Hopestream: Parenting Kids Through Addiction & Mental Health

Brenda Zane
  • 5.0 (223)
  • PARENTING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

When your teen or young adult is misusing drugs or alcohol, you need more than just tactics—you need hope, healing, and a path forward for your entire family. Hopestream delivers expert guidance and emotional support for parents navigating their child's substance use and mental health struggles. Hosted by Brenda Zane, Mayo Clinic Certified health coach and CRAFT-trained Parent Coach who nearly lost her son to addiction, this podcast goes beyond "how to get them into treatment" to address the full ecosystem of this journey. Episodes features: Leading addiction, prevention, and treatment expertsReal stories from families who've been thereEvidence-based strategies for helping your childSelf-care and coping tools for parentsDeeper conversations about finding meaning, joy, and even unexpected blessings through the hardest times Whether you're dealing with a teen or young adult's drug use, alcohol misuse, or co-occurring mental health challenges, Hopestream offers the comprehensive support other parenting and addiction podcasts miss. This is your safe space to heal, learn, and discover you're not alone. New episodes weekly. Join us between the episodes at hopestreamcommunity.org.

  1. Ten Reasons You May Not Be Getting Results Using CRAFT, with Brenda Zane

    4D AGO

    Ten Reasons You May Not Be Getting Results Using CRAFT, with Brenda Zane

    ABOUT THE EPISODE: This solo episode is my attempt to provide answers to the question of why some families see greater change than others when using the CRAFT approach. Drawing on 6+ years of watching hundreds of parents move through this process, some gaining traction, some spinning their wheels, I’m sharing the 10 most common reasons why parents who are 'doing the work' aren't getting the results they want. It's a no-fluff audit of what might be holding you back, and it comes from my heart because there are no more important results to strive for than a healthy family. If you've been at this for a while and feel like things aren't moving in the right direction, this one is for you. You'll hear about: A foundational piece most parents skip without realizing itWhy doing more often backfiresA timing factor that determines whether any skill worksThe fastest path forward when communication has broken downWhy inconsistency isn't a character flawEPISODE RESOURCES: Hopestream Playlists - Start Here PlaylistJennifer Ollis Blomqvist on using Motivational Interviewing, Hopestream episode 306Dr. Emily Kline on using Motivational Interviewing for hard conversations, Hopestream episode 160Using Motivational Interviewing and CRAFT as a double punch effort to create change in your family, Hopestream episode 256CRAFT family resources and providers with Helping Families HelpUsing CRAFT, MI and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy together to help your child, Hopestream episode 260Stages of Change workshopStages of Change downloadable cheat-sheet here Hopestream podcast episode 66 on the Stages of ChangeThis podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community Get our free, 4-video course, Hope Starts Here, and access to our Limited Membership here Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms Find us on Instagram here Watch the podcast 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.

    31 min
  2. Breaking Down Wilderness Therapy Myths and Realities, with Trish Ruggles

    FEB 19

    Breaking Down Wilderness Therapy Myths and Realities, with Trish Ruggles

    ABOUT THE EPISODE:  When parents hear "wilderness therapy," their minds often race to worst-case scenarios: punishment, boot camps, kids forced to survive in harsh conditions. But Trish Ruggles, who spent over a decade as a field guide and wilderness therapist before becoming an educational consultant, has a different story to tell. After 21 years in the field and working with countless families through Pathfinder Consulting, Trish knows that wilderness therapy has evolved dramatically from its origins. What makes wilderness therapy effective isn't the outdoor skills or fresh air - though those certainly help. It's magic lies in the complete removal of 'noise.'  When you take a struggling adolescent out of their always-on life and place them in the wilderness, the volume goes down on everything that keeps them from thriving. No bedroom door to close, no delivery apps to summon food, no distractions to buffer the work of actually facing themselves. And there are immediate, natural consequences their adolescent brain can actually understand. Trish's approach is refreshingly honest and practical. She'll be the first to tell you wilderness therapy isn't for everyone, but for the kid who's stuck in their room, the one running wild in the streets, or the treatment-experienced individual who knows how to game the residential system, wilderness creates something that can't be replicated indoors: a space where you can't phone it in, where every action impacts your group, and where real-life consequences teach more than any lecture ever could. You'll learn: Key myths and facts about today's outdoor behavioral health offeringsThe critical, natural consequences that wilderness experiences provide in real-timeHow wilderness has evolved from its primitive rootsWhy adopted kids and those with attachment challenges often thrive in wilderness despite parents' fearsThe truth about getting kids to agree to, and actually go to an outdoor, adventure or wilderness programEPISODE RESOURCES: Website Trish Ruggles Trish on Hopestream episode 202 Will White’s Hopestream podcast episode 14 This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community Get our free, 4-video course, Hope Starts Here, and access to our Limited Membership here Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms Find us on Instagram here Watch the podcast 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.

