I offer several workshops focused on substance related problems and behavioral addictions in teens. They include:
- Is It A Problem? Substance use and behavioral addictions in teens
- Behavioral Addictions in Teens
- Putting the Pieces Together: Teens, trauma, and substance use disorders
- In This Moment: Mindfulness Based Approaches to Getting and Staying Clean
Descriptions can be found below. For more details or to schedule a workshop, contact me today.
IS IT A PROBLEM? SUBSTANCE USE AND BEHAVIORAL ADDICTIONS IN TEENS
Description coming soon.
This full day workshop is typically scheduled to run 9:00am to 4:30pm, with an hour lunch and two 15-minute breaks. Due it’s highly interactive design, it’s offered in-person only.
BEHAVIORAL ADDICTIONS IN TEENS
Behavioral addictions — such as excessive gaming, problematic pornography use, and online gambling — have been on the rise since the pandemic, especially among teens. Unfortunately, very few counselors have any training or practical experience treating them. This highly interactive presentation will help change that.
We’ll start by identifying common behavioral addictions in teens, exploring reasons they develop, examining the role of dopamine, and more. Next, we’ll apply this information by taking a deeper look at problematic pornography use , with attention given to the unique challenges of addressing this behavioral addiction in teens. Then, we’ll explore several field-tested strategies for helping teens recognize problems, resolve ambivalence, and leave their behavioral addictions behind.
Learning Objective 1: Attendees will develop a working definition of behavioral addiction. This will include identifying examples common among teens, exploring the role of dopamine, and considering various factors that contribute to some behaviors becoming addictive.
Learning Objective 2: Attendees will apply this new knowledge by exploring problematic pornography use, among teens, including prevalence, challenges unique to addressing the topic with teen, and practical ideas for managing personal biases and discomfort.
Learning Objective 1: Attendees will identify specific, field-tested and evidence-based strategies useful in helping teens start moving away from problematic behaviors such as excessive gaming, pornography use, and social media.
This workshop runs three hours. It can be scheduled for online or in-person.
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER: TEENS, TRAUMA, AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS
Studies show an extremely strong connection between substance-related issues and trauma exposure, especially in teens. Unfortunately, in many treatment settings this connection goes unnoticed and unaddressed, which can result in endless cycles of maladaptive behaviors, multiple treatment failures, escalating substance use, and ever-increasing stuckness.
In this highly interactive presentation, we’ll explore practical, effective steps to change this, by examining ways trauma exposure and substance use exacerbate each other, increasing our understanding of the resulting stuckness, and identifying field-tested strategies for helping trauma-exposed teens get unstuck.
Learning Objective 1: Attendees will increase their understanding of trauma impacts among teens, the use of substances as an attempt to mitigate these impacts, and ways trauma exposure and substance use often exacerbate each others.
Learning Objective 2: Attendees will identify the difference between trauma-informed and trauma-specific treatment approaches, effective field-tested strategies for both, and the ethical importance of practicing within one’s scope of competence.
Learning Objective 3: Attendees will explore several field-tested clinical skills for quickly creating rapport, fostering change among reluctant youth, and applying the Stages of Change when working with trauma-exposed substance-using teens.
My most popular half-day workshop, Putting the Pieces Together runs three hours. It can be scheduled for online or in-person.
IN THIS MOMENT: MINDFULNESS BASED APPROACHES TO GETTING AND STAYING CLEAN
Description coming soon.
This workshop runs three hours. Due it’s highly interactive design, it’s offered in-person only.