Addiction & Recovery
Addiction impacts the whole family, not just one person
When addiction shows up in a family, everyone feels it. It spills into relationships, family rhythms, communication, trust, finances, and daily life. Whether you’re the one struggling with substances, working toward recovery, trying to support someone you love, or growing up in a home shaped by addiction, you’re likely carrying a lot — fear, anger, confusion, hope, guilt, grief, or all of the above.
You might be tired of walking on eggshells.
You might feel stuck in the same cycles.
You might be tired of trying to keep it all together.
You might be afraid of relapse or exhausted by it.
And if you’re the person using substances, you might feel ashamed, exhausted, misunderstood, or terrified that people will give up on you. You might want help but feel scared to ask for it. Addiction isn’t a moral failure. It’s not a “choice you made.” It’s a complex mix of biology, trauma, stress, environment, nervous system patterns, and coping skills that once worked…until they didn’t.
No matter where you are in this process, you deserve support that’s honest, compassionate, and completely judgment-free.
What addiction really is (in real-life language)
Addiction isn’t a sign of weakness or failure. It’s something that happens in the brain and the nervous system over time. Substances become a way to cope with pain, stress, trauma, loneliness, numbness, anxiety, depression, or memories that feel too heavy to carry.
It affects everything- your relationships, your mood, your sleep, your confidence, your finances, your choices, and your ability to show up the way you want to.
For families, addiction often brings confusion and heartbreak.
For the person using, it can feel like you’re fighting your own mind.
For kids and adult children, it can feel like the ground is never steady.
None of this is your fault.
All of this can be healed.
Understanding how addiction impacts the family system
Addiction changes how people relate, communicate, and cope. Partners may start monitoring behaviors or moods. Kids may take on roles they’re too young for. Parents and adult children may get caught in cycles of hope and disappointment. Everyone adjusts their behavior to manage the unpredictable. Families often develop roles- the fixer, the quiet one, the peacekeeper, the one who holds everything together, the one who absorbs the tension, the one who gets blamed.
Adults who grew up with addiction in their earlier years often carry survival skills into adulthood: hyper-independence, walking on eggshells, people-pleasing, shutting down, over-functioning, or never feeling safe enough to relax.
Partners may feel resentful or scared.
Parents may feel helpless.
Children may feel confused or responsible.
Adult children may feel triggered by things they can’t explain.
These patterns make sense once you understand how the system formed.
And once you see the pattern, you can change it.
How therapy supports individuals, couples and families in addiction and recovery
How can therapy help me if I’m struggling with addiction? We explore what you’re using substances to cope with, what triggers cravings, and what you need emotionally and practically to feel safe in sobriety.
Can therapy help after relapse? Yes. Relapse isn’t failure, it’s information. Together we understand what led up to it and how to strengthen support so it doesn’t happen the same way again.
Can therapy help my partner or family? Absolutely. Families and loved ones need support too. We work through communication, boundaries, trust repair, and how to help without enabling or losing yourself in the process.
What if we don’t agree on what “helping” looks like? This is incredibly common. Therapy helps everyone understand each other’s fears, hopes, and needs so you’re not fighting separate battles.
Can you help with shame and self-blame? Yes. Shame is one of the biggest barriers to recovery. We work on building compassion and understanding around your story so you can move forward without constantly criticizing yourself.
What if I’m supporting someone who doesn’t want help yet? There is still meaningful work you can do including setting boundaries, understanding cycles, and changing your part of the pattern so you don’t get pulled into chaos.
What healing can feel like
Healing from addiction, whether you’re the one using or the one loving someone who is, often starts with small shifts that grow over time. Clients often describe a slow but powerful shift.
The home feels calmer
Communication becomes more honest
Trust begins to rebuild
The person in recovery starts to feel more like themselves
The family learns how to support in a healthier way
People stop living in panic mode. Everyone starts breathing a little easier.
Recovery isn’t linear, but it is possible.
Who this support is for
You might benefit from this work if you are:
• working toward sobriety or are sober curious
• trying to understand your relationship with substances
• navigating relapse or fear of relapse
• supporting a child, partner, or parent with addiction
• dealing with the emotional impact of a loved one’s substance use
• trying to break generational cycles of addiction
• exhausted from being the “strong one”
You don’t have to handle this alone.
Why I care about this work
I care deeply about addiction and recovery work because I’ve spent much of my professional life walking alongside people in the hardest, most honest parts of their journeys.
I started my career doing community-based family therapy, and eventually I left that world for an office job where I could finally wear wool sweaters and eat lunch at a desk instead of my car (if you know, you know). And in that transition, I fell in love with the substance use population. My personality, my realness, and my honesty clicked with people who were used to being judged, dismissed, or misunderstood. It felt like the perfect fit.
Since then, I’ve worked in outpatient drug-free programs, intensive outpatient (IOP), and medication-assisted treatment settings including Suboxone, methadone, and naltrexone clinics. I’ve worked on both sides of the system- providing therapy and also working for the county drug and alcohol department overseeing programs, doing level-of-care assessments, reviewing authorizations, and determining appropriate placements and lengths of stay.
I’ve supported individuals and families, sat with people at their lowest moments, celebrated their milestones, and helped break cycles that have been in families for generations.
I love this work because I believe in healing for the person using substances and for everyone connected to them. I believe in breaking the addiction cycle for the next generation. And I believe people deserve support that is real, honest, compassionate, and completely judgment-free.