I lost my family during active addiction, and early sobriety brought new mistakes…

Continue to explore this site to see how consistent, small steps restored trust, respect, and a sense of safety in our family.

Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery

The journey of rebuilding trust after addiction or mental health challenges can feel confusing and isolating. Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery provides families with practical scripts, micro-repairs, and guidance they can use immediately.

Scroll down to access additional conference presentations. Click the image above to download the slides.

I wish someone had told me THIS when my loved one was struggling…

More Free Downloads

• Tools for Rebuilding Trust and Family Connection

• Turning Triggers into Transformation

• Five Healing Phrases to Build Trust with Your Partner and Family

• Tip Sheet for Parents and Professionals on the Teenage Brain

Click on the image or use the links in the Menu above

In this powerful episode, Janice Johnson Dowd, LMSW, is joined by her daughter, to share the deeply personal story of Janice’s addiction, recovery, and rebuilding their relationship. Together they speak candidly about broken trust, emotional distance, and the long road toward healing as a family. Their conversation offers an honest look at the challenges and victories of sobriety and the courage it takes for families to repair what addiction has fractured.

Life’s Toughest Climbs Happen Off the Trails

Whether it’s navigating sobriety, rebuilding family trust, or finding peace one step at a time on a forest path, this blog explores what it means to heal, grow, and move forward. From the chaos of addiction to the quiet wisdom of parenting and nature, you’ll discover honest stories, practical tools, and a reminder that every journey, no matter how steep, is worth the climb.

The holidays may be behind us, but the tools in Surviving the Season are still relevant. This eBook offers practical strategies, reflection prompts, and support for navigating stress, family relationships, and recovery year-round.

Recent Podcast Appearances

No Alcohol Needed Podcast

(Formerly Through the Glass Recovery Podcast)

I’m happy to share that I’m a regular guest on Julie and Steve’s podcast. Below are some of my favorite episodes…

The Teaching Journey’s Podcast with Dave Roberts: Rebuilding Relationships

Janice shares her personal story of substance use disorder and long-term recovery, exploring how addiction affects family relationships and the difficult work of rebuilding trust after addiction. She discusses breaking unhealthy family patterns, setting boundaries in recovery, and the importance of education, healing, and accountability in long-term sobriety.

The conversation highlights practical strategies for family healing after addiction, offering insight for both professionals and families supporting a loved one in recovery.

Middle-Class- Matters

This Wasn’t the Life I Planned: Rebuilding Family After Addiction

In this episode of Middle-Class Matters, Janice joins Renae and Brooke for an honest and deeply moving conversation about addiction, loss, and the possibility of rebuilding what once felt broken.

Janice shares how growing up around addiction shaped her desire to create a different life, only to find herself facing a struggle she never expected. She opens up about the impact of addiction on her children, the pain of losing her family during active addiction, and the slow, humbling work of repair in recovery.

Drawing from her personal journey and her book Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery, Janice offers insight, practical tools, and a powerful reminder: healing is possible, trust can be rebuilt, and no story is beyond redemption.

More Podcast Appearances Listed in Menu Above

I am available to speak at Your Community Event, Professional Conference, Residential Community, 12-Step Conference, or Treatment Program.

I will be speaking or presenting workshops at the following events;

Calhoun County Community Action

April 24 - Jacksonville, AL

West Virginia State NASW Conf

May 6-8th, Charleston, WV

West Coast Symposium on Addiction

May 29 - 30th, Palm Springs, CA

Idaho Conference on Alcohol and Drug Dependency

June 8 - 9th Boise, Idaho

Florida State NASW Conference

June 10-13, Orlando, FL

Chicago Social Work Conference

July 23rd- 24th, Naperville, Chicago

LASACT State Addictions Conference

July 25 - 28th, Baton Rouge, LA

Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders

August 6 - 9th, Providence, RI

Journey Together Conference

Sept 7 -10, Nashville, TN

East Coast Symposium on Addictive Disorders

Oct 9 - 11th West Palm Beach, FL

I regularly present at professional and community conferences and am also available to speak at treatment facilities, recovery residences, and community events

Email Link in Menu

Presentation topics include;

• Breaking Cycles of Generational Trauma - Parenting Skills for Recovering Parents

• The Developing Teenage Brain:

  Linking Neurobiology to Behavior &

  Decision-Making

• Trauma-Informed Relapse

  Prevention: How ACEs Shape Later-Stage Recovery

• Overcoming the Struggle of Family Reunification in Early Sobriety

• Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue of Mental Health Professionals

• Digital Dopamine: Navigating the Intersection of Tech Addiction, Substance Use, and the Hijacked Brain

• The Suicide Crisis - Current Trends, Prevalence and Evidence-Based Assessment & Treatment

• “Gas Station Drugs”

• Seniors and S.U.D.: An Emerging Crisis

Whether you're seeking education, motivation, or information, my content is designed to provide you with an uplifting experience.

Click on the image to be directed to the blog

DISCLAIMER: The following information is intended for general information purposes only. Any application of the material outlined in the following pages is at the reader’s discretion and is their sole responsibility. This blog does not intend to be diagnostic in any way and is not a substitute for a thorough clinical assessment and professional treatment