Lisa Katona Smith Family Consultant
Interventionist
Speaker
Author

For the past three years, I’ve been quietly, and sometimes obsessively, watching the Big Bear eagle family, Jackie and Shadow, from afar. Their nest, perched high above Big Bear Lake, has become one of my favorite places to visit, even if only virtually. This year, their eaglets Sunny and Gizmo pulled me in like never…

When someone you love is struggling with substance use or mental health challenges, life can start to feel painfully small. Relationships drift. Hobbies gather dust. The things that used to fill you up fall away, one by one, until all that’s left is a relentless focus on fixing someone else’s pain. For a long time,…

For so long, your life has been moving at full speed. Every day felt like an emergency, every phone call a potential crisis. Your thoughts were consumed by one goal: getting them into treatment. And then, it happened. They said yes. They walked through the doors. You exhaled, maybe for the first time in years.…

If you love someone struggling with substance use disorder (SUD), life can feel like a constant storm. The worry, the fear, the sleepless nights—it’s exhausting. Some days, it feels like you’re barely holding on. And in the middle of all that, someone might suggest, “Try practicing gratitude.” (eye roll) It might seem impossible. Gratitude? For…

February can be tough. The excitement of New Year’s resolutions is gone, and if things haven’t gone the way you hoped, it’s easy to feel like a failure. I’ve been there myself, many times. The promises I made to take charge, to fix things, or to help my son through his recovery often felt like…

If you’re here, it’s likely because someone you love is struggling with mental health or substance use disorder. That journey is overwhelming, exhausting, and full of questions you never imagined you’d have to ask. The start of a new year can feel like a cruel joke—another reminder that time is passing, yet nothing seems to…

As the year winds down, there’s a natural pull to reflect on what was, what is, and what could be. For families affected by a loved one’s mental health or substance use struggles, this season can feel especially heavy. Setting goals or even imagining a brighter new year might seem impossible when just surviving each…

There’s a common story in the A.A. community that resonates deeply with me, and with many families who are on the journey of supporting a loved one through addiction or mental health challenges. It’s called “Drop the Rock.” The idea is simple, yet incredibly powerful: Imagine yourself swimming toward a brighter, healthier future, but you’re…

Supporting the Journey of Parallel Recovery™ When my son was deep in the grips of his addiction, I often felt like I was living life on the edge of a cliff. Or maybe it was him on the cliff, and I was right below, scrambling desperately to make sure he didn’t fall. If I’m honest,…