Living While Loving Your Child Through Addiction

Latest Episodes:

EP 129 A Human Approach to Recovery: Why Making Whole Works When Programs Fall Short With Guest Jeremy French Nov 29, 2025

Show notes

When traditional treatment hasn’t created the changes you hoped for, it’s easy to feel like there’s nowhere left to turn. In this episode, Jeremy French -founder of Making Whole -offers a completely different way of seeing substance use and what people actually need for recovery and a meaningful life.

In this episode, we explore:

How substance use becomes a powerful solution because it temporarily solves real problems - and how that solution eventually shrinks a person’s world and limits their ability to live, grow, and function.
The missing piece in the treatment world: very few places help people build the everyday skills, confidence, and problem-solving needed for real life. Making Whole fills that gap with an apprenticeship model where change happens through real work, real responsibility, and a supportive environment.
Why real-life experience, individualized support, and authentic human connection create more lasting change than rigid, one-size-fits-all treatment models.

If you’ve been searching for a clearer, more human understanding of recovery and a program that sees the whole person, not just the substance use, you’ll find this conversation eye-opening and hopeful.

Listen to Jeremy’s first episode:

https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/nmXFafnEFYb

Contact Jeremy French at Making Whole

https://makingwhole.com/

Resources From Heather Ross Coaching

If you want answers and support to help you and your child Sign up for a 45-minute $17 Road to Recovery call with Heather using the link below.

https://heatherrosscoachingcalendar.as.me/RoadtoRecovery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The truth about enabling - If you've ever worried about enabling, this guide is for you!

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/perspective-about-enabling/

How to leave a podcast review

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5xkPZM8mj-E

EP128 When Love Replaces Fear, You See Everything Differently With Guest Meagan Skidmore Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

We all start out with dreams for our kids — who they’ll be, what their lives will look like, and how it will feel to be their parent. But when it doesn't turn out anything like we expected, fear kicks in.

Maybe your child is struggling with substances, their mental health, or their identity.

Maybe they’ve made choices that scare you, or revealed parts of themselves that challenge everything you thought you knew.

When that happens, it can feel like the ground beneath you gives way. The future you imagined disappears, and you’re left wondering how to love your child — and yourself — in a world that suddenly looks unrecognizable.

In this deeply moving conversation, Heather talks with Meagan Skidmore, author of TransparentSEE: How I Learned to See Through My Journey as a Parent of a Transgender Kiddo.

When Meagan’s child came out as transgender, it shook her beliefs about love, faith, and family — and became the catalyst for profound personal growth.

Together, Heather and Meagan explore what happens when your heart breaks open — and how love, curiosity, and acceptance can rebuild what fear once tried to destroy.

They talk about:

The moment you realize your child’s life won’t follow the script you wrote
How to confront the fear and grief that come with shattered expectations
Why “whole love” — not perfect love — is what heals relationships
The difference between fixing your child and truly seeing them
How letting go of the need for certainty can lead to deeper peace and connection

Whether your child’s struggle is with substances, identity, or something else entirely, this conversation will remind you:

You’re not alone. And even when life doesn’t go as planned, you can still find peace — by loving the child you have for who they are, not who you imagined they'd be.

Contact Meagan or purchase her book:

https://meaganskidmorecoaching.com/media-page/

Resources From Heather Ross Coaching

If you want answers and support to help you and your child Sign up for a 45-minute $17 Road to Recovery call with Heather using the link below.

https://heatherrosscoachingcalendar.as.me/RoadtoRecovery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The truth about enabling - If you've ever worried about enabling, this guide is for you!

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/perspective-about-enabling/

Boundaries That Create Connection Masterclass

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/boundaries-that-create-connection-masterclass/

How to leave a podcast review

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5xkPZM8mj-E

EP 127 Why Criminalization And Tougher Penalties Aren't The Answer With Guest Susan Ousterman Oct 19, 2025

Show notes

When we say “justice,” do we mean punishment - or safety, dignity, and repair?

In this episode, advocate Susan Ousterman joins Heather to rethink what justice looks like in the overdose crisis. Drawing from lived experience and years of policy work, Susan explains how criminalization fuels stigma, why harsher penalties (including drug-induced homicide laws) backfire, and how they even undercut Good Samaritan protections. Together, we trace the real barriers families face including insurance denials, short detox stays, patchwork care, and outline what actually saves lives: non-discriminatory, evidence-based treatment, harm reduction, and policies rooted in compassion rather than fear. If you’ve ever been told that “tougher laws” are the answer, this conversation offers a different perspective.

Connect with Susan:

https://www.vilomahfoundation.com/

Resources From Heather Ross Coaching

If you want answers and support to help you and your child Sign up for a 45-minute $17 Road to Recovery call with Heather using the link below.

https://heatherrosscoachingcalendar.as.me/RoadtoRecovery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The truth about enabling - If you've ever worried about enabling, this guide is for you!

