Helping you support someone you love without losing yourself.
Practical, evidence-informed tools for families living alongside substance use, mental health challenges and recovery.
what helps
your wellbeing
A Healthier Way to Help was created for families, partners, parents, children, siblings and friends who love someone experiencing substance use challenges.
Families don't need more blame. They need better tools.
Grounded in evidence
Approaches like CRAFT and Motivational Interviewing show families can reduce conflict and increase the chance a loved one seeks help.
No judgement, no blame
You can love someone without enabling them, and set boundaries without punishment.
You deserve support too
Your wellbeing is one of the strongest predictors of your ability to keep supporting someone you love.
Practical, evidence-informed resources
Whether you're just beginning this journey or have been supporting someone for many years.
Understand, in plain language
Addiction, mental health, trauma and recovery — explained without jargon.
CommunicateStrategies that actually work
Drawn from Motivational Interviewing, CRAFT and decades of family research.
Support yourselfYour wellbeing matters too
One of the strongest predictors of your ability to keep supporting someone you love.
Practical toolsWorksheets & guides
Conversation guides, boundary planners, relapse planning resources you can use immediately.
Groups & communityYou are far from alone
Connect with other families who understand exactly what you're experiencing.
Wherever you are today, we're glad you've found us.
Take your time. Explore the resources. Join a group. Learn a new skill. Have one better conversation. Because recovery isn't built from one perfect moment — it's built through thousands of small moments of connection.
Families have a profound influence on recovery.
Research consistently shows this — not through control or coercion, but through connection, communication and healthy relationships. The challenge is that most families are never taught how.
Many receive conflicting advice:
While every family situation is unique, the evidence tells a more hopeful story. Approaches based on compassion, motivational interviewing, behavioural science and Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) have demonstrated that family members can reduce conflict, improve their own wellbeing, and significantly increase the likelihood that their loved one will eventually seek help.
We believe you can
Love someone without taking over responsibility for them.
Understand addiction without excusing harmful behaviour.
Communicate honestly without creating more conflict.
Set healthy boundaries without punishment.
Care for yourself without feeling guilty.
Maintain hope even when change feels slow.
Recovery is rarely a straight line. Change often happens through many small moments rather than one dramatic breakthrough. Every conversation, every interaction and every relationship can become an opportunity to move things in a healthier direction. You cannot control another person's choices, but you can learn new ways of responding — ways that support connection, encourage positive change and protect your own wellbeing.
We start with you.
Many resources focus on changing the person using alcohol or drugs. Our focus begins somewhere different — because when family members feel more confident, less overwhelmed and more connected, everybody benefits, including the person they love.
We combine the latest research with practical experience from clinicians, people with lived experience and hundreds of families who have walked this path before.
No judgement. No unrealistic promises. Just practical, compassionate guidance grounded in evidence.
If you've been carrying this burden for a long time, you may need to hear these words:
You didn't cause this.
You can't control another person's choices.
You cannot recover for someone else.
You can influence change.
You can protect your own wellbeing.
You deserve support too.
Hi, I'm Mark Powell.
If you've found your way here, there's a good chance someone you love is struggling with alcohol or other drug use. Firstly, I'm sorry you're having to walk this road.
I know how confusing, exhausting and isolating it can be. Families often tell me they feel as though they're constantly walking a tightrope — trying to help without making things worse, trying to stay hopeful while protecting themselves, and trying to find answers in a system that often seems designed around the person using substances rather than the people who love them. That's why I created A Healthier Way to Help.
My professional journey
I've worked in the alcohol and other drug, mental health and community sectors for almost four decades — as a clinician, manager, educator and Chief Executive Officer of a not-for-profit drug and alcohol service, supporting countless individuals and families affected by addiction, mental illness and trauma.
Today I work in the sector and deliver voluntary groups to families and loved ones supporting someone experiencing both mental health and substance use challenges. My passion is integrating evidence-based approaches so people don't have to navigate disconnected systems to receive the care they deserve. Alongside my clinical work, I provide education and training for health professionals and community organisations on topics including Motivational Interviewing, integrated care and family-inclusive practice.
But the work I value most often happens around a table with families who simply want to know: "How can I help without losing myself?"
Why families?
Throughout my career I've noticed something that never sat comfortably with me. When someone develops a substance use problem, enormous effort is directed towards helping that individual — which is absolutely important. But the people sitting beside them are often forgotten. Partners. Parents. Children. Siblings. Grandparents. Friends. They're expected to somehow know what to do without ever being taught. Many carry overwhelming guilt. Many blame themselves. Many become exhausted trying every strategy they can think of.
