Your Go-To Resources

Discover the Best Tools and Resources to Help You

Whether you’re just starting your healing journey or you’ve been at it for years, the right resources can make all the difference. This page is filled with tools, communities, and insights that have helped me and so many others break cycles, build healthy relationships, and create lives we love. Explore these support groups, books, podcasts, and more—each one handpicked with you in mind. Take what serves you and know that you’re never alone in this.

Support Groups for Adult Children of Alcoholics & Others

Al-Anon Family Groups

For people affected by someone else’s drinking. Offers understanding, encouragement, and tools for healing. You may need to try a few different meetings before you find the one that suits you best. Virtual, phone, and in-person.

Adult Children of Alcoholics® /Dysfunctional Families

Specifically for us ACoAs! 12-step support for adults who grew up in alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional homes, focusing on recovery from childhood trauma. Virtual, phone, and in-person.

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Co-Dependents Anonymous

Support for people seeking healthier relationships and to shed codependency, especially helpful for those impacted by family addiction or dysfunction. Virtual and in-person.

SMART Recovery Family & Friends

Support meetings offering tools and encouragement for those affected by a loved one’s addiction. Focus is rooted in science and compassion. Virtual and in-person.

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Recommended Books

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Powerful Books on Healing for Adult Children of Alcoholics

These books helped me start healing as an adult child of an alcoholic and building a life I love. They’re packed with powerful insights to support you on your journey, too. Rooted in both lived experience and science, each one offers something unique.

A person handing a book to another person across a table

Best Books for Living with an Active Alcoholic: Evidence-based Support

Living with an active alcoholic is incredibly tough but you’re not alone. These evidence-based books, including those on the CRAFT method, offer tools to help you cope, communicate, and protect your well-being.

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Best Books to Help Kids and Teens Cope with a Parent’s Drinking

Kids and teens dealing with a parent’s alcoholism need stories that help them feel seen and understood. These books offer comfort, hope, and age-appropriate support to help young readers make sense of what they’re going through.

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Websites for Understanding Addiction & Alcoholism

Ready to understand addiction and what really happened to you and your family? These trusted websites are packed with up-to-date information and science-backed insights to give you clarity, validation, and wisdom for your healing journey.

  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
    Visit www.niaaa.nih.gov for science-based information about alcohol use disorder, its effects, treatment options, and ongoing research.
  • National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD)
    At www.ncadd.org, you’ll find educational resources and support to better understand addiction and its impact on individuals and families.
  • National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA)
    Whether you’re in the U.S. (www.nacoa.org) or the UK (www.nacoa.org.uk), NACoA offers support, research-based resources, and even a UK Helpline at 0800 358 3456 for children impacted by parental addiction.
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
    At www.samhsa.gov, SAMHSA offers data, treatment resources, and educational tools related to addiction and mental health.
  • Al-Anon Family Groups
    At www.al-anon.org, Al-Anon provides support for people affected by someone else’s drinking, including literature tailored for families.
  • Lisa Frederiksen’s Breaking the Cycles
    www.breakingthecycles.com is a must-visit blog for anyone seeking to understand how addiction and intergenerational trauma affect families. Lisa combines the latest science with practical tools for breaking unhealthy patterns and creating lasting change.
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Therapy Resources

woman watching the window

How to Find the Right Therapist for You

Finding a therapist can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re not sure what to look for. This guide offers practical tips to help you find someone who truly gets you, understands trauma, and creates a safe space to heal. You deserve support that feels like a good fit.

Online Therapy Options

BetterHelp

Talkspace

Therapy for Black Girls

Psychology Today (therapist search tool)

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What Therapy Can Do for Adult Children of Alcoholics

Therapy offers what many of us didn’t get growing up: a safe, supportive space to feel, heal, and grow. A skilled therapist can help you understand your past, break unhealthy patterns, and build a more peaceful, connected future, which is something that’s hard to do all on your own.

woman with headphones smiling

Recommended Podcasts

These standout podcasts offer honest stories, insights, and tools for healing from childhood trauma and growing up in a dysfunctional or alcoholic home:

SelfHealers Soundboard – Dr. Nicole LePera & Jenna Weakland

Real, relatable conversations about healing, reparenting, boundaries, and breaking generational cycles—grounded in holistic psychology. Check it out.

Tuesday Toolbox ACA

Stories of recovery and inspiration from fellow adult children of alcoholics and dysfunctional families, offering hope and shared experience. Recorded Adult Children of Alcoholics meeting in Brooklyn, New York. Check it out.

The Adult Child Podcast – Andrea Ashley

Unfiltered, humorous, and deeply honest conversations about recovery, personal growth, and what it’s really like to heal from a chaotic childhood. Check it out.

Ready for More Support?

guidance to Help You heal and Thrive


You don’t have to figure it all out on your own. I created a free guide just for you: “7 Truths to Begin Your Healing as an Adult Child of an Alcoholic.”

It’s filled with the aha-moments and mindset shifts I wish I had at the beginning of my journey.

👉 Click here to download the free guide and start your next chapter today.

🎥 And for weekly healing tips, encouragement, and personal stories, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share videos to help you build confidence, peace, and a life you love.

You’re not alone. Your story is just beginning.