In this program, broken into two 3-day weekends with optional consultations, participants will learn about the Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM), Path of the Wounded Healer (PWH), and Meeting Area Screening and Assessment (MASA) (which includes Two Containers and Photo Album, within the framework of the Neuroexperiential Model). This offering is a condensed version of PWH-1 and PWH-2 and 10-hours of group consultations are required for successful completion. ADM offers our case conceptualization of addiction as dissociation and our emerging PWH offers new Brainspotting setups like Bulk Blink, Resetting Emotions, Addressing Toxic Shame, Intention Spot, Journeying Spot, Breathspotting, and Integration Spotting. Participants will learn MASA, which was developed alongside our research and supports paraprofessionals and clinicians (and clients!) to identify with their dissociative and addictive profile, obtain unconscious informed consent, check unconscious biases, and lower treatment resistance. Our work suggests that pathology is sustained dysregulation (dissociative/addictive) and that the absence of unconscious informed consent is what contributes to low treatment outcomes and care resistance. We teach participants how to find the line between normative and pathological presentations and allow your healer’s path to unfold. We feel that this is invaluable information to all healers and clients. In our programming, we invite participants to utilize cannabis products (not required) while taking our program, if appropriate for the individual participant, to help explore and learn about therapeutic dissociation and mindful dissociation. This is a very experiential training so please be prepared to do your own work. 

Adam is Certified in BSP, Approved BSP Consultant, and holds a PhD in Addiction Studies. As a part of our PWH programming and research, we developed the MASA script and qualitative setup for assessing and screening for dissociation and addictions. We will be training in the MASA script through the framework of the Neuroexperiential Model. The combination of ADM and PWH/MASA help provide a clear line between what is normal and what is pathology. PWH is a phase model of care that gives guidance on how and when Brainspotting is best done with these populations.

 

• Participants will learn the Path of the Wounded Healer (PWH), Meeting Area Screening and Assessment (MASA), and Mindful Dissociation.
• Path of the Wounded Healer is a phase model of care and offers a research-informed approach.
• As a part of MASA, participants will learn Two Containers, Photo Album, and Resetting Emotions.
• Participants will learn Bulk Blink, Shame Shape and Color, Intention Spot, Journeying Spot, Breathspotting, and Integration Spotting.
• Participants will learn how to incorporate psychedelics (cannabis) into their Brainspotting practice, with best practices.
• Aspects of Recovery, Psychedelic Integration, and Posttraumtic Growth are further explored in depth.

ADM was developed by Dr. Adam O’Brien and Dr. Jamie Marich and provides a theoretical basis for our work and this training. ADM is a unifying theory of addiction that explores how the inner-play between trauma and dissociation produce pathological states of addiction. 

PWH highlights the universal spiritual path that we all must take to resolve our dissociative and addictive desires before we die. PWH offers ways for paraprofessionals, medical and psychological professionals, and the recovery community to learn about dissociated states of healing and to help solidify their right to be called healers. PWH-1 offers learning ADM, PWH, and MASA. PWH-2 offers learning Addressing Toxic with Shame Shape and Color and posttraumatic growth stages of care. In PWH-3 we further explore addressing addiction memory and how the use of psychedelics can support healing but to enhance your learning experience, exploring dissociative of healing will help you grow as a healer.

MASA is a hybrid of the Dissociative Table and common coping skills (Container and Calm Place) that are found in many different approaches and therapies. We teach our Two Containers, Photo Album, and Bulk Blink within Brainspotting framework. These skills are performed in a particular order to help screen and assess for current dissociative and addictive dynamics. MASA is how we obtain unconscious informed consent before doing ANY treatments, providing any care, or taking any medicines (particularly psychedelics). We feel that MASA is the best humanistic and qualitative screening and assessment tool for dissociative and addictive presentations; it provides everyone involved with an opportunity to become more self-aware of where psychological material resides and how to navigate it.

 

*This training is currently online ONLY (Let us know if you are local and would like to attend in person)

 

Cost: Part 1 and 2 = 1,000

 

2024 Dates: 

Class 1: 9/27/24-9/29/24 – 2/21/25-2/23/25 PWH (1-2)) – 10-6pm EST  

*To become certified in PWH, participants must apply to WHI (application fee is waived for participants who successfully complete of this training (PWH-1 and PWH-2) and are trained in BSP), successfully complete PWH-3, do a total of 20 hours of consultation, and complete the rest of requirements listed in the admissions process.

 

Click the desired training to pay and register.

Course Hours: 10-6 EST 

 

Intensive 4-hour Consultation:

Dates: 3/7/24, 5/2/24, 8/1/24, 10/3/24

Time: 5-9EST

Costs: $150.00 (8-Hour Consultation)

To register for consultations, email us at support@woundedhealersinstitute.org

 

MORE DETAILS ABOUT CONSULTATIONS: HERE

*This program spans 6-months and includes Specialty Addiction-as Dissociation Consultation where participants are welcome to imbibe with psychedelic cannabis products and practice therapeutic dissociation in an experiential way. This is an important aspect of the PWH. Through lecture, practicum, and consultations participants will learn how to integrate Brainspotting with cannabis, as a psychedelic medicine, to support preparation, resourcing, and reprocessing. Importance of understanding the Addiction as Dissociation Model, psychedelic integration, recovery, and our Path of the Wounded Healer phase model of care. Use of Brainspotting in preparation and reprocessing for therapeutic psychedelic work and how to do follow-up integration sessions will be explored. People who do not want to use cannabis to explore altered states of consciousness do not have to. We have other ways and means of helping you achieve such states. Things like breathwork, dancing, Yoga, meditation, and exercise are other options. Participants at minimum could take CBD if THC is not legal in your state or country. 

