EP09 Dialogue 11 – Addictive Behavior – Claudia Black, PhD and Robert Dilts

Description:

Educational Objectives:

1. Given a topic, to describe the differing approaches to psychotherapy, and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*

Outline: 

Introduction and Overview

• Meeting format: brief expert talks, followed by dialogue and audience Q&A.

• Claudia Black shares updates on her new role at Las Vegas Recovery Center.

• Addiction affects individuals and families emotionally, physically, spiritually, and relationally.

• Claudia shares a story of a client whose trauma and co-occurring disorders were central to treatment.

Claudia’s Client Story

• Client's childhood involved ER visits due to mother’s alcoholism and violence.

• Lost mother at 12; lived with unstable, substance-abusing father.

• By 18: cocaine use, alcoholism, promiscuity, bulimia, suicide attempt, and multiple hospitalizations.

• Treatment focused on underlying trauma, not just addiction.

Understanding Addiction and Treatment

• Addiction involves loss of control, denial, escalation, and continued use despite harm.

• Claudia introduces the acronym SAFE: Secretive, Abusive, Feelings, Emptiness, Escalation.

• Family involvement is vital: set boundaries, stop enabling, and support recovery.

• Encourages group work, motivational interviewing, and collaboration with specialists.

Robert Dilts and NLP Approach

• Addiction seen as a neuro-linguistic “program” that overrides behavior.

• NLP addresses multiple levels: environment, behavior, cognition, beliefs, identity, and purpose.

• Case study: NLP techniques helped a woman quit smoking by managing triggers and internal beliefs.

• Emphasizes addressing the root emotions and intentions behind addictive behavior.

Multi-Level Healing and Identity

• Addictions often serve a positive intention (e.g., relief, identity, control).

• Must reframe beliefs tied to hopelessness and low self-worth.

• Recovery includes reclaiming identity separate from substances or family roles.

• Addiction seen as a spiritual disconnection—healing involves restoring purpose.

Q&A: Real-World Challenges

• In prisons: Claudia recommends trauma resources by Stephanie Covington and Change Companies.

• ADHD and addiction link discussed; both speakers affirm correlation.

• In rural settings with limited resources: Claudia suggests multi-addiction support groups.

• Robert recommends alternative groups like SMART Recovery and Women for Sobriety to reduce shame.

Q&A: Recovery Paths and Tools

• Both speakers support alternative recovery paths—12-step is not the only option.

• Claudia advocates for identity-specific groups (e.g., women-only, LGBTQ+) for early recovery.

• Audience urged to advocate for more addiction programming at conferences.

• On multiple therapeutic trainings: Variety is helpful if tools are used thoughtfully and intentionally.