Teen addiction, parental burnout, guilt, and shame—this episode tackles some of the hardest parts of parenting a child in crisis.
Our guest, Austin Davis, is the founder of Clearfork Academy, a residential treatment center helping teens recover from addiction and mental health challenges.
We talk about:
What really causes a child’s crisis to escalate—and how parents miss the early signs
How to tell the difference between what you can change vs. what you need to let go
Why burnout and shame are common—and what to do when you feel both
The role of faith, family values, and daily routines in family recovery
Why relapse happens and how to create an environment that prevents it
Episode Highlights:
00:00 – Austin shares the “clear fork” moments that shaped his calling to help teens and families
03:06 – Kim opens up about her own faith-based calling and the emotional cost of caregiving
04:07 – How stigma and silence keep families stuck longer than they should be
06:15 – What really happens when neurodivergent teens “break” after years of masking
07:48 – “It’s not just a phase”—why patterns of behavior matter more than we think
09:01 – Austin’s baseball vs. golf analogy: how kids get shoehorned into the wrong expectations
11:45 – The caregiver’s dilemma: how to carry your child’s burden without losing yourself
14:08 – When something has to change—how to know where to start
16:00 – A therapist’s trick to stop the last domino from falling
18:00 – What makes family-based therapy work (and when it doesn’t)
21:03 – The difference between fear-based parenting and love-based communication
23:18 – Why asking for help is the first real act of strength
26:09 – How to build family connection even if your child doesn’t talk back
28:35 – Austin’s family value system: HUSTLE + Fun
30:00 – Kim’s My Little Pony mantra and why it worked