Workshop Description:

When working with addiction, we often focus primarily on the individual struggling with addiction itself. But where there is someone with addiction there is often a whole family struggling under the weight of the illness, managing its consequences, and living in a state of constant fear, anxiety and sadness. The family recovery journey is one marked by the return to self, boundaries, and learning to connect with others in new ways.

Using experiential therapy with this population is a non-pathologizing way to quickly and empathically support clients to connect with their own needs, feelings, and inner voice. This workshop will introduce concepts like the Gestalt contact cycle and empty chair, sociometrics, and how to use props in clinical sessions to creatively encourage clients to connect to themselves and others on deeper levels.

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Learning Objectives:

1. Develop a trauma-informed conceptualization of addiction in a family.

2. Understand how family members can be impacted by addiction.

3. Identify 7 behaviors family members use to self-soothe when they are not on their own recovery journey.

4. Receive an introduction to the Gestalt philosophy and learn at least 2 concrete ways to bring this orientation into therapy sessions.

5. Learn at least 3 experiential activities to use during family therapy sessions to support family members as they learn more about themselves, their relationships and how they function as a family system.