The evidence tells us something different. Families are not simply bystanders in recovery — they are often one of the greatest untapped resources for positive change. When families learn healthier ways to communicate, respond and care for themselves, relationships improve, conflict decreases and the chances of someone engaging in treatment increase. Perhaps most importantly, families begin to heal whether or not their loved one's recovery happens as quickly as they hope.
The approach you'll find here
Everything on this website is grounded in research while remaining practical enough for everyday life. My work draws on approaches including:
I believe we can support people without shaming them. We can set boundaries without punishment. We can be compassionate without enabling. And we can look after ourselves without feeling guilty.
Beyond qualifications
The greatest teachers in my career have never been textbooks. They've been the thousands of conversations with people in recovery, families trying to hold relationships together, parents grieving, partners rebuilding trust and individuals finding hope after believing there was none. Every one of those stories has reinforced a simple truth:
People change best when they feel understood, respected and connected.
That's the philosophy behind everything you'll find on this website.
My hope
If there's one thing I hope you take away from A Healthier Way to Help, it's this: you do not have to carry this burden alone. You don't have to become an addiction expert overnight. You don't have to have perfect words. You don't have to fix another person. You simply need better tools, better support and a community that understands what you're going through.
If this website helps you have one better conversation, feel a little less alone, or rediscover hope when it seemed impossible, then it has achieved exactly what I hoped it would. Thank you for being here — I'm honoured to be part of your journey.
— Mark
Join us every Tuesday night — you don't have to do this alone.
Supporting someone you care about who is experiencing problems with alcohol or other drugs can be exhausting, confusing and, at times, incredibly isolating.
Every Tuesday night at 6.00pm, our SMART Family & Friends group provides a free, welcoming space specifically for the people doing the supporting. The focus of the group is you — your wellbeing, your challenges, your relationships, and finding healthier and more effective ways to respond to someone you care about.
Each session begins with a short topic where we explore practical, evidence-based tools and ideas that can help with things such as communication, boundaries, managing difficult emotions, responding differently to challenging situations and looking after yourself.
After the topic, we open the conversation. You might want to talk about something you're struggling with right now, ask the group for ideas, share something that has worked, or celebrate a bit of good news. And if you're not ready to talk, you're very welcome to simply listen.
There is no judgement and no expectation that you have all the answers. You will be alongside other people who understand that supporting someone with addiction can be complicated — and that caring about someone doesn't mean you have to lose yourself in the process.
What to expect
The group is:
- Free to attend
- Online every Tuesday at 6.00pm
- Facilitated by trained volunteers
- Based around evidence-informed tools and strategies
- A place for honest conversation without judgement
- Open to family members, partners, friends and others supporting someone experiencing problems with alcohol or other drugs
You don't need to prepare anything, and you don't have to speak if you don't want to. Come along, listen, learn, share if you choose, and connect with people who understand.
Every Tuesday at 6.00pm. Visit the SMART Recovery Family & Friends platform ↗ and follow the link to register for the group.
Because supporting someone else matters — and so does supporting you.
Your sessions
A standing weekly meetup — click a date below for the joining link.
Resource hub
Practical, evidence-informed reading — organised around what you're facing, not just when it was published.
Tools for tonight
Click any tool to open it, make it your own, and save your changes.
Useful websites, services, podcasts, videos & books
When someone you care about is experiencing problems with alcohol or other drugs, searching the internet can quickly become overwhelming. There are thousands of websites, books, podcasts, social media groups and treatment programs. They do not all offer the same advice, and they do not all have the same evidence behind them.
You may be told to "detach," "stop enabling," "set harder boundaries," "let them hit rock bottom," "never give them money," "kick them out," or that "they won't change until they want to." Some advice may be useful in particular circumstances. Some may not be.
The resources below have been selected because they offer something families may find valuable: sound information, practical skills, evidence-informed approaches, lived experience, connection with other families, or pathways into professional support. You do not need to use all of them — start with the resource that best matches what you need today.
If you've just arrived and don't know where to begin
I want practical skills for helping my loved one
I want to understand CRAFT
I need support for myself
I need to find treatment
I prefer listening to reading
I learn best by watching
Organisations, programs & approaches
One of the resources I most strongly recommend. Grown from decades of clinical experience with CRAFT, Motivational Interviewing and behavioural approaches, CMC developed the Invitation to Change (ITC) approach — bringing together science and compassion to help families understand substance use, motivation, communication, reinforcement and self-care.
