This 120-minute training for Parent Partners working with adults impacted by substance use will provide a trauma-informed understanding of addiction through the lens of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and shame. Participants will explore what addictions are—not simply as moral failings or lack of willpower, but as attempts to regulate overwhelming emotional pain—and examine research linking higher ACEs scores to increased vulnerability to substance misuse and compulsive behaviors. Grounded in the work of Dr. Gabor Maté, addiction will be framed as a response to suffering in which individuals seek relief from distress, disconnection, or unresolved trauma; in this view, the core question shifts from “What is wrong with this person?” to “What happened to this person?” The training will also examine how early adversity often generates toxic shame, shaping self-concept and reinforcing cycles of substance use as a strategy to numb, soothe, or escape internal pain. 

Objectives: 

• Define addiction through a trauma-informed, compassion-focused lens and describe its neurobiological and relational underpinnings.

• Explain the relationship between ACEs scores, toxic stress, shame, and increased risk for substance use disorders.

• Identify at least three trauma-responsive engagement strategies Parent Partners can use to reduce stigma and foster safety, connection, and hope when supporting adults in recovery.

TWO CHANCES TO ATTEND:
> Thurs., March 26, 2026, 1pm - 3pm (2 hrs)
> Thurs., May 21, 2026, 1pm - 3pm (2 hrs)

>>This training is open to all team members working with parents, families and children.<<

This training is FREE TO ATTEND and is presented virtually on ZOOM.