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/perspective-about-enabling/

How to leave a podcast review

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5xkPZM8mj-E

EP 126 Beyond Addiction How Science and Kindness Help People Change with Dr. Carrie Wilkens Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

What happens when compassion, science, and family come together to reshape the way we understand addiction?

In this powerful episode, I talk with Dr. Carrie Wilkens co-founder of the Center for Motivation and Change (CMC) and co-author of Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change.

We talk about the origins of CMC and how that created a blueprint that challenged the “tough love” approach so many families have been told is their only option. Together, we explore what has changed in addiction science over the past decade, what remains misunderstood, and how kindness continues to transform lives.

You’ll hear us dig into:

• What’s new in the 10th Anniversary Edition of Beyond Addiction—and how the science has evolved in the last decade.

• Why relapse doesn’t erase progress and how parents can reframe it in ways that bring more peace of mind.

• The harmful oversimplification of “choice” in addiction and how to think about it in a more accurate and compassionate way.

• How parents can move beyond the paralyzing fear of “enabling” and make decisions that truly serve their family.

This is a conversation filled with wisdom, validation, and forward-looking hope for families who want a different path. One based on connection, science, and love.

CMC Resources and Links:

Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change (10th Anniversary Edition) https://cmcffc.org/resources/books-and-workbooks

Support the Center for Motivation and Change: https://motivationandchange.com https://cmcffc.org/ways-to-give

Resources From Heather Ross Coaching

If you want answers and support to help you and your child Sign up for a 45-minute $17 Road to Recovery call with Heather using the link below.

https://heatherrosscoachingcalendar.as.me/RoadtoRecovery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The truth about enabling - If you've ever worried about enabling, this guide is for you!

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/perspective-about-enabling/

Boundaries That Create Connection Masterclass

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/boundaries-that-create-connection-masterclass/

How to leave a podcast review

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5xkPZM8mj-E

EP 125 Holistic Trauma Healing With Guest Jackie Jackson Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

Heather talks with author Jackie Jackson about her new book, Holistic Trauma Healing: Strategies to Integrate the Body, Mind, and Spirit. Jackie shares her personal journey and what she’s learned about healing beyond traditional approaches and integrating different healing modalities.

You’ll hear:

• How trauma shows up in everyday ways like anxiety, people-pleasing, and exhaustion.

• Why healing the body is just as important as healing the mind.

• What post-traumatic growth and emotional resilience can look like.

This conversation is both heartfelt and practical, offering encouragement, wisdom, and gentle guidance for anyone navigating their own path of healing.

Resources From Heather Ross Coaching

If you want answers and support to help you and your child Sign up for a 45-minute $17 Road to Recovery call with Heather using the link below.

https://heatherrosscoachingcalendar.as.me/RoadtoRecovery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The truth about enabling - If you've ever worried about enabling, this guide is for you!

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/perspective-about-enabling/

How to leave a podcast review

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5xkPZM8mj-E

Connect with Jackie

Website: jacquelinejackson.net

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738779555

Download her free parent guide

https://www.jacquelinejackson.net/podcast-landing-page

EP124 You Really Do Have A Choice - Even When You Think You Don't Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

When you’re parenting a child who struggles with substances, it can feel like you don’t have a choice. The options in front of you often feel terrible, and the weight of helplessness colors everything.

I know this firsthand—during the years of my daughter Helanna’s substance use, I felt like my life was completely at the effect of hers. Without a sense of agency, everything felt horrific, like there was no “in-between”—just unbearable.

But the truth is even when you don’t like your options, you are still choosing. And recognizing that changes everything. It shifts you from powerless to empowered. It brings back agency, softens the edges of the pain, and helps you move forward instead of feeling consumed by chaos.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why it feels like you don’t have a choice (and the real difference between “I don’t like my choices” and “I don’t have choices”).

• How every decision has both a cost and a benefit—and how naming those trade-offs can ease resentment and regret.

• The concept of choice stacking.

• Why waiting for certainty keeps you stuck, and how clarity actually comes after you decide.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, powerless, or waiting for your child to change before you can breathe again, this episode will help you take your power back in a compassionate, grounded way.

Resources From Heather Ross Coaching

If you want answers and support to help you and your child Sign up for a 45-minute $17 Road to Recovery call with Heather using the link below.

https://heatherrosscoachingcalendar.as.me/RoadtoRecovery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The truth about enabling - If you've ever worried about enabling, this guide is for you!

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/perspective-about-enabling/

How to leave a podcast review

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5xkPZM8mj-E

EP123 Why It’s Not About the Alcohol with Guest Colleen Freeland Aug 16, 2025

Show notes

Guest Colleen Freeland opens up about her 20-year struggle with daily drinking, even while maintaining what looked like a “perfect” high-achieving life. She shares the pivotal moment when she realized alcohol wasn’t the real problem—it was what she believed about herself—and that what she truly needed was to do less, not more.