    1h 17m
  3. When to Stop Rescuing Your Child From Addiction, With Campbell Manning

    FEB 12

    When to Stop Rescuing Your Child From Addiction, With Campbell Manning

    ABOUT THE EPISODE:  When Campbell Manning's middle son entered detox the day before Valentine's Day, she genuinely believed he'd be "fixed" and home within a week. What followed instead was a years-long journey through both of her sons' addiction cycles that would ultimately transform her from a completely naive parent into a trained addiction counselor who now helps hundreds of families navigate the same treacherous terrain.  Campbell brings both the raw authenticity of lived experience and the clinical expertise she's gained through extensive education plus real-world training with Amber Hollingsworth (Put The Shovel Down YouTube Channel) at Hope For Families Recovery Center.  In this potent conversation, she speaks directly to the particular torture of watching your child actively harm themselves while grappling with decisions that feel impossible, like when her 14-year-old daughter confronted her about how much more "time, emotion, money, and energy" she was going to give to addiction.  What I love is that Campbell's wisdom isn't theoretical; it's forged from setting boundaries that ended up with her sons leave home at 17, refusing to enable behavior that was metastasizing through her entire family system, and learning that "over-loving" your child can actually be the most deleterious choice you make. Her message offers genuine hope grounded in reality: both her sons are in long-term recovery, and she's built a thriving coaching practice helping parents understand that their child's willingness to change often arrives in fleeting moments, which means your preparation and readiness matters profoundly.  You'll learn:  How Campbell navigated the brutal reality of having two sons in active  addiction, including the crucial difference between heartbreak (first son) and fury (second son) in her emotional responses The concept of "tagging it on" and why your child must truly understand there's no one coming to rescue them before lasting change becomes possible Why disenfranchised grief - the kind that receives no casseroles, no sympathy cards, no community support, coagulates within families dealing with addiction and impacts every member, especially siblings How Campbell's daughter's confrontation about "how much more are you going to give addiction, Mom?" catalyzed her understanding that setting strong, healthy boundaries isn't abandonment, it's the most loving thing you can do when your child is drowning EPISODE RESOURCES: Hope For Families Recovery Center website Put The Shovel Down YouTube Channel This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community Get our free, 4-video course, Hope Starts Here, and access to our Limited Membership here Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms Find us on Instagram here Watch the podcast 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.

    42 min
  4. Helping Your Young Adult Child Choose Treatment With Less Resistance, with Joanna Lilley

    FEB 5

    Helping Your Young Adult Child Choose Treatment With Less Resistance, with Joanna Lilley

    ABOUT THE EPISODE: If you've been waiting for the right moment to bring up the idea of getting your young adult some support, and you're not sure how to do it without blowing up every landmine between you, this episode is for you. Joanna Lilley, therapeutic consultant and host of the podcast Success is Subjective, is back on Hopestream, and she's pulling back the curtain on what it actually looks like to help a young adult move toward help. Joanna works exclusively with the 18 to 29 crowd, and her approach is deceptively simple: meet them where they are, agenda-free, not where your fear wants them to be. What makes Joanna's process so potent is the way it preserves a young adult's agency at every step. There’s no attempt at maneuvering them into a decision or finding the magic words that finally crack them open. It's about creating the conditions where they feel like the architect of what comes next, and why that buy-in matters more than the program itself. Joanna also gets real about what she's seeing shift in the treatment landscape right now, including why young adults are staying longer in programs, how the complexity of what's showing up has changed dramatically, and what questions parents actually need to be asking before you commit to anything. When you listen, you'll learn: Why some young adults may have a deeply distorted picture of what treatment looks like, and how to gently disrupt that narrative without pushing them further awayHow Joanna structures her first conversation with a young adult so it feels like a genuine exchange rather than a formal ‘intake’ processWhy giving your young adult the choice of who to work with matters just as much as the choice of where to goWhy it’s wise to start the ‘what might treatment look like’ process before you think you need to and what it might cost you if you waitEPISODE RESOURCES: Joanna Lilley (Lilley Consulting) websiteJoanna on Hopestream podcast episode #208 Joanna on Hopestream podcast episode #39This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community Get our free, 4-video course, Hope Starts Here, and access to our Limited Membership here Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms Find us on Instagram here Watch the podcast 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.

