us on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
When your son or daughter has been struggling with mental health or misusing substances for any period of time, it can be hard to recall who they are without the external influence of those substances, screens, or social media. Let alone remember who they are when they get consistent sleep, good nutrition, and regular outdoor exercise. A benefit of residential therapeutic environments is that they help re-discover your son or daughter’s behavioral and mental health baseline and identify what resources will impact lasting change most. 

In this episode, I’m talking with the founder of Pure Life Adventure Therapy, Andrew Taylor. He shares how Adventure Therapy is different from Wilderness Therapy and how it specifically supports young adults who are experiencing isolation, anxiety, and depression. While it’s not designed to support young people in active addiction or those who are newly sober, it’s a powerful combination of nature, fun, and deep therapy. It’s a way for young adults to learn first-hand how to develop resilience for the challenges of everyday life. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• The impact of nature on the brain and nervous system
• Who Adventure Therapy is good for and who isn’t a good match
• The difference between “acting in” versus “acting out” and what to watch for
• How to engage a son or daughter who is regularly wearing the mask of, “I’m fine!”
• Why we need to be affirming of emotions and challenge our kids to exercise grit and resilience at the same time

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Pure Life Costa Rica
• Octagon Mentoring
• Your Brain on Nature (book)
• The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative (book) 

This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community
Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms
Find us on Instagram here
Find us on YouTube here
Download a free e-book, Worried Sick: A Compassionate Guide For Parents When Your Teen or Young Adult Child Misuses Drugs and Alcohol

Hopestream Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an Amazon Associate. We may make a small commission if you purchase from our links.