Do I have to be in therapy myself to use any of this?

No. Every section stands on its own. But most families find that once they start looking at their own patterns, they want somewhere to put that. Family therapy is where it goes.

My family member won't admit there's a problem. What do I do?

Read Stages of change. You're likely dealing with precontemplation, and argument makes it worse. What tends to move people is a relationship that stays honest and a door that stays open. Call us at (512) 616-0809 — you don't need them on the phone to ask.

How do I tell a bad day from a relapse?

Often you can't, and trying to be the detective costs you the relationship. Look at the shape of the month rather than the temperature of the night. Then say the true thing: "I noticed this, and I'm worried." Not an accusation. An observation.

Ask what the help protects. Help that protects them from the illness is support. Help that protects them from the consequences of the illness usually isn't. It's a hard line to walk and nobody walks it perfectly.

Does insurance cover this?

We're in network with most major carriers. We'll quickly verify your insurance and follow up — no cost, no commitment.

For the people who love someone in recovery

Family Resources for Addiction and Mental Health Recovery in Austin.

The twelve things we teach your family member, explained for you. What's happening in their brain, what to say, where your limits go, and how to stay standing while they do the work.

How to use this guide.

This is the material our clinical team teaches inside the program, written down for the people at home. Your family member is learning it in group. You should have it too — not so you can run their recovery, but so the two of you stop speaking different languages.

You don't read this front to back. Find the thing that happened this week and start there.

Every section is built the same way: what the thing is, what it looks like at your kitchen table, and what to do about it. Where a book or an outside resource helps, it sits in that section rather than in a pile at the bottom.

Try your local library for the books first — most carry them, and several are on the shelf in Austin. Or check Half Price Books if you'd rather own a copy — their Austin stores usually have these used, often for a few dollars.

Where to start.

Free support that isn't us.

You need somewhere to put this that isn't your family member, and isn't a bill. All of these are free, and none of them are treatment programs.

Al-Anon — meetings for families and friends of people with a drinking problem. Meetings all over Austin, and online.
Nar-Anon — the same idea, for families affected by drug use.
SMART Recovery Family & Friends — a secular, skills-based alternative if the twelve-step language doesn't fit you. Built on CRAFT and the tools in this guide.
NAMI Family Support Group — peer-led groups for families dealing with mental health conditions.

We recommend these to families every week. You don't have to be our client to walk into any of them.

The books in this guide, in one place.

Each of these sits in the section it belongs to. Library first.

Codependent No More — Melody Beattie · boundaries
The Four Agreements — Don Miguel Ruiz · active listening
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts — Gabor Maté · cross addiction
The Body Keeps the Score — Bessel van der Kolk · the frontal lobe, trauma
The Happiness Trap — Russ Harris · distress tolerance
Mind Over Mood — Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky · core beliefs
No Bad Parts — Richard Schwartz · core beliefs
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work — John Gottman · the four horsemen
Beautiful Boy — David Sheff · grief
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone — Lori Gottlieb · grief, and your own therapy

Where family fits in the program.

Family isn't a visitor's badge here. It's part of the clinical work.

If your person is in our intensive outpatient program, they're living at home and doing treatment around a job and a life — which means you see the hard parts up close, every day.

The family guide to supporting someone in IOP — what that week looks like
Chosen family and support systems
Building a support system — yours needs rebuilding too, not just theirs
Family therapy — where this work goes

Common questions.

No. Every section stands on its own. But most families find that once they start looking at their own patterns, they want somewhere to put that. Family therapy is where it goes.
Read Stages of change. You're likely dealing with precontemplation, and argument makes it worse. What tends to move people is a relationship that stays honest and a door that stays open. Call us at (512) 616-0809 — you don't need them on the phone to ask.
Often you can't, and trying to be the detective costs you the relationship. Look at the shape of the month rather than the temperature of the night. Then say the true thing: "I noticed this, and I'm worried." Not an accusation. An observation.
Ask what the help protects. Help that protects them from the illness is support. Help that protects them from the consequences of the illness usually isn't. It's a hard line to walk and nobody walks it perfectly.
We're in network with most major carriers. We'll quickly verify your insurance and follow up — no cost, no commitment.