I Wasn't Supposed to Succeed

My first night as an addiction counselor, I sat alone in a room with eight angry teenagers who didn't want to be there.

I had zero experience with addiction treatment. No training. No playbook. Just me and a group of kids who could smell my fear from across the room.

I was supposed to fail.

But I didn't have the luxury of giving up. These kids needed help, and I was all they had. So I threw out everything I thought I knew about "professional counseling" and did the only thing I could think of:

I listened. Really listened.

I stopped trying to sound like a therapist and started treating them like the smart, capable people they were. I asked them what they needed. I built trust instead of pushing treatment. I celebrated small wins instead of focusing on failures.

And something incredible happened.

The program worked. Not because I followed the rules—but because I broke them.

The Team That Changed Everything

Kim: The One Who Believed in the Method

When Kim walked into my program as a counseling intern, I was terrified she'd think I was doing everything wrong.

"Be ready for chaos," I warned her. "These kids don't hold back."

Kim didn't flinch. She jumped right in, matching my energy and adding her own calm, grounded presence. Together, we expanded beyond the teens and started a parent group—teaching exhausted, desperate parents how to rebuild trust and set boundaries that actually worked.

That parent group grew so fast we outgrew the hospital gym where we met. Parents were finally getting real answers instead of vague platitudes.

Campbell: From Desperate Parent to Expert Guide

Then Campbell showed up—not as a counselor, but as a parent in crisis.

One of her sons was struggling with addiction, and she and her husband Frank were doing everything they could think of to help. Nothing was working. They were drowning.

But Campbell stuck with the group. She learned the method. She applied it. And slowly, things started to turn around.

The experience transformed her so deeply that she went back to school to become a counselor herself—not to follow the traditional path, but to help other families the way we'd helped hers.

When Campbell finished her degree, I knew exactly where she belonged: on our team, helping families navigate the same nightmare she'd lived through.

The Hope For Families Method Was Born

The three of us had stumbled onto something that actually worked:

I focused on the individuals struggling with addiction.
Kim and Campbell focused on the families.

It was a dual approach that tackled the problem from both sides—and the results spoke for themselves. Families were healing. Relationships were rebuilding. People were getting their lives back.

We built a thriving private practice in Greenville, South Carolina. But there was a problem:

We could only help so many people in person.

From Greenville to the World

The calls kept coming from all over the country. Desperate parents. Worried partners. People who needed help now but lived hundreds of miles away.

So we did something unconventional (again): We started sharing our methods online.

We launched the Put The Shovel Down YouTube channel, created online courses, and developed virtual coaching programs that brought the Hope For Families Method to families everywhere—not just those who could drive to our office.

Today, we've helped thousands of families across the country stop the cycle of addiction and rebuild their relationships.

What We Learned Along the Way

Looking back, I realize my lack of traditional training was actually my biggest advantage. I wasn't stuck in outdated methods that don't work. I had to figure out what actually helps people change.

Here's what I discovered:

✅ Trust beats tough love every single time.
Building connection is the fastest path to influence—not threats, ultimatums, or punishment.

✅ Families have more power than they think.
You don't have to wait for your loved one to "hit bottom." With the right strategy, you can guide them toward change starting today.

✅ You don't need a PhD to help someone you love.
You need the right tools, clear guidance, and someone who's been there to show you the way.

That's what we do.

Ready to get started? →