Cognitive Approaches to Trauma and Addiction
This breakthrough webinar led by internationally recognized CBT expert Dr Jeff Riggenbach, who trained at the Beck Institute of Cognitive Therapy, will enhance your treatment approach, advance your clinical skills, and arm you with proven tools and techniques that you can implement with your clients the very next day in your practice.
The relationship between trauma and addiction is well established in the literature. This is no surprise, as practitioners know all too well that people with unresolved trauma and emotional wounds often turn to substances as a way to self-medicate. People with addictions may
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- Drive while under influence
- Gravitate towards toxic relationships
- Have difficulties in their employment
- Go to dangerous places to get their substance of choice
- Engage in many other behaviours that increase their risk of being traumatized.
The good news is, there is hope! Evidence shows increasing incidence of recovery for people struggling in the areas of trauma and addiction.
While neuroscience has taught us much about this phenomenon in recent years, evidence-based CBT treatments which to this day appear to still be at least as effective as many “newer” approaches, seem to have almost got lost in the shuffle. By attending this training you will not only refresh your current knowledge of CBT but you will also learn what’s new.
Even if you do not work in the area of trauma and addictions, you should ground yourself in foundational clinical concepts for effectively treating clients with trauma who resort to substance misuse and hence develop addictions. It is a vast majority of our clients; many are at risk or are already trying to ease the pain of trauma with substance. So let’s make sure that we are equipped with the tools to help them in the process of recovering from or preventing addictions, and healing trauma.
Access this online workshop (8 learning hours) and become a more trauma-informed professional with a practical, evidence-based approach that will equip your clients struggling with trauma and addiction to reclaim their lives and be well on the road to recovery.
Course Outline:
The Relationship Between Trauma and Addiction
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- The neurobiology of Trauma and addiction
- The role of defectiveness schemas and and shame
- Reciprocal nature of the relationship
A Cognitive Approach
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- Psychoeducation
- Early Maladaptive Schemas and their Association with Trauma and Addiction
- Behavioural Pattern Breaking
- Exposure Based Work
CBT for Addictive Behaviour Disorders
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- Addiction conceptualization
- Enhancing Motivation
- Identifying Functions of Usage
- Complex Chain Analysis
- Challenging motivations and Development of Alternative Coping Skills
- Cue cards and coping cards
- Addict Letters
- Managing Urges
Psychoeducation and Skills Training
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- Standard CBT Skills
- Emotion Regulation Skills
- Distress Tolerance Skills
- Interpersonal effectiveness skills
Cognitive – Behavioural Chain Analysis
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- Breaking destructive behavioural cycles
- Cognitive cue cards
Trauma and PTSD
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- 3 Stages of Treatment
- Psychoeducation and obtaining Informed Consent
- Grounding Exercises, Soothing Strategies, and Distraction Techniques
- Trauma Narrative Work • Nightmare Rescripting and Imagery Rehearsal Therapy
- Restructuring Cognitions Related to Guilt and Shame
- Addressing Moral Injury
- Silver Lining Technique, Resilience Amplification, and other Post-Traumatic Growth
CPD Information For Mental Health Professionals
Enjoy complete flexibility with 100% self-paced learning you can access anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Pay once for lifetime access.
Course Duration: 8 learning hours
Certificate and CPD hours: On completion you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion to support your CPD records.
Assessment: Complete a short quiz at the end (80% pass mark), which you can resit as many times as needed.
Lifetime Access: Your access to the course does not expire, so you can revisit key concepts anytime you want a refresher for practice.
CPD Eligibility: This program may be suitable for CPD for professionals such as:
- Psychologists
- Counsellors and Psychotherapists
- Social Workers
- Community Workers
- Mental Health Nurses
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Occupational Therapists
CPD requirements vary between professional bodies, so please check with your association or credentialing body to confirm you can claim CPD hours/OPD points for this program and what evidence they require.
