Course Fee: $459 (Canadian currency)
This practical, informative and relevant course is designed to enhance the student’s understanding of the addiction recovery process. It will give you crucial insights and teach you techniques to help your clients break the addictive cycle, and avoid the danger of relapse.
Specifically, this course will address the following: Understanding how addictions develop; breaking free from an addiction; staying addiction free; co-occurring disorders; addictions and the family; and treating addictions.
There is no prior knowledge or experience required to embark on this certificate course. However, we would highly recommend that students complete the Certificate in Addictions Counselling first. You are free to commence at a time that suits your schedule – and then continue at your pace for a period of six months. Full tutor support is provided for this course.
SYLLABUS
Module 1: An Overview of Addictions
Topics Studied
• Reviewing the signs that indicate we are addicted
• How we get drawn in
• Understanding the many faces of addiction
• Some secondary gains which may be driving an addiction
• What we learned about addictions from the Vietnam war
• Addiction assessment questionnaires
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Summarize the stages associated with being drawn into an addiction.
• Discuss key factors which shape and influence the development of an addiction.
• List some of the secondary gains which may be driving an addiction.
Module 2: Breaking Free from an Addiction
Topics Studied
• Breaking through denial
• Should I quit: Making the decision
• Assessing level of commitment to quitting
• Choosing to take care of the child within
• Turning the decision into action
• What to expect in the early stages of recovery
• Some online recovery resources
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Discuss the importance of breaking through denial.
• Describe the active steps for turning good intentions into recovery.
• Outline what a recovering addict may experience during the process of recovery.
Module 3: Staying Addiction Free
Topics Studied
• Myths about relapse
• Understanding the relapse chain
• Reducing your vulnerability to relapse
• Some coping skills for dealing with reality
• How to manage painful feelings
• The three key elements of self-compassion
• The self-observation check list
• Recovering from a slip
• Important counsellor characteristics
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Discuss key myths related to relapse.
• Suggest ways of reducing your vulnerability to relapse.
• Describe coping skills for dealing with reality, and also for managing painful feelings.
Module 4: Co-Occurring Disorders
Topics Studied
• Which comes first: mental illness or addiction?
• Anxiety-related disorders
• Mood-related disorders
• Personality disorders
• The need for an integrated treatment plan
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Debate the relationship between mental illness and addiction.
• Describe some anxiety-related disorders which sometimes co-exist with addictions.
• Describe some mood disorders which sometimes co-exist with addictions.
Module 5: Addictions and the Family
Topics Studied
• Interactional patterns in addicted families
• Supporting families where a partner or spouse is addicted
• Supporting families where a parent is addicted, and children are living in the home
• Supporting families where an elderly parent is addicted
• Supporting families where an adult child is addicted
• Addict family roles and traits
• Enabling and co-dependency
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Describe some common interactional patterns observed in addicted families.
• Discuss addict family roles and traits.
• Summarize what is meant by enabling and co-dependency.
Module 6: Treatment for Addictions
Topics Studied
• Treating substance abuse
• Long-term residential treatment programs
• Short-term residential treatment programs
• Outpatient treatment programs
• Individualized drug counselling
• Group counselling
• CBT and recovery
• Exploring automatic thoughts and core beliefs
• CBT treatment tools: The DRDT
• 12 Step programs
• Understanding the need to grieve
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Suggest different ways of treating substance abuse.
• Discuss how CBT can be helpful in recovery.
• Outline the key components of 12 step groups.
Suggested textbook for the course (to be purchased by the student)
Perkinson, R.R., Jongsma Jr, M.E., & Bruce, T.J. (2014). The addiction treatment planner: Includes DSM-5 Updates 5th Edition. London: John Wiley & Sons.
Prerequisites
It is highly recommended that students completed the Certificate in Addictions Counselling before registering for the Certificate in Advanced Addictions Counselling.