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Certificate in Working with Addiction – 24 hours (Jan-Feb 24)

The Certificate in Working with Addiction is a 24-hour online course providing an overview of working with addiction and the psycho-social-neurobiological factors to be considered.

Addiction Counselling Training

Approaches to working with Individuals and groups who experience addiction are ever evolving, and generally depend on the beliefs and evidence identified within a given culture or larger society. In the Western world, services that provide support differ, and are often outcome led to meet financially commissioned expectations whereby service user needs can often be missed. Similarly, medical services and community projects tend to view treatment in a rigid manner leading to the uniqueness of the individual often being discounted to a ‘one size fits all’ model. It can be said that we are moving away from a model of genetic determinism to begin to understand and explore more the relationship between addiction and the experience of stress and trauma in early development. Issues around Intersectionality, socially constructed identities, and Systemic Violence are still yet to be fully understood in relation to the development of addictive behaviours.

Course content

This 24 hour Certificate in Working with Addiction aims to provide an overview of addictions from these perspectives, with an emphasis on how these ideas are relevant to clinical practice, be that from a reflective, intellectual, or directive stance as practitioners. Attendees will be offered some take-away ideas and skills that can be readily transferred to their clinical work, as well as an understanding of what may be needed to build and maintain a positive relationship with those who come to us for help.

Content from the course will be delivered using a range of didactic, experiential and discussion-based teaching styles to support attendees integration of the material, including opportunities to discuss case material that aim at bringing these ideas to life. The theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of the course will combine ideas from a broad base of contemporary and traditional thinking around the topic of addictions.

Participant Numbers: There will be a maximum of 20 participants on this course.

Pre-Course requirements: Participants should be qualified counsellors or in training and ideally seeing clients in placement.

Course Delivery: Online using Zoom.

Refund Policy: Payment The deposit is non-refundable. 50% of the balance will be refunded for cancellations with more than 7 days’ notice.

Course Tutor:

Mike Meleady is a Transactional Analyst (PTSTA) who is in private practice as a Psychotherapist & Supervisor. Mike has a background in education, and worked for many years within the LGBTQI+ community where the focus of his work was on mental health & wellbeing. As Deputy Manager of the Antidote drug & alcohol service, Mike gained expert experience working with those who engaged in Chemsex, ran a Chemsex clinic for the NHS, and worked alongside the criminal justice system, supporting those who offended in a substance use context. Mike also worked alongside organisations such as Turning Point & CGL to train and support staff with delivering group interventions for substance use.

Mike feels that the privilege he holds as a white man, allows him to provide a voice to issues around discrimination, and to have power ‘with’ people, and be a good ally for all. Mike is also reflective of the oppression he and other’s experience because of living a life of identifying as queer, or holding difference, and works within an intersectional framework whereby he keeps difference, power, and oppression at the forefront of his working practice. Mike is a trainer, delivering content around drug & alcohol use, LGBTQ+ Awareness, Chemsex, LGBTQ+Mental Health, Allyship & Service Inclusion, and is also a Primary Tutor at TA East.