Coming Up for Air — A Toolkit to Help with Your Loved One's Recovery from Addiction & Mental Illness

Though designed for families to help shepherd Loved Ones into treatment and recovery, CRAFT turns out to be a versatile framework that you can use anywhere, with anyone. And since our relationship with our Self is foundational for all the rest, it’s only logical—essential, Kayla says—that we’d find ways to practice CRAFT on ourselves.Does this sound confusing and strange? Let our families explain how they've approached this. Our Families Speak series features a wonderful team of people navigating life with an addicted Loved One. They are all members of Allies in Recovery, an online platform providing proven, research-based training, guidance, support and resources for families with a Loved One struggling with substance use.Alongside psychotherapist Kayla Solomon, they openly share their experiences, insights, and the CRAFT-based tools that have helped them shift the dynamic at home.Join Allies in Recovery today to access expert guidance, support, and resources that help families create real change.

What are the pitfalls of comparing your story and situation to that of others? How do you live in the world where not everyone is experiencing or expecting substance use or mental health issues, where people more readily discuss their Loved Ones' celebrations, accomplishments, and milestones? Our co-hosts talk about their own frustrations with comparing their situations to those of others, and how they've learned to handle it over time. A membership at Allies in Recovery provides: ✔ A structured online platform to learn CRAFT skills step by step  ✔ Support groups and a community that truly understands  ✔ A Q&A blog with expert advice  ✔ And much more!Start today—visit ⁠Allies in Recovery⁠ to begin creating change in your family.

Dads come together for a fascinating chat about the work they're doing around their children's substance use/recovery. What's different about how Moms and Dads approach the work? They suggest that the love felt for their Loved One is equal, but the interactions are quite different. James,a father of four, points out that Dads are often focused on detaching from their young adult sons, in order to let them become more independent—and this can also be exacerbated by the contrast of Moms being more involved. Dads and Moms might have completely different approaches to parenting their addicted adult children, but this is OK. Learning the CRAFT method and the Allies in Recovery toolkit has given parents common language and references that facilitate their own communications and dynamics around their approaches with their Loved Ones. The more we stay curious, interested and non-judgmental, the more power we have to positively impact the situation. These fathers lay it all out for us and help us to better understand their internal journeys.A membership at Allies in Recovery provides: ✔ A structured online platform to learn CRAFT skills step by step ✔ Support groups and a community that truly understands ✔ A Q&A blog with expert advice ✔ And much more!Start today—visit Allies in Recovery to begin creating change in your family.

Responding to a question from an Allies member, our co-hosts tackle a tough situation. Our member fears her adult child will be triggered to drink at their sibling’s upcoming wedding. Things could really get out of hand. Mom's trying to anticipate things CRAFTily, but there are many people involved. Worry and high expectations tend to be baked into weddings. Tune in to hear our team brainstorming in real time and listen to the guidance they offer up.At Allies in Recovery, we know that change starts with us. When we learn to self-regulate, it transforms our relationships with our loved ones struggling with addiction.  A family member (whose loved one is currently in recovery for over a year) recently said this about joining Allies: “I would say, just do it! It’s like the Bible of Healing Ourselves. It truly has changed the way I look at people, the way I see the world.”  A membership at Allies in Recovery includes: ✔ Step-by-step training in the CRAFT approach ✔ Support groups and a compassionate community ✔ A Q&A blog with personalized guidance ✔ And more! Visit Allies in Recovery to start your new path towards healing addiction in your family.  

How did Casie Fariello and Liz Reitman come to build Other Parents Like Me (OPLM), an impressive network of worldwide support meetings, expert talks and much more? Kayla speaks with Casey and Liz of OPLM, who describe themselves as "two moms determined to make a difference." The organization supports and educates parents with kids going through mental health challenges of all kinds, often including substance use.For more about OPLM, visit oplm.com.At Allies in Recovery, we train, guide, and support families using the CRAFT method—an evidence-based approach that helps families shift the dynamic with a loved one struggling with addiction. Self-care is a cornerstone of this process, but for many, it’s something we have to learn from scratch. A membership at Allies in Recovery gives you unlimited access to:  ✔ Step-by-step CRAFT training through our online learning platform  ✔ Support groups and a community that understands what you're going through  ✔ A Q&A blog with expert guidance  ✔ And much more! Visit Allies in Recovery to start your new path towards healing addiction in your family.  

