Barbara Gustavsen is a Realtor in Orange County and a single mother of 3 girls. Her youngest daughter, struggles with the disease of addiction. Barbara’s knowledge comes from 3 and a half years of her own personal experience with her child, her child’s friends and all their families. She believes that support, education and compassion needs to be given to the child and to the family’s. She has seen and experienced the life changing effects of such help.
Although her children are now all over 18 years of age, her passion for helping teens comes from a strong belief that there is a window of opportunity while they are minors. An opportunity to give them the support, tools and education they need for a productive and successful life, and an opportunity to educate and support the parents and siblings so they in turn can support the child in a healthy way and not feed the disease.
Barbara continues to share her experience with parents who are starting this journey, with their children and with other children she has had the pleasure of meeting on this journey. She also continues to learn and work on the effects this disease has had on her own life.
Barbara is particularly dedicated to Coastal Mountain Youth Academy as she has experienced a time in her daughter’s recovery when this would have been a much more desirable and productive alternative, had it been available, then sending her out of sate for help.
