A Free Live Conversation with Andrew Tatarsky, PhD
Hosted by Brian Spielmann, CEO of Academy of Therapy Wisdom
Trauma, Addiction, and AmbivalencE
A Harm Reduction Approach for Working with Clients Who Are Not Ready to Quit
Includes Live Q&A
May 14, 2026, 12pm EST
Many therapists were trained within models that assume recovery begins when a client is fully committed to abstinence.
But what happens when your client is not ready to quit?
What happens when they continue using substances while also genuinely wanting relief from their suffering? When ultimatums, confrontation, or rigid treatment frameworks create more shame and disconnection rather than meaningful change?
This is where many clinicians feel stuck.
You care deeply. You want to help. But without practical tools for working with ambivalence, trauma, relapse cycles, and complex substance use patterns, therapy can quickly feel frustrating for both you and your client.
Join renowned psychologist and harm reduction pioneer Andrew Tatarsky for a 60-minute live training on working more effectively with clients navigating addiction, trauma, and the complicated terrain of behavioral change.
Drawing from decades of clinical work and his groundbreaking harm reduction psychotherapy model, Andrew will explore how therapists can help clients reduce harm, build motivation, and create meaningful change without shame, coercion, or power struggles.
In this training, you will explore:
- Why many traditional addiction models unintentionally increase shame and resistance
- How trauma often drives substance use, and why addressing symptoms alone is rarely enough
- How to work skillfully with ambivalence when clients are not ready for abstinence
- Practical strategies for reducing harm while deepening therapeutic alliance
- How to move beyond frustration and feel more effective with complex addiction cases
- Why meeting clients where they are often creates more sustainable long-term change
This training is designed for:
- Psychotherapists and social workers
- Addiction counselors and recovery coaches
- Trauma therapists and psychiatrists
- Any helping professional whose clients bring substance use into the room, whether or not addiction is the primary focus of treatment
Stay for Live Q&A
Andrew will reserve time at the end of this training to answer your questions directly. Bring your toughest clinical cases and the situations where you have felt most uncertain. Look forward to real conversation with you.
There is no pitch at the end of the webinar.
Reserve Your Spot
If you have ever felt stuck working with a client who keeps using substances yet clearly wants help, this training may shift how you approach that work entirely.
Save your seat today.
Andrew Tatarsky, PhD
Andrew Tatarsky, PhD is a psychologist, psychoanalyst, and internationally recognized leader in substance use treatment. Over more than 40 years of clinical work, he developed Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy (IHRP), a model grounded in the belief that any positive change is meaningful, and that healing begins when people feel respected, understood, and free to define their own path.
He has trained clinicians and organizations in 21 countries, helping to advance harm reduction approaches worldwide.
Dr. Tatarsky is the author of Harm Reduction Psychotherapy: A New Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Problems, which has been translated into Polish, Spanish, and Russian. He has also written numerous professional papers and book chapters on harm reduction and substance use treatment.
Copyright 2026 Andrew Tatarsky, PhD
