The Counselling Academy

This comprehensive 12-hour professional development course provides practising counsellors with essential knowledge and skills for working effectively with clients experiencing addiction.

Developed specifically for British counsellors, this training combines current neuroscience research with practical, evidence-based interventions that you can implement immediately in your practice.

Whether you're encountering addiction as a primary presenting issue or discovering it underlying other mental health concerns, this course equips you with the assessment tools, intervention strategies, and risk management skills needed for safe and effective practice.

The course moves beyond basic addiction awareness to provide the depth of understanding needed for competent clinical practice. You'll learn to recognise addiction in all its forms - from high-functioning alcohol dependency to behavioural addictions like gambling and gaming. You'll understand the neuroscience that explains why willpower alone fails and why certain interventions work whilst others increase resistance. Most importantly, you'll develop practical skills for every stage of the therapeutic journey. From initial assessment using validated screening tools to evidence-based interventions like Motivational Interviewing, EMDR and adapted CBT approaches, you'll have clear protocols for working with addiction presentations.

The training addresses the complex realities of modern practice including co-occurring mental health conditions, risk assessment for suicide and safeguarding, and working with clients who may be ambivalent about change. You'll learn to identify when medical intervention is necessary, how to manage crisis situations, and when to involve other services.

Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on building therapeutic relationships with clients who often feel shame and judgement about their substance use. You'll learn language that reduces stigma, approaches that build motivation naturally, and interventions that respect client autonomy whilst ensuring safety.

By completing this training, you'll transform uncertainty into competence when addiction presents in your practice. No more wondering if you should refer immediately or feeling out of your depth when clients reveal substance use concerns. You'll have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide effective support whilst managing risks appropriately.

This isn't just another CPD course - it's essential training that fundamentally enhances your ability to help the significant proportion of clients whose lives are affected by addiction, whether their own or that of someone close to them.