    50 min
  5. How Online Adult Content Impacts Youth, with Duane Osterlind

    JAN 29

    How Online Adult Content Impacts Youth, with Duane Osterlind

    ABOUT THE EPISODE:  When your child's phone becomes their constant companion, you might dismiss it as typical teenage behavior. But Duane Osterlind, LMFT with nearly two decades specializing in sexual addiction, shares an urgent reality: the average first exposure to online adult material is now 10 years old. This conversation illuminates why younger people are seeking help in their early twenties after years of private struggle that began in childhood. Duane offers perspective on how behavioral addictions reverberate throughout family systems, addressing both youth struggles and partner betrayal. He shares why most relationships impacted by sexual betrayal stay intact when the person causing harm addresses the shame fueling addictive patterns. You'll learn: Why Duane has seen dramatic demographic shifts in his practiceHow to open conversations with your kids about adult content exposure and impactWhat discovery trauma is and why it can trigger PTSD symptomsThe distinction between supporting a partner versus taking responsibility for their healingHow shame operates as both genesis and sustaining force of behavioral addictions EPISODE RESOURCES:  The Addicted Mind PodcastShame to Resilience Workshop (for adults)Brenda as a guest on The Addicted Mind podcast ep. 360This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community Get our free, 4-video course, Hope Starts Here, and access to our Limited Membership here Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms Find us on Instagram here Watch the podcast 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.

    44 min
  6. Be Ready When Your Child Is Ready To Accept Help for Addiction, With Brenda Zane

    JAN 22

    Be Ready When Your Child Is Ready To Accept Help for Addiction, With Brenda Zane

    ABOUT THE EPISODE: You've been waiting for your child to say they're ready to get help. You've imagined that conversation a thousand times, rehearsed what you'll say, held your breath every time they seem close to opening up. But what happens if that moment arrives and you're under-prepared? What if that precious window closes before you even realize it was open? In this solo episode, I'm diving into a CRAFT procedure that often gets reduced to logistics when it's actually about something far more potent: the intersection where your child's desperation meets their willingness, and your preparation.  I'm unpacking two elements that I believe parents consistently overlook. The first is understanding that this intersection requires a third component—your readiness. The second challenges who we define as the "identified patient" in this entire scenario, because if your child is the only one getting help while the rest of your family ecosystem stays static, you're essentially working to preserve the exact conditions that contributed to their struggle in the first place. This isn't easy work, but it's the kind that can reshape not just your relationship with your struggling child, but every relationship in your life. And you don't have to figure it out alone at three in the morning with Google and ChatGPT as your only companion. You'll learn: Why the magical intersection of desperation and willingness requires a third element that many parents missHow to prepare in the background so you're not scrambling when your child finally says they're ready for helpWhy your child shouldn't be the only "identified patient" and what your own version of treatment needs to look likeThe difference between rescuing your child from discomfort and allowing natural consequences that can actually motivate changeWhy obsessing over daily minutiae (dishes, grades, laundry) is often a distraction from the deeper internal work you need to be doingThis podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community Get our free, 4-video course, Hope Starts Here, and access to our Limited Membership here Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms Find us on Instagram here Watch the podcast 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.

    25 min
  7. How To Get Young People Ready for Real-World Sobriety, with Alex Zemeckis and Cannon Kristofferson

    JAN 15

    How To Get Young People Ready for Real-World Sobriety, with Alex Zemeckis and Cannon Kristofferson

