From Personal Recovery to Heart-Centered Parenting with Janice Dowd
What if the path to becoming the parent you always wished you had starts not with learning new parenting techniques—but with going inward?
In our latest episode, we dive deep into a transformative truth: sobriety isn’t the finish line—it’s the starting point of returning to your truest self. It’s where the real work begins. And that work leads to something powerful: parenting from the heart.
From Survival Mode to Self-Discovery
When we strip away the coping mechanisms, the numbing, and the patterns we inherited unconsciously, what’s left is raw, unfiltered presence. That can feel scary at first. But it’s also where healing and real connection begins.
In this episode, we explore:
How sobriety opens the door to rediscovering your inner truth
Why healing your inner child is essential—not optional—on the parenting journey
The difference between parenting from shame, fear, and control versus parenting from love, acceptance, and freedom
What it means to be a heart-centered parent who leads with presence, authenticity, empathy, and emotional attunement
Why being “in tune” with yourself makes you naturally more in tune with your children
The myth of perfection in parenting—and how showing up authentically is the true gift
The Inner Child Connection
Healing your inner child isn’t just about reflecting on past wounds—it’s about recognizing where those unmet needs still live inside you. When we don’t tend to those parts of ourselves, they unconsciously show up in how we parent: through reactivity, fear, emotional distance, or overcompensation.
But when we turn toward to our own pain with compassion, we change the game.
You’ll hear real stories, insights, and practical guidance on how to:
Reconnect with the parts of you that needed love, safety, and validation
Create space to feel without judgment, gain tools to regulate yourself that in turn result in teaching regulation to your children
Break generational patterns with awareness, not shame
Become the safe space for your child because you’ve learned to be that for yourself
Sobriety: The Beginning, Not the End
Sobriety is a bold and brave first step. But it’s not the peak of the mountain—it’s the trailhead. Once the numbing is gone, your true self begins to surface. That self may feel unfamiliar at first. Vulnerable. Sensitive. Real.
But it’s also the most available, grounded, and powerful version of you—the version your child most needs.
Tune In If…
~ You’re sober (or sober curious) and wondering what’s next.
~ You're overwhelmed with practical wreckage and don't know where to start.
~ You’re a parent trying to do it differently than it was done for you.
~ You feel like there’s more to healing than just “not drinking.”
~ You want to lead with love, not fear.
~ You’re ready to come home to yourself—and raise your child from that place.
~ You're ready to build a sense of "home" within the family, where safety, calm, and acceptance thrive, regardless of separation, divorce, or custody-challenges.
This episode is a permission slip to stop performing, stop perfecting, and start returning to the truth of who you really are. Your child doesn’t need you to be perfect—they need YOU to be PRESENT. And presence starts with you.
Episode Summary: From Personal Recovery to Heart-Centered Parenting
[00:00–02:00] Opening & Introduction
Nadia opens the episode by welcoming listeners to a heartfelt new series on parenting and recovery. She introduces co-host and guest, social worker Janice Dowd, highlighting their shared mission to support parents in recovery through honest conversations about healing, shame, and rebuilding connection with self and family.
[02:00–05:00] The Power of Inner Healing
Janice shares how her biggest barrier to connection with her children was the “unhealed child” within herself. She reflects on realizing she could not teach her kids love, confidence, or security until she found those within. The two discuss how awareness and trauma work allow parents to recognize emotional patterns and build healthier relationships.
[05:00–08:00] Slow Healing and Self-Acceptance
Nadia and Janice talk about the slow and non-linear nature of recovery. Janice recalls her early therapy experiences and how a therapist once told her, “You are not a bad person—you are a wounded little girl who needs love.” Nadia shares her own process of learning to believe she was worthy of care, even after setbacks and relapses.
[08:00–12:00] Building a Home Within
Nadia discusses how creating inner safety became essential to her recovery. She recounts moments of breathwork and stillness, even during arrest and deep struggle, where she repeated the mantra “Home is within you.” Both women emphasize that healing begins by finding safety in one’s own heart before rebuilding it externally with family.
[12:00–16:00] From Thought Spirals to Stillness
The conversation turns to mindfulness and how to manage intrusive thoughts or distractions during meditation. Janice offers practical tools—affirmations, post-it reminders, and compassionate self-talk—to quiet the inner critic. Together, they remind listeners that judgment-free awareness is the most loving thing we can offer ourselves and our children.
[16:00–20:00] Parenting as Daily Repair
They explore what “repair as daily work” means: showing up with honesty, presence, and consistency rather than perfection. Janice shares her own people-pleasing tendencies and how authentic communication, even when uncomfortable, helps create emotional safety for both parent and child.
[20:00–23:00] The Role of Safety and Stability
Drawing from her social work background, Janice outlines how parents can begin to rebuild trust with children—whether through consistent visits, open communication, or simply showing up. Nadia reflects on how systems often fail parents in recovery and advocates for more treatment options where mothers can heal alongside their children.
[23:00–26:00] Letting Go of Guilt and Control
Nadia shares a profound teaching from her spiritual mentor: every child has their own soul journey, and a parent’s role is to provide a safe, loving environment for that journey to unfold. She recalls moments of simply holding her child and repeating, “I love you,” learning that love and safety are enough.
[26:00–28:00] Acceptance, Presence, and Forgiveness
The episode closes with reflection on the peace that comes from accepting that we do the best we can with what we have. Janice highlights self-forgiveness as a bridge between inner child healing and conscious parenting. Together, they remind listeners that growth is found not in perfection, but in showing up with presence, humility, and love.
YOGA (FREE for Parents in Recovery)
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