Particularly useful: The 20 Minute Guide ↗ — a practical framework families can return to repeatedly, for parents and partners.Community Reinforcement and Family Training — one of the most important evidence-based developments in family responses to problematic alcohol and other drug use. Associated particularly with the work of psychologist Dr Robert J. Meyers, CRAFT teaches strategies to improve your own wellbeing while increasing the likelihood a loved one moves towards healthier behaviour and treatment.
An excellent resource for anyone wanting to understand CRAFT-based approaches — brings together books, websites, podcasts, videos, online programs, groups and CRAFT-trained providers. If CRAFT makes sense to you and you're wondering "where do I go next?", this is one of the first sites I'd explore.
Has been helping families learn and apply CRAFT principles for many years, exploring real situations families encounter — repeated relapse, refusing treatment, money, housing, boundaries, and managing your own fear and anxiety. The learning videos are particularly useful if you prefer watching and listening.
Created from their own experience supporting a loved one, drawing on CRAFT, SMART Recovery Family & Friends, Invitation to Change and Motivational Interviewing. Online family meetings plus an extensive collection of resources — a combination of lived experience and evidence-informed practice.
Practical tools for people affected by someone else's addictive behaviour, incorporating ideas from CRAFT and cognitive-behavioural approaches. Different meetings have different personalities — if your first meeting doesn't feel right, try another before deciding SMART isn't for you.
Australia ↗ · United States / International ↗ · United Kingdom ↗Grew from research into the experiences of family members affected by another person's alcohol or drug use, associated with the Stress–Strain–Information–Coping–Support (SSICS) model. One principle I particularly value: the family member deserves help in their own right.
Motivational Interviewing for Loved Ones (MILO) adapts principles from Motivational Interviewing for family communication, helping you move away from correcting, persuading and lecturing towards conversations that encourage reflection, autonomy and openness.
Local services & support lines
Reliable Australian information about alcohol and other drugs. Its Drug Facts resources are particularly useful for straightforward information about effects, risks, withdrawal and getting help.
ADF Family and Friends resources ↗One of the resources I recommend when someone asks "where can we actually get help?" Rather than just information about addiction, it connects people with relevant AOD services. Free and confidential — for someone concerned about their own or someone else's substance use.
An important gateway into Victoria's AOD treatment system — free and confidential counselling, information and referral 24/7. Not only for the person using substances; family members and friends can also contact the service.
1800 888 236Support specifically for families affected by alcohol, drugs or gambling. Groups, education and other supports, with lived and living experience central to the service.
Helpline 1300 660 068, 24/7 · BreakThrough workshops ↗Supporting Australian families since 1997 — a national 24-hour support line, family support meetings, education, one-to-one support and bereavement support. Explicitly challenges simplistic "tough love" approaches.
National Support Line 1300 368 186, 24/7 · Stepping Stones program ↗For families affected specifically by crystal methamphetamine (ice) — an excellent Australian resource separating reliable information from the fear and sensationalism that can surround the drug. Factsheets, videos, animations and webinars.
If someone you care about uses opioids, I strongly encourage families to learn about naloxone — it temporarily reverses an opioid overdose and can save a life. Available free and without a prescription through participating services and pharmacies. Having it available is not "enabling" — it's an evidence-based overdose prevention measure.
Peer support based on the Twelve Steps — different from CRAFT, SMART Recovery and Invitation to Change. Some find it enormously valuable, particularly its fellowship and focus on the family member's own wellbeing. You don't need to choose sides — explore different approaches and find what's useful to you.
For learning by watching
A large library of videos aimed at families dealing with addiction — direct, practical and highly accessible, covering enabling, boundaries, manipulation, communication, motivation, treatment and relapse. Particularly useful when you have a specific question and want a short explanation.
For families wanting to understand CRAFT visually — breaks CRAFT into manageable concepts and shows how principles apply to real family situations. A good companion to Get Your Loved One Sober or Beyond Addiction.
Educational, lived experience, or both
I do not necessarily agree with every idea expressed in every episode. Their value is often in hearing complicated family experiences discussed honestly, and discovering ideas you can explore further.
A CRAFT-oriented podcast exploring the everyday dilemmas families experience, moving beyond "should I help or should I detach?" towards "how might I respond to this particular situation?"
Particularly relevant to parents and caregivers of teenagers and young adults. Combines lived experience with conversations involving clinicians and researchers, with a strong emphasis on staying connected while protecting your own wellbeing.
Speaks particularly to partners of people experiencing addiction — what it's like to love someone through active use and recovery while trying to regain your own life.
Speaks primarily to parents. Particularly relevant for families who have tried "tough love", detachment or waiting for rock bottom and are looking for alternatives, drawing strongly on compassionate, CRAFT-informed approaches.
