Addressing Addiction in Couples Therapy (1.5HR)

While addiction is often referred to as a “family disease,” current approaches in recovery do not provide treatments that address or account for the relationship between the person with an addiction and their partner. Even if the partner with the SUD has sought treatment and is maintaining their sobriety, it does not take away maladaptive patterns of communicating, broken trust, and emotional pain in the relationship. This training aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively address addiction within the context of couples therapy.

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand Addiction Dynamics by providing participants with a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of addiction, including its impact on individuals and relationships.
• Identify the Differentiation of Roles and Responsibilities by clarifying the roles and responsibilities of each partner in the context of addiction and discuss how these roles may contribute to the dynamics of substance use and abuse.
• Teach Goal Setting for Recovery by guiding participants in setting realistic and achievable goals for addiction recovery within the couple and explore the importance of collaborative goal-setting for successful outcomes.
• Help Clients Build Trust and Repair Relationships by exploring rebuilding trust within the relationship that has eroded due to addiction and provide strategies for repairing and strengthening the overall relationship 

Social workers completing this course receive 1.5 Clinical/Substance-Specific asynchronous continuing education credits.

For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 1.5 hours of Clinical, Substance-Specific, Evidence-Based Practices, and General Skill Building continuing education training.

Course Instructor: Zumrad Ahmedjanova, LCSW-S, LCAS, CCS (she/her)