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Utilizing CBT principles, participants will learn to educate patients on identifying the set-up behaviors and trigger events which set them up for the craving cycle. This cycle happens to all alcoholics and addicts in recovery and always precedes relapse. These two facts inform us that the craving cycle is a dangerous place to be. Specific CBT strategies are provided to participants equipping them to teach patients how to avoid the craving cycle and, thus, minimize relapse potential.
While most counselors help clients identify their relapse triggers, many don’t adequately teach the mechanism by which an event becomes a trigger. Consequently, clients are only taught to deal with triggers by avoiding them. Bob equips counselors to teach patients the mechanism by which an event becomes a trigger and how to recover from them.
Patient version also available entitled: Craving and Relapse
Participants will learn to build an ethical practice, thereby creating a lens by which to view any ethical situation. After learning the ethical tools and principles, participants will utilize such tools to grapple with compelling ethical dilemmas in the form of vignettes.
As instructor for the Ethics course in the Alcohol and Drug Studies Program at Loyola Marymount University Extension and his 27 years working as an addiction professional, Bob brings a wealth of information to this training.
It is very important for alcoholism and drug abuse counselors to be clear that resolution of issues that lead to uncomfortable emotions is secondary to learning to feel, and even tolerate, emotions. Participants will be equipped with tools to aid patients in utilizing recovery tools to cope with such emotions.
Shame Resilience: Building on his Coping with Emotions model, which emphasizes the importance of learning how to feel and experience uncomfortable emotions in addiction recovery, Bob incorporates the work of Brene’ Brown and its application to the addiction treatment profession.
Self-esteem: Bob defines self-esteem, illustrates its common roots in people’s lives, and describes the tendency to seek positive regard from one’s environment when it is unattainable from within. He then presents proven self-esteem building techniques that counteract this seemingly hard-wired state. Practical application of these techniques is also provided enabling participants to better understand how to effectively teach these tools to clients so they can derive good feelings about themselves from within.
Anger: Learning to cope with anger is vital in recovery. Unprocessed anger, which often leads to resentment, is a leading cause of relapse. Following a brief education on important aspects of anger and resentment, this presentation introduces participants to a variety of practical anger management tools that can be provided to patients. Viewers also learn which of these tools can be used to calm rageful anger, clearing the way to use other tools to process and uncover its true source.
Grief: Using an analysis of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ 5 Stages of Grief, Bob describes the path from denial to acceptance regarding loss in general, and the loss experienced when addicts must say good-bye to their drug of choice.
Fear: Bob discusses the power of fear that keeps addicts and alcoholics wrapped in their addiction. Tools and methods are presented that can be taught to patients that can be utilized to break the bondage of fear. This talk has the added benefit of teaching participants how to provide hope and guidance for those struggling with the idea of a Higher Power.
Patient versions available for the entire Coping with Emotions series.
Given the chronicity of addiction and the temporary nature of formal treatment, it is essential that clients learn how to maintain recovery after discharge. Additionally, many people needing treatment are not able to access it and don’t know where to turn. This DVD addresses both of these issues. After briefly discussing the disease model and identifying the common symptoms of addiction, Bob provides simple and specific instructions that can be given to patients on how to utilize 12-step programs in building and maintaining long-term recovery. Participants are also given tools to aid their patients in leaping any hurdles of resistance by addressing the common myths and difficulties about utilizing such programs.
Drawing from the work of David Mee-Lee, Project Match Research Group, and Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques, this training highlights the importance developing a therapeutic alliance with clients and teaches specific strategies in developing such. Participants will also be provided specific tools, strategies, and interventions to effect measurable increases in both client engagement (inquiry to admission rates) and retention (completion rates).