Faith Antman Batt BS, BFRLC
Certified BALM® Family Recovery Life Coach
Hi I’m Faith! I’m a Family Recovery Specialist, Life Coach and founder of Heartland Family Recovery. I’m also a wife, a mother of three, woman of faith, and have myself spent a lifetime living with and loving people who’ve struggled with drug and alcohol use disorders and mental illnesses. I understand firsthand what a difficult time you may be going through right now; I acknowledge you for having the courage and determination to take this first step towards getting your life back and becoming your loved one’s best chance at recovery.
This is a safe and non-judgmental space where we can talk truth, without shame, blame or stigma, about the impact that addiction has had on us and our families. It is also a place for you to connect with the help you need to learn a new way to live. You will grow and be supported on this journey.
My Story
Traditional treatment and recovery are focused on the addict, but it is well-documented that addiction is a family disease. As a family member, I’ve known grief and loss; I’ve witnessed, experienced, and suffered the devastating effects of Substance Use Disorder and multigenerational trauma.
There were many times during my loved one's active use that I barely recognized them—it was as if their brains were hijacked by their disease! Growing up, I was deemed “The only normal person in the family.” Little did anyone know that I, too, suffered from undiagnosed anxiety, depression, insomnia, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In recent years, I’ve learned an amazing new way to live. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and if you want to put an end to the insanity, I’m here to help guide you.
Early Life & Motherhood
As a child I was taught: Don’t Talk, Don’t Trust, Don’t Feel, so I became an expert at hiding my family’s secrets and my pain. I lived in a hypervigilant, survival mode. As a mother I did everything I thought possible to raise my family differently, to put an end to the cycle of addiction and abuse. My efforts included instilling strong family values, having family council meetings for open communication, providing a religious foundation, and even private school education. I tried my best to do everything right and I was shocked to discover that one of my teenage children was abusing drugs and alcohol and getting into serious, life-threatening trouble. I tried everything I could think of but ultimately, I felt helpless and terrified as my child’s life was spiraling dangerously out of control.
My worst nightmare was happening, and it literally brought me to my knees. I felt like a failure as a parent. It was as if I was lost at sea in a raging storm, treading water against the tide with no land in sight. I tried to take charge of the situation but nothing I did seemed to help. In fact, my reactions often made matters worse. The dysfunction in our home was emotionally unbearable for us all. It broke my heart to see my family in so much pain. I was frustrated and exhausted. My spirit was nearly broken and there were some very dark days when wondered whether I had any reason to go on.
The BALM® Approach
For a while we sought therapy and attended peer support groups which provided a measure of relief and helped get us through another day, but it just wasn’t enough to transform us into a loving, happy family again. Then a lifelong friend of mine introduced me to the BALM® (Be A Loving Mirror) approach to family recovery, and I went from being on the verge of a nervous breakdown, to becoming the person I am today: an empowered woman living a meaningful life! A life with renewed faith, hope, optimism and gratitude. I am enjoying life and loving relationships more than ever before.
Why Work With Me?
What I offer is a unique approach that focuses, not only on the addict, but on the family’s recovery: emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Experience shows that when the family gets well, the loved one has a much greater chance at recovery. I’m offering you an opportunity to change the way you relate to yourself and others so that you can live a more peaceful and purposeful life. I was so grateful and inspired by this transformation that I made a decision to become a professional, certified Family Recovery Life Coach and I’m dedicated to helping you reach your potential, improve your outlook, live a calmer, happier, more fulfilling life and in doing so, become your loved one’s best chance at a healthy, long-lasting recovery.
Life is a journey, not a destination. It’s humbling and profoundly rewarding to know that my mission in this world is to turn my pain into purpose and to use my experience to help other struggling families. This is my calling. I’m throwing you a lifeline and I want you to grab it. Imagine what a relief and a blessing it will be to know you don’t have to go it alone anymore.
Background
Faith Batt is a Family Recovery Specialist and Coach dedicated to helping heal families who have loved ones struggling with the disease of addiction. Formerly an Emmy winning TV writer and field producer, Faith's strong sense of social justice and victims’ advocacy led to her work on FOX’s America’s Most Wanted as well as other powerful documentary films. Faith is also a founding member of the Delray Beach Center for the Arts Writers’ Colony at Old School Square.
Cracking Up! Life With My Fractured Family is the title of Faith’s forthcoming memoir. It is the raw and heartfelt story of her tumultuous family life in which divorce, drugs, alcohol, child abuse and domestic violence were the norm. The book includes excerpts from her diary exposing the lost innocence of her stolen childhood, yet it expands on her abilities to search for understanding and her resilience to survive and thrive. It is a testament to her experience, strength and hope for her family’s recovery. Faith shares the wisdom and inspiration gleaned from her journey toward peace, wholeness, and fulfillment as she navigates many challenges of her own personal and spiritual development, marriage, infertility and motherhood, while striving to find balance, meaning and purpose - ultimately coming into alignment with her life’s mission and calling as a Family Recovery Specialist and Life Coach.
In college Faith was honored as “Outstanding Student of the Year” and earned a bachelor’s degree in communication. Faith is a Public Speaker committed to community service; she's worked with various nonprofit organizations and serves on the Board of Directors for Friends of the Boca Raton Public Library. She also volunteers as a Group Representative and Speakers’ Manager for Al-Anon in her South Florida district. After several years as a BALM practitioner Faith became a graduate coach of the BALM Training Institute. She founded Heartland Family Recovery to provide a safe environment where she could share the tools, skills, and blessings she acquired on her journey. She is an advocate for self-care as well as the family’s crucial role in recovery based on her lifelong experience, personal transformation, and professional training. She and her husband reside in Boca Raton, FL and have three amazing grown children.