Kathleen Cochran has remained by her daughter’s side through her battle with substance use disorder. Their sixteen-year path has included over twenty rehabs, IOPs, sober livings, a therapeutic boarding school and a partridge in a pear tree.

After being labeled an “enabler” and “codependent”, then directed to allow her daughter to hit rock bottom, Kathleen became determined to find a more compassionate approach. She researched and read, devouring hundreds of books on a wide range of approaches and tools.

She aligns with the practice of harm reduction, to keep our children alive until they can find their way to recovery and CRAFT, as a more effective approach to communicate and encourage sobriety.

Kathleen is passionate about helping other mothers. She shares her experience and knowledge to lessen the angst of their journeys.

Warrior Woman’s Retreat was born of her desire to bring mothers together in an environment that would allow uncensored conversation and create a sense of belonging.

Years of hiding her son’s problematic drug use left Allyson Kelley feeling isolated. She captured her secret life in a blog that was shared by Arianna Huffington. The overwhelming support empowered her to continue writing. She has been a guest writer on HuffPost, Addiction Unscripted, Love What Matters and other sites.

Allyson’s perspective and writing shifted after she attended the National Harm Reduction Conference in 2016. Instead of punishing her son’s addiction, she focused on mitigating its damage. She became aware of the stigmas and injustices endured by those fighting for sobriety, and motivated to expose them.

As traumatic experiences became the norm, Allyson was compelled to find personal growth in the circumstances. She wished for a culture that encouraged women to move beyond the negativity and find purpose. She found this avenue after attending the first Women’s Retreat in May of 2018. The sheer volume of mothers in need of connectivity inspired her to grow the event into more.