Parent Recovery Coach | Cathy Taughinbaugh
You may already know Cathy Taughingbaugh by her blog, TreatmentTalk, but Cathy is also a Recovery Coach – for Parents! I wanted you to know this because going through the early stages of diagnosing, finding appropriate treatment, finding help for self and other family members, planning for a child’s return to the family home or just trying to figure out whether it’s really addiction can be daunting! That’s where Cathy can help.
Please Meet Parent Recovery Coach – Cathy Taughinbaugh
Parent Recovery Coach – Cathy Taughinbaugh – helps parents understand the disease of addiction and what a parent recovery coach can do to help parents navigate a child’s addiction diagnosis, treatment and early recovery.
I sat down with Cathy to ask her a few questions to help readers better understand why she became a recovery coach specializing in working with parents.
1. You’ve been known as TreatmentTalk for several years now, what prompted you to become a Parent Recovery Coach?
About three years ago, I started writing my blog, Treatment Talk. During that time, I’ve connected with so many amazing people who are working to spread awareness and education about substance abuse and addiction. Treatment Talk has evolved into CathyTaughinbaugh.com to focus not only on the blog, but Recovery Coaching for Parents as well.
Recovery Coaching is another way to reach out and connect with people, especially parents on a more personal level. There is such a need out there for help that Recovery Coaching seemed a logical next step for me.
Expanding my reach to create a way to support parents as they work through the challenge of trying to cope with their child’s addiction and recovery has been something that I’ve been interested in doing for a long time.
2. Why have you focused your practice on Recovery Coaching for Parents?
My experience with addiction and recovery comes from being a parent of a child who was addicted. I understand a parent’s pain as they struggle with this issue. Through the years, I have received a number of emails from parents, and felt that there was a need to reach out and be a support for parents who wanted to talk to someone who had walked in their shoes.
The focus so often is on the child who is in the midst of their addiction, or the child who has entered recovery. Parents are often left to struggle on their own with little or no support for their emotional challenges regarding their child’s substance abuse or addiction.
Recovery Coaching for Parents is another support option for parents who want to learn more about how they can be strong and make good decisions for themselves and their families. Coaching can be in addition to or an alternative to support groups.
3. Describe your practice a bit – how does Recovery Coaching for Parents work.
There are three levels to my Recovery Coaching Programs.
- Individualized Coaching is for someone who wants a personal experience. Parents can feel anxious, ungrounded and sometimes even hopeless that things will ever feel “normal” again. Personal, individualized support is offered to help parents cope with their child’s substance abuse or addiction. The sessions help parents work through what is keeping them stuck and assists them in being a strong support for their child’s long term recovery.
- Group coaching is similar, and is for someone who is looking for support in a more cost effective manner. It is for parents who are interested in empowering themselves with the support of other parents through weekly calls.
- A 1/2 hour Complimentary Coaching session is also available and is for parents who want to find out more about coaching and to see if coaching is a good fit for them. It is the first small—but powerful—step to allow healing to begin.
4. For parents reading this whose children are experimenting with drugs or alcohol, what is the first thing you would like them to know?
One of the most important things for parents who are dealing with their teen’s substance abuse is to not panic, but to continue or begin to have daily communication with their teen. Communication helps to understand why their teen is experimenting with drugs or alcohol.
Talk to your child and try to understand the reasoning behind their experimentation. Educate yourself and your child about the dangers of experimentation and how it can lead to addiction. HBO Addiction provides an excellent starting place to learn about the disease of addiction, as well as adolescent addiction and adolescent treatment for addiction.
As a parent, is it important to set significant boundaries around the child’s substance abuse that are consistent. Discuss these boundaries with your child in a calm manner, and explain why it is so important that they not succumb to the peer pressure of alcohol and drug use. Do not assume that this is something all teens do, and that they are going to get through it.
Talking to your child about your genetic history is essential. Discuss the problem openly with your child and other family members. Seek professional help if you do not see a change in your child’s behavior.
Finally, promote your child’s interests and help them find their passion in life. This will give them an opportunity to focus on something positive, rather than drug or alcohol use.
5. For parents who are worried their child’s drug or alcohol use is serious – perhaps even drug addiction or alcoholism – what is the first thing you suggest they do?
Educate yourself about addiction. I was in denial for many years with my daughter’s drug use. When I finally accepted the reality of her situation, I realized she was addicted to crystal meth and had been using drugs off and on for three years.
Communication is the key. Talk to your child about addiction and the consequences of their continued use. I had maintained a good relationship my children during the high school years, but looking back, I wish I had been tougher, asked more questions and been more proactive with regards to drug use.
It is important to reach out for help with a professional, and not feel ashamed that your child has this problem. Do not assume you can handle your child’s addiction without outside help. You are not alone and there are many families struggling with the same issues with their children.
Take care of yourself and your family. Addiction is a family disease. When parents take care of themselves and get the help they need, they are better able to support their child and they make better decisions. Having tools so that you can be a positive support person for your child can make a big difference in their long term outcome.
Continue to maintain a relationship with your child, but don’t enable them. Let them know that you are there for them and that you will support their recovery.
Other family members, especially siblings may feel ignored or feel that they have had to cover for their addicted sibling. Give them support as well and an outlet to express their feelings.
6. Please tell readers about your free guide, “7 Ways to Find Parental Relief When Your Child is Addicted.”
The “7 Ways to Find Parental Relief When Your Child is Addicted” is a short complimentary guide that you can find on my website. It was written to give you a better understanding as to why the benefits of caring for yourself during this difficult time can make all the difference in the long term recovery of your child.
The guide provides steps to take if you are concerned about your child. The guide explains why learning about substance abuse and addiction can make all the difference, as well as the parent’s role in family addiction and the value of having a coach, counselor and/or support group. There are also resources to get you started.
It is a reminder to end the cycle of enabling, denial, shame and resentment. The key is understanding your child’s struggle and taking the necessary actions to help your family move forward in a positive direction.
I am happy to offer one Breaking the cycle Reader a 60 minute complimentary coaching session. Just contact me at CathyTaughinbaugh.com Contact Us and put Breaking the Cycles in the subject line.
Thanks so much for your time, Cathy, and for becoming an advocate for parents. It’s so important they, too, get the help they need.
Lisa Frederiksen
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Beautiful! Thank you both for spreading the word that parents need support in these situations. Such a much in need and yet under-served population! Thanks for all you do – both of you. 🙂
You’re so welcome, Leslie. And thank YOU for all of the work you do in this area, as well. For readers who may not know, Leslie is also a Recovery Coach. People like Leslie and Cathy can be an incredible help. I like to think of them this way – many of us are more than happy to take regular Yoga lessons or engage the services of a Trainer or enlist the help of a dietician to help us improve our health and well-being, right? That’s what engaging the services of a Recovery Coach can do for those who are navigating this unfamiliar territory of addiction diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Thank you for much for the having me on your amazing website! I appreciate the opportunity to share my work. It has been such a pleasure knowing you and all the great work that you are doing with addiction treatment and prevention.
Parents do tend to ignore their issues in their efforts to help their child, so recovery coaching or getting support in whatever way works for you as a parent is very valuable!
Thanks again, Lisa!!
You are so welcome, Cathy! I very much admire your work and hope that parents will take advantage of your services as it will be a huge relief for them and in the process of their getting help, they will help their child’s recovery.