One of the messages for families dealing with addiction has been that if a loved one is struggling, you need to step away and take care of yourself. The tough love idea that you have to let someone hit rock bottom before they will change. This has nothing to do with evidence or effectiveness and is an approach that is heartbreaking for families who are scared, concerned and asking for help.

The approach Jeff has been working on over the last ten years is called the Invitation to Change‘ which is an invitational idea rather than a command one. Its basis is in community reinforcement and family training, an approach called CRAFT which is the most powerful evidence based approach for helping families help loved ones. What we know from CRAFT and other psychological based approaches is that you can take care of yourself and stay connected and that this is actually the most powerful way to help someone to change.

In this podcast:

• Jeff explains the role families can have when helping their loved ones with substance issues
• How the ‘Invitation to Change’ programme works
• Why Science and Kindness can help people change