Family Members Affected by Drug Addiction
Online peer communities can reduce the extraordinary isolation many families experience — sometimes simply hearing "someone else understands this" can be enormously valuable. Search Facebook for groups along these lines if that appeals to you.
Facebook groups require some caution: members are generally sharing personal experience rather than professional advice, which may reflect a person's own recovery philosophy and may not be evidence-based or appropriate for your situation. Use peer groups for connection and shared experience — but seek professional advice for questions involving safety, withdrawal, medication, suicide, violence, overdose or significant mental health concerns.
For working slowly through an idea
You certainly do not need to read all of these. If I were suggesting a starting sequence: 1. Beyond Addiction (overall philosophy) → 2. Get Your Loved One Sober (CRAFT strategies) → 3. SMART Recovery Family & Friends Handbook (practical tools) → 4. The Beyond Addiction Workbook (putting ideas into practice). Then choose according to your interests.
Challenges the idea that confrontation, detachment and rock bottom are the only ways families can respond. Its central message: science and kindness are not opposites.
One of the foundational books for understanding CRAFT. Its real value is learning how family responses can influence patterns around substance use, and how families can create conditions more supportive of positive change.
A practical workbook rather than something read cover to cover — complements SMART meetings, with exercises on communication, boundaries, motivation, coping and self-care. Return to the relevant section when a problem arises.
A practical companion to Beyond Addiction — helps turn the philosophy into concrete exercises, especially useful for people who learn by writing and practising.
Written primarily for people experiencing addiction themselves, but can help family members understand the skills involved in behaviour change and recovery.
Challenges simplistic ideas about addiction as either a moral failing or entirely outside a person's capacity for change. Helps replace judgement with a more sophisticated understanding of learning, development, trauma and environment.
A different perspective on addiction from traditional disease models — an accessible exploration of neuroscience, learning, desire, habit and brain development.
Written by a behavioural neuroscientist who also has lived experience of addiction — useful for understanding some of the neuroscience without a clinical textbook.
Combines research, treatment information and Sheff's experience as the father of a son experiencing severe addiction — argues for treating addiction as a health problem requiring evidence-informed responses.
Unlike Clean, primarily a family story — about his son Nic's methamphetamine addiction. Its value lies in the recognition many parents experience while reading it.
Explores the adjustment families may experience when a loved one enters recovery, and why recovery within a family involves more than removing the substance.
Written specifically for family members, exploring the emotional experience of loving someone with addiction — fear, grief, anger, hope and uncertainty.
Combines clinical experience, personal reflection and stories of severe addiction. Its greatest contribution is perhaps its insistence that we continue seeing the person behind the behaviour.
Explores reward, pleasure, pain and compulsive behaviour through neuroscience and clinical stories — broader than AOD addiction, useful for understanding how rewarding experiences influence motivation.
Less a family-help book and more an exploration of the changing drug environment — useful context for understanding why contemporary drug problems can't be reduced to individual bad choices.
You don't need to resolve every debate
As you explore these resources, you will encounter disagreement — about abstinence, harm reduction, addiction as disease versus learned behaviour, trauma, enabling, boundaries, medication, and more. That is normal. Instead, I suggest asking: Is this credible? Is it compassionate? Is it safe? Does it increase or decrease connection? Does it respect the other person's autonomy? Does it help me look after myself? Is there evidence behind it? And perhaps most importantly — is what I'm doing helping?
Keep the person at the centre
It is remarkably easy for alcohol or drug use to become the organising principle of an entire family. Gradually, we can stop seeing the person and start seeing only the problem. Someone can be experiencing addiction and still be a son, a daughter, a partner, a parent, a sibling, a friend — funny, frustrating, kind, unreliable, frightened, loving, angry, ambivalent, hopeful, and capable of change. Those things can exist together.
You are part of this story too
Family support should not only be about becoming better at helping someone else. Your sleep matters. Your relationships matter. Your finances, wellbeing, interests and sense of meaning matter. Supporting someone does not require putting your own life indefinitely on hold. The goal is not to become the perfect parent, partner, sibling or friend — it is to develop ways of responding that are healthier, safer, more sustainable, and more consistent with the person you want to be.
One final principle
Influence is not control. You cannot make another person stop drinking or using drugs, attend treatment, tell the truth, or recognise consequences the way you do. But not being able to control someone does not mean you have no influence. How you listen matters. How you respond matters. What you reinforce matters. And looking after yourself matters regardless of what your loved one ultimately chooses.
There is no magic sentence that makes someone change. But there are healthier ways to help.