Pathways to Promise: The Adolescent Journey of Healing with Kate Appleman LPCPathways to Promise: The Adolescent Journey of Healing with Kate Appleman LPC
Recovery Recharged with Ellen Stewart Pushy Broad from the Bronx
Join us as we tackle the critical issue of substance abuse amongst adolescents, shedding light on the most common substances they struggle with and the ever-changing trends. We'll talk about the intricacies of dual diagnosis with mental health and the...
27:07•18 Sept 2024
Teen Substance Use and Family Healing with Kate Appleman
Episode Overview
- Teen brains are still developing, so treatment must address limited impulse control and self‑regulation.
- Current adolescent use patterns focus more on vaping, high‑potency cannabis and hallucinogens than on alcohol and cocaine.
- Referrals often come when family, school or therapists notice anxiety, depression, anger or behaviour changes they cannot explain.
- Therapies such as motivational interviewing, DBT, CBT and adventure‑based groups help teens connect treatment to their own goals.
- Parents should watch for changes in mood, daily functioning, friends, secrecy and physical signs, and seek support rather than assuming it is just a phase.
“Our patients aren't giving us a hard time, they're having a hard time.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation between Ellen Stewart and clinician Kate Appleman zeroes in on one of the most worrying areas for many parents: adolescent substance misuse and the path towards healing. Across the episode, Kate explains why teenagers need a different kind of care to adults. Their brains are still developing, which affects impulse control, self‑regulation and abstract reasoning, so treatment has to match that reality.
She outlines how their new adolescent programme offers a "small but mighty" unit with separate beds for boys and girls and an average stay of three to five weeks, backed by strong aftercare planning. You’ll hear clear explanations of changing drug trends among teens, from the rise of vaping and high‑potency cannabis to hallucinogens and the presence of fentanyl.
Kate links these patterns with mental health concerns, describing how substance use often first appears as anxiety, depression, anger or school problems. Referrals typically come from families, schools and private therapists who "see smoke, but they can't quite find the fire". Treatment style is hands‑on and practical, using motivational interviewing, dialectical behaviour therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and adventure‑based, experiential groups to keep young people engaged.
Kate also tackles technology as a "double‑edged sword", explaining how social media and apps can fuel addiction but can also support recovery communities for teens. Parents get particular attention here. Warning signs are laid out in everyday language: changes in daily functioning, shifting friend groups, mood swings, secrecy, and physical signs such as bloodshot eyes or guarded behaviour around phones and bedrooms.
Kate gently reframes behaviour by saying "our patients aren't giving us a hard time, they're having a hard time", and stresses that family roles, expectations and overachievement pressures all need to be part of the conversation. If you’re a parent, carer or professional worrying about a teenager, this episode offers practical questions to ask, red flags to watch for, and reassurance that "you're not alone". Could this be the starting point for a new chapter in your family’s recovery story?
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