That insight led her to create a whole new approach to change. In this episode, Colleen explains why emotional sobriety matters more than willpower, why drinking less doesn’t mean giving up joy, and how she helps women cut back by up to 80% with tools that calm the nervous system and rebuild self-trust.

This is not another story about “just quitting.” Colleen shows why emotional sobriety is the missing piece for so many women, how cutting back can feel empowering, and what it really means to get happy, not sober.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in shame, perfectionism, or the belief that alcohol is the only problem—you’ll walk away from this conversation with hope, clarity, and a whole new way to think about change.

Resources From Heather Ross Coaching

If you want answers and support to help you and your child Sign up for a 45-minute $17 Road to Recovery call with Heather using the link below.

https://heatherrosscoachingcalendar.as.me/RoadtoRecovery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The truth about enabling - If you've ever worried about enabling, this guide is for you!

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/perspective-about-enabling/

Boundaries That Create Connection Masterclass

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/boundaries-that-create-connection-masterclass/

How to leave a podcast review

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5xkPZM8mj-E

Connect with Colleen Freeland

https://emotionalsobrietycoaching.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@hangoverwhisperer

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-not-about-the-alcohol/id1654335817

EP122 Why Confrontation Backfires And What to Do Instead Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

You’re told to “hold them accountable” but what if that’s not moving them toward change? Heather shares the science behind why constant confrontation often creates more shame, hiding, and resistance. She offers a clear two-step framework to help you shift perspective and use a balanced approach that’s proven to increase motivation. This isn’t about ignoring reality, it’s about using strategies that actually work, and it can completely change how your child responds to you.

Resources From Heather Ross Coaching

If you want answers and support to help you and your child Sign up for a 45-minute $17 Road to Recovery call with Heather using the link below.

https://heatherrosscoachingcalendar.as.me/RoadtoRecovery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The truth about enabling - If you've ever worried about enabling, this guide is for you!

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/perspective-about-enabling/

Boundaries That Create Connection Masterclass

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/boundaries-that-create-connection-masterclass/

How to leave a podcast review

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5xkPZM8mj-E

EP121 Modeling Resilience for Your Family With Guest Pam Lanhart Aug 03, 2025

Show notes

In this heartfelt conversation, Heather sits down with Pam Lanhart from Thrive Family Recovery Resources to explore how to keep living with purpose, joy, and connection when life throws everything at you—family challenges, health scares, and the unpredictable ups and downs of a child struggling with substance use.

Together, Heather and Pam discuss:

•How to reclaim moments of joy without feeling like you’re betraying your child who is struggling

•Why mental and emotional health require daily, intentional “work”

•The power of routines, gratitude, and small daily practices to anchor you in the hardest seasons

•What it really means to model emotional health and resilience for your children

•How living in alignment with your values brings peace of mind, even when life feels uncertain

Pam also shares the practices that have carried her through her darkest moments, including journaling, movement, gratitude, and creating opportunities for connection and fun, reminding us that it is not only okay to be okay, it’s essential.

If you’ve ever felt like life’s waves were too relentless to find your footing, this conversation will inspire you to anchor in your own healing, reclaim the small joys, and show up in a way you can feel proud of, no matter what life brings.

Resources From Heather Ross Coaching

If you want answers and support to help you and your child Sign up for a 45-minute $17 Road to Recovery call with Heather using the link below.

https://heatherrosscoachingcalendar.as.me/RoadtoRecovery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The truth about enabling - If you've ever worried about enabling, this guide is for you!

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/perspective-about-enabling/

Pam's links

https://www.togetherfamilyrecovery.com/watch-the-film

https://www.thrivefrr.org/

EP120 The Connection Bank Account: A Quick Win to Strengthen Your Relationship Today Jul 27, 2025

Show notes

When your child is struggling with substance use, it can feel like every interaction is high-stakes. You want to help, but even well-meaning conversations can backfire. That’s why today’s episode is all about a simple but powerful tool: The Connection Bank Account.

You’ll learn:

• What the Connection Bank Account is and how it works

• Why connection is your most effective parenting tool

• Real-life examples of deposits and withdrawals

• What to do when your balance is low

• A small challenge you can take on today to start building connection

Whether your relationship with your child feels strong or strained, this concept can help you create more safety, trust, and influence - one small deposit at a time.

Resources From Heather Ross Coaching

If you want answers and support to help you and your child Sign up for a 45-minute $17 Road to Recovery call with Heather using the link below.

https://heatherrosscoachingcalendar.as.me/RoadtoRecovery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The truth about enabling - If you've ever worried about enabling, this guide is for you!

https://heatherrosscoaching.com/perspective-about-enabling/