Though it seems intuitive and important to avoid black and white thinking, what do you do instead? There are shades of gray, but our host Elizabeth suggests that a rainbow spectrum is really where complexity can live, a world where color, acceptance, softening, connection, and recognition of micro-successes are the path leading away from the contraction and defensiveness of black and white thinking.Visit Allies in Recovery to start your new path towards healing addiction in your family.  

The team weighs in definitively on the question, Is Everyone Creative? They share with us some key ways to get your creative juices flowing and move past blockages, and point to creative outlets you may not have considered.The Families Speak team is comprised of mothers and fathers on a journey with an addicted loved one. These family members have encountered the same struggles as anyone else with substance use in the family, but the journey they’ve embarked on is exceptional. They generously share their experience and tools with us, along with their ongoing challenges.One Families Speak family member recently referred to Allies in Recovery as “the Bible of Healing Ourselves.” VisitAllies in Recovery today and see why.⁠Suzanne Jarvie on spotify⁠ Song featured on part 2: "You Shall Not Pass"

Creativity has been a central element of healing for many of our Families Speak cohosts. For some, it arrived like a lifeline when their family was in crisis. For others, creativity remained frustratingly out of reach during the lowest point of crisis. The team dives into the countless ways we can access creative energy, and how it helped them. "Creativity is in everything if you're paying attention," affirms Allies in Recovery parent, Suzanne. (See below to find her music online)The Families Speak team is comprised of mothers and fathers on a journey with an addicted Loved One. These family members have encountered the same struggles as anyone else with substance use in the family, but the journey they’ve embarked on is exceptional. They generously share their experience and tools with us, along with their ongoing challenges.One Families Speak family member recently referred to Allies in Recovery as “the Bible of Healing Ourselves.” Visit Allies in Recovery today and see why.Suzanne Jarvie on spotify Song featured on part 1: Angel of Light

Kayla and Isabel speak with Mississippi native Jane Clair Tyner, Communications Manager of the dynamic education and advocacy organization, End It For Good. Jane Clair describes the "Thank God moment" she had when she first discovered the CRAFT method, albeit bittersweet: she had already lost her first-born son to drug-related complications. She weighs in on the current challenge faced by Allies in Recovery and so many other organizations who are losing their funding because of the current administration. Find out what Jane Clair Tyner sees as the best possible ways to shine light on the situation and move things forward. A beautiful and inspiring conversation.End It For Good (founded by Christina Dent, who we've interviewed several times) promotes health-based alternatives to drugs, and fights against the criminalization of drug use. Learn more here: www.EndItForGood.comAt Allies in Recovery, we train, guide, and support families using the CRAFT method—an evidence-based approach that helps families shift the dynamic with a loved one struggling with addiction. Self-care is a cornerstone of this process, but for many, it’s something we have to learn from scratch. A membership at Allies in Recovery gives you unlimited access to: ✔ Step-by-step CRAFT training through our online learning platform ✔ Support groups and a community that understands what you're going through ✔ A Q&A blog with expert guidance ✔ And much more! Visit Allies in Recovery to start your new path towards healing addiction in your family.  

For these parents, behavior change started when they began coming to terms with not having control over their Loved One. Learn about the stages of behavior change that we all go through, and how to open to the challenge. Delve into this inspiring conversation and consider Kayla's affirmation that: "If I'm part of the problem, it means I'm also part of the solution!"Psychotherapist Kayla Solomon invites members from the support group she facilitates for Allies in Recovery to share their experiences navigating addiction in the family. These parents have faced similar struggles to so many others—but with Allies in Recovery, they’ve found a new way forward. A membership at Allies in Recovery provides: ✔ A structured online platform to learn CRAFT skills step by step ✔ Support groups and a community that truly understands ✔ A Q&A blog with expert advice ✔ And much more! Start today—visit Allies in Recovery to begin creating change in your family.