 

6-Day Outline

Day 1: ADM and PWH

Educational Goals:

·      Participants will learn about the historical context of trauma-informed care, psychology, and social justice.

·      Participants will increase their knowledge of the clinical framework and assessment and screening of dissociation and addiction.

·      Participants will explore current trends in trauma-focused care and the Neuroexperiential Model.

·      Participants will learn ADM, PWH and MASA.

·      Participants will increase their understanding of our dissociation model to help clients coping with dissociation in addiction care.

 

Day 1: Schedule:

10am – 11 –  Greetings and ADM/PWH Orientation

11:15-1pm – Dissociation-Informed Care and Addiction-Informed Care

1-2 – Break

2-3pm – ADM

3-4pm – PWH Phase Model (Neurodynamic Neutrality/Therapeutic Dissociation/Dual Attention)

4:15-6pm – PWH Demo/Debriefing

                       

Day 2: Ego State Meeting Area

Educational Goals:

·      Participants will increase their knowledge of dissociative Meeting Area.

·      Participants will observe Ego State Meeting Area with dissociative/addicted population

·      Participants will have increased knowledge on assessing dissociation.

·      Participants will be able to identify 3 ways to build resources relating to attachment and resourcing and expansion model.

·      Participants will be educated on the variety of ways attachment dissociation presents in the addicted population.

·      Participants will be educated on the variety of ways dissociation presents in the dissociated/addicted population.

 Day 2: Schedule:

10am – 11 –  Small Groups Check-ins and Review

11:15-1pm – Ego State Meeting Area setup and Resourcing (Two Container, safe/calm place)

1-2 – Break

2-3pm – Memory Reconsolidation

4-4pm – Altered States of Consciousness

4:15-6pm – PWH Applications and Interventions (Meeting Area Practicum)

 

Day 3: MASA

Educational Goals:

·      Participants will increase their knowledge of dissociation, shame, and attachment or developmental trauma.

·      Participants will practice creating an ego state meeting area.

·      Participants will learn MASA.

·      Participants will integrate material observed from practicum in their small groups.

·      Participants will have increased knowledge on assessing and screening for dissociation.

·      Participants will be helping clients address attachment wounds with ego state interventions.

Day 3: Schedule:

10-11am –  Small Groups Check-ins and Review

11:15-1pm – MASA Orientation and script

1-2 – Break

2-3pm – MASA

3-4pm – PWH Applications

4:15-6pm PWH Interventions (PTG Practicum)

 

Day 4: Bulk Blink

Educational Goals:

·      Participants will increase their knowledge of memory reconsolidation.

·      Participants will learn the skill of Bulk Blink and Photo Album.

·      Participants will integrate material observed from practicum in their small groups.

·      Participants will have increased knowledge of tending to addiction as dissociation.

·      Participants will be educated on the variety of ways that addiction presents in dissociative states.

·      Participants will review knowledge base of memory reconsolidation and ego state intervention.

·      Participants will engage with the ego state meeting area with resetting emotions practicum.

 

Day 4: Schedule:

10am-11 –  Small Groups Check-ins

11:15-1pm – MASA Script Review

1-2 – Break

2-3pm – Bulk Blink/Photo Album

3-4pm – Parts Work Orientation/Resetting Emotions

4:15-6pm – PWH Applications and Interventions (PTG Practicum)

 

Day 5: Working with Toxic Shame

Educational Goals:

·      Participants will integrate material observed from practicum in their small groups.

·      Participants will be able to build resources against shame.

·      Participants will tend to shame with the addicted and dissociated population.

·      Participants will work with Toxic Shame.

·      Participants will be able to identify 3 ways to build resources against addiction memory.

Day 5: Schedule:

10-11am –  Small Groups Check-ins and Review

11:15-1pm – Imaginal Exposure Interventions and PWH Script/ Developmental/Attachment trauma, normative addiction, universal addictions

1-2 – Break

2-3pm – Working with Toxic Shame (Demo)

3-4 – Debriefing

3:15-5pm – PWH Applications and Interventions (Toxic Shame Practicum)

 

Day 6: Recovery and Positive Psychology

Educational Goals:

·      Participants will integrate material observed from practicum in their small groups.

·      Participants will increase their knowledge of memory expansion with positive memory networks and healthy shame.

·      Participants will explore recovery and positive psychology and how to support posttraumatic growth.

Day 6: Schedule:

10-11am –  Small Groups Check-ins

11:15-1pm – Working with Healthy Shame and Memory Expansion

1-2 – Break

2-3pm – Recovery Principles

3-4pm – Recovery and Positive Psychology

4:15-6pm – PWH Applications and Interventions (PTG/Recovery Practicum)

 

*DISCLAIMER: In this offering, we invite participants to explore their dissociative profiles to better understand dissociation, addiction, and spiritual states of healing. Wounded Healers Institute (WHI) provides state-dependent learning to help providers become knowledgeable in learning from and working with therapeutic dissociation, altered states of consciousness, normative to clinical dissociation, and universal addictions. As we define in our foundational literature (ADM) (O’Brien, 2023), these states of consciousness are readily accessible for clinicians to support and develop their use of therapeutic dissociation. Our research points toward dissociation making us more grounded, inducing endogenous states of healing, and creating a foundational for supporting our ongoing physical and mental health. Our trainings offer participants the option of consuming cannabis products as a part of their learning process with WHI. 

 

* For those interested in utilizing cannabis as a part of this training, they must complete the Admissions process HERE 

(the application fee can be waived, upon full payment).