A Workshop on Addiction and Co-dependence  

Saturday, 18th November 2023, 10 am –  4 pm in Stroud 

A workshop for qualified counsellors and students at the placement stage of their training.

£75 / £65 if booked before October 31st.   CPD Certificates provided. 

What made this workshop so successful earlier this year was that we shared our own subtly embedded comfort strategies as a window into the condition.  We became our own resource and reference point, so it’s not just a focus on the other. It is an opportunity for therapists to familiarise themselves with the topics of addiction in general (broadly described as destructive-compulsive behaviour when comfort strategies go out of control).  Each addict makes their addiction their own by responding in stereotypical ways with a personal twist. Yet despite its complexity, addiction can be mapped with common behaviours and strategies employed by the addict, once we have some insight into what they are and how they are being applied, we can work with addiction in an effective and subtle way.   

 This runs alongside co-dependence and how they interweave and support each other.  Co-dependence is a condition of being in a relationship with someone in addiction (or more broadly, someone to hang on to at all costs), there are patterns of emotional over-investment that are destructive to the individuals concerned, equivalent to investing in a savings account that charged the saver excessive rates of interest. We’ll look at the traps and pitfalls that relate to co-dependence (akin to the archetype of the over-concerned parent).   

In this workshop, we will cover:  

  • When is it appropriate to work with a client affected by addiction?
  • Learn how to support a client in early recovery without over-stimulating them to use by helping them manage their feelings. (The Gorski method) 
  • Using mindfulness as a brief intervention to support a client to observe their impulses.
  •  What is an appropriate and timely level of challenge?  Does being directive conflict with your model? Why should you be or not be directive at times?  
  • Reflect on the risks of how a therapist might get on to a ‘mission’ to support a client and consider codependency in the helping professions. 
  • Consider the value and effectiveness of self-help in recovery such as Alcoholics Anonymous and other similar groups. 
  • Therapists usually work in good faith with their clients, so what if they are lying to you?   
  • We will use sociometry to reflect on our own attitudes and understanding of addiction. (A level of personal disclosure would be helpful here in a good-natured way.)  
  • We will use fictional scenarios to explore how we might respond in challenging situations with clients. 
  • Holding the boundary. What are the holes in your fence that a client could slip through?  And are you responsible for holding the boundary?
  • Ethical considerations and safeguarding issues. 
  • Dual diagnosis: co-existing mental health and addiction.
  • And much more as we go. My style is to work with the process that the group and individuals within the group generate, so productive diversions will likely occur so you get the learning that you need from the workshop rather than just us covering a list of didactic topics.  Please ask for what you need.  Now semi-retired, I have a background in end of life care, mental health and treatment for substance misuse and other compulsive behaviours. I have worked in addiction services for more than 20 years, beginning as a drop in and needle exchange volunteer, as a counselling trainee on placement (with ACAD in Bath), in partnership with GPs and addiction services in Somerset, in both primary and secondary rehabs in Gloucestershire and as a recovery worker with Turning Point. 

For bookings and further information: contact me on briantasker@hotmail.com  Tel: 0786 784 8365 

Thank you

Brian Tasker

Counsellor, Supervisor and Trainer

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