One on One With Coach Blu Episode 1One on One With Coach Blu Episode 1
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu Robinson answers real-time questions from parents in recovery, focusing on communication styles, boundaries and rebuilding trust with children and family. The episode highlights practical ways to move from control and conflict toward open conversation and accountability.
1:01:13•25 Jun 2020
Core Communication: Coach Blu’s One-on-One Guide to Family Recovery
Episode Overview
- Shift from control talk (fight and spite) to search talk by asking open-ended questions and focusing on understanding rather than winning.
- When trying to repair relationships, avoid blame and instead take personal accountability, apologise, and invite the other person to share how they feel.
- Set clear negotiable and non-negotiable rules at home, involving older children in creating consequences so they feel ownership and respect.
- Parent "out of inconvenience" by consistently showing up, listening and engaging, even when it disrupts your comfort or routines.
- View conflict resolution as essential in recovery, addressing issues openly rather than sweeping them under the rug to prevent emotional build-up and relapse risks.
“"Don't take it personal. Make it personable."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This episode of Addict II Athlete gives a front-row seat to real-time coaching with Coach Blu Robinson, blending honest questions from callers with practical tools for communication in recovery. You’ll hear from Selena, who is heartbroken about being cut off from her granddaughter, and Janae, who’s preparing for her kids to move back in after foster care.
Their stories will feel familiar to anyone rebuilding trust after addiction, especially when family history, hurt feelings and old patterns get in the way. Coach Blu introduces four styles of communication, with a big focus on moving away from "control talk"—the fight-and-spite back-and-forth many families get stuck in—and shifting into "search talk", where open questions and real listening help get to the why behind the behaviour.
He uses down-to-earth examples, like homework battles and late-night curfews, to show how small phrases can either build walls or build relationships. Parenting after addiction is a major thread. Coach Blu talks about setting clear boundaries (like no drug use in the home), involving older kids in making family rules, and "parenting out of inconvenience"—putting your own comfort on hold so kids feel seen and heard.
There’s also candid reflection on DCFS involvement, the pain of losing children, and the cautious, step-by-step process of earning their trust back. The tone is warm, sometimes funny, and very direct. Coach Blu doesn’t sugar-coat the damage addiction can cause, but he constantly points people back to personal accountability, honest apology, and consistent action as the path forward.
If you’re trying to mend relationships, improve communication or simply figure out how to talk to your kids after addiction, this episode offers practical language and real-life examples that you can start using straight away. Which conversation in your life is ready for less control talk and more search talk?
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