Course Content
Meet Your Instructor
High-conflict personalities, treatment-resistant clients, and complex cases involving borderline personality disorder can leave clinicians feeling frustrated and ineffective - but these challenging presentations don't have to derail therapeutic progress. Jeff Riggenbach has spent over 20 years developing practical, evidence-based tools that help transform how practitioners work with their most difficult cases, earning him international recognition as "the practical tools guy" and becoming one of the world's most sought-after trainers in cognitive behavioral interventions.
As a three-time bestselling, award-winning author and Diplomat of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, Dr. Riggenbach brings unparalleled expertise in translating complex therapeutic concepts into immediately usable clinical tools. His books The CBT Toolbox and The BPD Toolbox (Amazon #1 new release) have become essential resources for practitioners worldwide, while his latest work Disarming High Conflict Personalities addresses one of the most challenging aspects of clinical and organisational work. His training at the Beck Institute of Cognitive Therapy and Research, combined with 20 years directing CBT-based treatment programs in psychiatric hospitals where he served over 3,000 clients, gives him deep understanding of what actually works with resistant populations.
Dr. Riggenbach's expertise spans Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Schema-Focused Cognitive Therapy, personality disorders treatment (especially Borderline Personality Disorder), trauma and addiction, and high-conflict personality management. His approach bridges the gap between academic research and frontline clinical reality, showing practitioners how to adapt evidence-based techniques for clients who don't fit textbook presentations. He specialises in cases where traditional therapy approaches have failed, particularly with clients who are hostile, manipulative, or treatment-resistant.
What sets his training apart is practical applicability under real-world conditions. Riggenbach doesn't just teach theory - he shows clinicians exactly what to say and do when facing their most challenging moments. His international training reach across all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, UK, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa demonstrates his ability to adapt techniques across diverse populations and practice settings.
For your practice, expect to gain specific intervention scripts for difficult situations, tools for managing your own emotional responses to challenging clients, and frameworks for maintaining therapeutic progress with treatment-resistant cases. His approach particularly benefits clinicians working in high-stress environments, those dealing with personality disorders, or practitioners who feel burned out from difficult cases.
Quick Win: Riggenbach's "emotional regulation interrupt" technique helps clinicians quickly de-escalate volatile therapeutic situations while maintaining professional boundaries - helping to prevent session ruptures and keeping treatment on track.
Qualifications
- Ph.D., Christian Counseling
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Oklahoma, current
- Diplomat of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy
- Certified Cognitive Therapist, Beck Institute of Cognitive Therapy and Research, Philadelphia
- John Maxwell Team Certified Speaker/Trainer/Coach
- Certified Behavioral Consultant
- 20+ years clinical experience
Authored Books
- Disarming High Conflict Personalities: Dealing with the 8 Most Difficult People in Your Life Before You Burnout (latest release)
- The BPD Toolbox: A Practical Evidence-Based Guide to Regulating Intense Emotions (2016, Amazon #1 new release, award-winning)
- The CBT Toolbox: A Workbook for Clients, Clinicians and Coaches (2012, 1st and 2nd editions, bestseller)
- Seven total publications
Professional Experience
- International Speaker/Trainer/Coach, John Maxwell Team, current
- Clinical Director, Private Practice/Consulting, current
- Award-Winning Author & Behavioral Consultant, Tulsa, OK, current
- APA & NBCC/ACEP Approved Provider, Continuing Education Credits, current
- Director, CBT-based treatment programs, Two psychiatric hospitals (20 years, served 3,000+ clients)
- Treatment Program Developer, Mood Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, BPD programs, Two psychiatric hospitals
- Staff Member, Brookhaven Psychiatric Hospital, Tulsa, OK
International Training Reach
- Trained audiences in all 50 United States, Canada, Mexico, UK, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland
- Conference keynote addresses and specialised workshops worldwide
Ready to work confidently with your most challenging clients? Discover how Dr. Riggenbach's practical, evidence-based tools can help transform your ability to achieve breakthrough results with treatment-resistant cases while maintaining your own professional well-being.
Feedback & Reviews
This course includes:
- Lessons 4
- Topics 0
- Duration 8 hours
- Quizzes 1
- Language English