Coming up for air

Coming Up for Air is a podcast produced especially for you — families and friends navigating a Loved One’s addiction. Along with an occasional special guest, the hosts of our podcast are Dominique Simon-Levine (Allies Founder & Director) and Kayla Solomon (Psychotherapist and CRAFT Support Group Facilitator).

Our hope in sharing episodes chock-full of ground-breaking CRAFT-based discussion and inspiring guests is that you will learn from and relate to the experiences and guidance we share. Most of all, we hope you will always be reminded that YOU.ARE.NOT.ALONE.

VOICES from the Front Lines: Kayla Solomon, Love Warrior

An in-depth chat with host Kayla Solomon about her own experiences with and beliefs about CRAFT.

FAMILIES Speak: Dads Doing the Work

Dads come together for a fascinating chat about the work they're doing around their children's substance use/recovery.

FAMILIES Speak: If I’m Part of the Problem, I’m Part of the Solution!

These parents faced not having control over their Loved One. Learn about the stages of behavior change, and how to be open to the challenge.
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FAMILIES Speak: How to Recognize Ripe Moments for Discussing Treatment

Learn how to approach your Loved One in a way that keeps communication lines open, and how to be ready when a ripe moment arises.

FAMILIES Speak: Don’t Let Perfectionism Get in the Way

Perfectionism can get in the way of connection. Remember that feeling connection and love is the beginning of treatment.

FAMILIES SPEAK: These Episodes Helped Us Get Where We Are Today

Kenny, Bridget, and Elizabeth share which Coming Up for Air episodes mean the most to them.

FAMILIES SPEAK: Handling Hard Feelings

How do you deal with feelings like frustration and fear around your loved one's substance use? Our co-hosts share experiences and tools.

FAMILIES SPEAK: Recovery—Progress, not Perfection

It’s easy to impose expectations, but changing yourself, your expectations and perceptions makes room for your loved one to progress.

How Do You Deal with Unknowns and Limited Contact?

Limited contact is hard. Learn to calm down so you can respond simply and strengthen the connection through humor and interests.

Rupture and Repair

Some relationship moments feel like huge rifts. They’re opportunities to show you’re changing, becoming someone safe for them to come to.

How Do I Set Boundaries without Making My Loved One Angry?

How do you hold tough conversations? Be careful with your timing; have a plan; stay calm. CRAFT can help you learn the signs of your loved one being receptive and give you the skills to communicate effectively in less-than-ideal circumstances. Kayla and Laurie offer the details.

CRAFT, Al-Anon, and Intervention: What’s the Difference?

CRAFT offers tools to gain awareness of your own reactivity, notice what works for your loved one, and make choices to create real change.

How Do You Negotiate When Your Loved One Is Coming Home?

When your loved one is coming home, it's time to collaborate and negotiate about expectations and plans. It's important to hear what they think the consequences for certain actions or inaction should be, and to keep communicating openly over time.

Interview with Linda Aber, Part 2

Linda offers tools to calm the nervous system. As Kayla says, it's part of gaining coherence, a prerequisite for connection through CRAFT.

Interview with Linda Aber, Part 1

Parenting coach and mother of two Linda Aber discusses the parasympathetic nervous system and how it applies to CRAFT and parenting.

Handling Confrontation the CRAFT Way

How do you shift from conflict to a more open conversation with your loved one whose struggling with addiction? Using CRAFT, you can improve the relationship by engaging in a way that is both effective and supportive. You become part of the treatment process instead of something else your loved one is battling.

Putting a Positive Spin on Negative Thinking

Your thoughts have power. Anxiety is a thought process. The tools you need are shifting negative thinking to positive, and emanating that positivity. Both are essential to CRAFT. Kayla and Laurie discuss how to handle negative thinking, and why it’s important to do so.
Our Podcast: Coming Up For Air

Speaking Up: The Compassionate Way

How do you communicate when you see problematic behavior? The key is intention: observing behavior, and pointing it out calmly and thoughtfully. The idea is to briefly and specifically tell your loved one how the behavior impacts you, then step back without expectation of an outcome, and give them the dignity of processing what you've said. Over time, this CRAFT tool can lead to long-term change.
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You’re Gonna Be Lousy At It, At First: Reflective Listening, Intentional Dialogue and How to Vastly Improve Communications with Just About Everybody

(1 hr 5 min) If you've ever felt baffled or enraged by communicating with a loved one, you're sure to appreciate this episode. Laurie MacDougall is joined by Imago Relationship therapist Kayla Solomon and our Chief Editor, Isabel Cooney, for an eye-opening dive into Reflective Listening (Module 4). What is it? How does it work? What are the benefits for you, and the person you're reflectively listening to? And why does Kayla believe in it so much that she says she'd use it if someone were pointing a gun at her?  
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DBT Part 2 — The Story of DBT

(1hr09min) Annie continues the discussion with DBT specialist Lisa Bond. Where does DBT come from? They look into the story of Dr. Marsha Linehan, who struggled with mental health, suicidal feelings, etc. After her full recovery, Linehan created DBT for people who needed more than therapy or medical treatment. DBT is a powerful, encouraging, validating process that can transform just about any life in upheaval. 
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What Is DBT and Who Can It Help? Interview with Lisa Bond, part 1

(1hr01min) In this episode (Part 1 of a 2-part series), Annie Highwater speaks with Lisa Bond, RB and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Specialist about the DBT method of treatment. DBT is found to be efficient and highly effective for those experiencing emotional distress, conflict issues, borderline personality, suicidal ideation, C-PTSD, trauma and addiction. Listen to this conversation to learn how DBT can help children, teens or adults, in all sorts of situations. 
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Podcast: the CRAFT Method, with Dominique Simon-Levine 

(51:10)  Annie and Laurie welcome Dominique Simon-Levine, Ph.D to explain the CRAFT method for helping families support an addicted loved one into treatment and through recovery. Dominique explains the softer, more effective approach versus arguing or surprise party interventions. Laurie & Annie share examples of self-care and the CRAFT strategy at work in their own lives.