Until the family heals, the child keeps falling - Austin Davis

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