When a child returns from residential treatment, parents often find themselves caught between relief and anxiety. Karolina, who lives in San Jose, California with her husband and two sons ages 19 and 17, knows this tension well. Her older son spent a year and a half in treatment and returned home last summer, choosing to
Parenting an 18-year-old who struggles with substance misuse while still in high school presents unique challenges, especially when disrespectful behavior escalates. This coaching episode with Jamie explores practical strategies for managing these difficult moments while maintaining boundaries and connection. Why Distance Yourself During Disrespectful Outbursts When your child becomes disrespectful or verbally abusive, one of
Navigating the transition home after residential treatment presents unique challenges for families, especially when COVID-19 limited aftercare support and young adults turn 18 during treatment. This episode features Lynn, a mother of two, discussing her 18-year-old son’s journey through substance use, eating disorder (ARFID), trauma, and the difficult months following his return from residential care.
When your college-age child is using substances, the space between supporting them and setting healthy limits can feel impossibly narrow. Mary’s coaching session addresses this universal struggle as she navigates life with her son after treatment, while also processing the recent death of her nephew from fentanyl poisoning. Setting Boundaries Without Controlling Mary had done
Parenting a teenager who uses marijuana daily can feel like walking a tightrope between protecting them and pushing them away. Susan, a single mom of three, knows this struggle intimately. When she first noticed her son using substances in seventh or eighth grade, her instinct was to control the situation through any means necessary—including literally
When a child returns home from residential treatment, parents often hope for reconnection and progress. But what happens when your son comes home unmotivated, anti-everything, and emotionally disconnected from the family? This coaching episode explores one mother’s journey through exactly this challenge. The Journey: From Crisis to Treatment to Home Jane’s story began two years
Understanding the Long Journey: Six Years of Parenting Through Addiction When Cielo’s son started smoking marijuana at age 12, she never imagined the six-year journey that lay ahead. Her son had shown signs of sensitivity and struggled with following rules from a young age, eventually using substances to cope with anxiety. Today, at 18, he’s
When your child returns from residential treatment only to relapse within months, the sense of failure and chaos can be overwhelming. For Mandy, a mother of three boys who works three-quarter time for the city in administration, this reality hit hard after spending $150,000 on a year of therapeutic boarding school for her 15-year-old son.
When a child begins struggling with substance use or mental health challenges, fathers and mothers often approach the crisis from completely different angles. Andy Goldstrom, parent coach and host of the Wilderness Therapy and Residential Treatment Journey podcast, knows this dynamic intimately from his own family’s experience. The Business Problem Approach vs. The Emotional Reality
When a child enters wilderness therapy or residential treatment, parents often feel a confusing mix of relief and guilt. They’re relieved their child is safe and getting help, yet guilty about the decision to send them away. For Cheryl, a mom whose son was in wilderness therapy transitioning to therapeutic boarding school, this emotional complexity