    ABOUT THE EPISODE: When your child transitions from treatment back into everyday life, the real work begins. Alex Zemeckis and Cannon Kristofferson, co-founders of The Grounds Recovery and Mare's House, know the terrain intimately—not from textbooks or theories, but from walking that precarious path themselves. Now, years into their own recovery journeys, they've built a rock solid sober living ecosystem that helps young adults navigate the delicate nuances of early sobriety while building sustainable, meaningful lives. In this conversation, Alex and Cannon reveal why employment isn't just helpful but essential for young people in recovery, serving as both anchor and compass in those vulnerable early months. They understand the peculiar challenge of leaving treatment's protective bubble, only to face familiar streets, old phone numbers, and muscle memories that can pull a young person back to past patterns. Their approach? Get young adults integrated into real community fabric immediately—working, contributing, encountering actual triggers while building the mental fortitude to navigate them. No therapeutic bubble, no artificial safety—just supported practice at living. After years of working with young adults struggling with substances and mental health, they've noticed the themes that persist: the hunger for genuine connection, the need for purpose beyond sobriety itself, and the surprising power of peer mentorship from those who've earned their wisdom through lived experience and formal education. Their perspective offers something rare—credibility born from personal transformation coupled with professional dedication to helping others architect their own recovery. When you listen, you'll learn: Why meaningful employment serves as recovery's most underutilized tool and how work provides structure that therapy alone cannot The specific vulnerabilities young adults face when transitioning from treatment to home environments (and practical strategies for navigating them) How peer support from those with lived experience creates a different quality of trust and accountability than traditional counseling The common patterns Alex and Cannon observe across hundreds of young adults—and why these patterns actually offer hope Their unconventional approach to community integration that prioritizes real-world practice over extended therapeutic cocooningEPISODE RESOURCES: The Grounds Recovery websiteMare's House website (women's sober living)This podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community Get our free, 4-video course, Hope Starts Here, and access to our Limited Membership here Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms Find us on Instagram here Watch the podcast 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.

    1 hr
  8. Gas Station Garbage, Hidden Substances, and Helping Teens Find Healthy Connection, with Sebastian Martin

    JAN 8

    Gas Station Garbage, Hidden Substances, and Helping Teens Find Healthy Connection, with Sebastian Martin

    ABOUT THE EPISODE: If you’ve ever felt uncertain about what your teen or young adult might be using—and how easily accessible today’s substances have become—this episode is a must-listen. I sat down with Sebastian Martin, Executive Director at New Life House, a long-standing sober living program for young men, to unpack the alarming rise of so-called “gas station garbage”—substances like Kratom, kava, 7-0H, and “Feel Free” tonics that are marketed as harmless but can create dependency and serious mental health fallout.  With his deep professional experience and 15 years in recovery himself, Sebastian offers an inside look at what’s showing up in schools, treatment centers, and homes—and what parents need to know right now. You’ll hear a candid, compassionate conversation where we explore how experimentation today can escalate much faster than it did even a decade ago, why isolation in a bedroom can be as concerning as chaotic, risky behavior, and how crucial community and connection are in early recovery—for both parents and their kids. We also discuss the life-changing potential of treatments like TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) and what true collaboration between mental health and substance use professionals looks like when it’s done right. What You’ll Learn: What “gas station garbage” really is and why it’s showing up in homes, schools, and even jails (but not on standard drug screens)Why today’s cannabis and other “legal” substances are nothing like what you may have experimented with as a teenHow to recognize when isolation can be just as dangerous as acting outThe essential role of healthy community for teens and young adults—and how parents can encourage itA powerful mindset shift for parents: how to love your child to life, not to death.This conversation offers clarity and calm in a world of misinformation, helping you understand what’s happening beneath your child’s behavior—and reminding you that not all hope is lost. EPISODE RESOURCES: New Life House websiteHopestream podcast episode 241 with Dr. Martha Koo (TMS)DEA Fact Sheet on KratomInformation on the “Feel Free” tonic by Eleanor HealthThis podcast is part of a nonprofit called Hopestream Community Get our free, 4-video course, Hope Starts Here, and access to our Limited Membership here Learn about The Stream, our private online community for moms Find us on Instagram here Watch the podcast 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.

    51 min
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About

When your teen or young adult is misusing drugs or alcohol, you need more than just tactics—you need hope, healing, and a path forward for your entire family. Hopestream delivers expert guidance and emotional support for parents navigating their child's substance use and mental health struggles. Hosted by Brenda Zane, Mayo Clinic Certified health coach and CRAFT-trained Parent Coach who nearly lost her son to addiction, this podcast goes beyond "how to get them into treatment" to address the full ecosystem of this journey. Episodes features: Leading addiction, prevention, and treatment expertsReal stories from families who've been thereEvidence-based strategies for helping your childSelf-care and coping tools for parentsDeeper conversations about finding meaning, joy, and even unexpected blessings through the hardest times Whether you're dealing with a teen or young adult's drug use, alcohol misuse, or co-occurring mental health challenges, Hopestream offers the comprehensive support other parenting and addiction podcasts miss. This is your safe space to heal, learn, and discover you're not alone. New episodes weekly. Join us between the episodes at hopestreamcommunity.org.

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