Addiction Studies Course

Lesson 1 • Classes of Addictive Substances

Surveys major drug categories by pharmacological action and addiction potential. Enables accurate identification of substance-specific risks and effects.

Lesson 2 • Historical Perspectives on Addiction

Traces the evolution of addiction from moral failing to medical diagnosis. Contextualises current treatment models within historical shifts in understanding.

Lesson 3 • Risk and Protective Factors

Identifies genetic, environmental, and developmental variables that influence addiction onset. Supports early identification and prevention planning.

Lesson 4 • Defining Addiction and Substance Use

Clarifies clinical definitions, diagnostic criteria, and key terminology. Provides the conceptual vocabulary needed throughout the entire course.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Screening

Introduces brief screening instruments and their appropriate clinical contexts. Distinguishes screening from full assessment to set correct expectations.

Lesson 2 • Diagnostic Formulation

Applies current diagnostic criteria to assessment data to produce a clinical diagnosis. Teaches differential diagnosis to rule out co-occurring conditions.

Lesson 3 • Comprehensive Biopsychosocial Assessment

Covers structured interview techniques and multi-domain data collection. Integrates biological, psychological, and social data into a unified clinical picture.

Lesson 4 • Co-occurring Disorder Identification

Addresses the high prevalence of mental health conditions alongside substance use disorders. Prepares students to recognise and document dual diagnoses.

Lesson 1 • Medications for Addiction Treatment

Reviews FDA-approved and evidence-supported medications used in addiction treatment. Connects pharmacological rationale to clinical decision-making.

Lesson 2 • Core Pharmacological Concepts

Establishes pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics as the basis for understanding drug effects. Provides the scientific language used throughout clinical practice.

Lesson 3 • Stimulant and Other Substance Withdrawal

Covers withdrawal presentations for stimulants, cannabis, and sedative-hypnotics. Distinguishes medically managed from psychosocially managed withdrawal.

Lesson 4 • Opioid Pharmacology and Withdrawal

Details opioid receptor mechanisms, overdose risk, and withdrawal symptom progression. Prepares students to support medically supervised opioid detoxification.

Lesson 1 • Motivational Interviewing

Teaches the spirit, principles, and core skills of motivational interviewing. Develops the ability to resolve ambivalence and strengthen client motivation for change.

Lesson 2 • Family and Systems-Based Interventions

Addresses addiction's impact on family systems and the therapeutic role of family involvement. Introduces structured family therapy models used in addiction treatment.

Lesson 3 • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Addiction

Applies CBT principles to identify and modify thought patterns that sustain substance use. Equips students with structured session techniques and homework tools.

Lesson 4 • Contingency Management

Explains operant conditioning principles applied to reinforce abstinence and treatment engagement. Covers programme design, incentive structures, and outcome monitoring.

Lesson 1 • Psychotic Disorders and Substance Use

Covers the complex interaction between psychosis and substance use, including substance-induced psychosis. Prepares students to support clients with severe mental illness.

Lesson 2 • Trauma-Informed Care in Addiction

Integrates trauma-informed principles into all aspects of addiction treatment. Teaches how to create safety and avoid retraumatisation in clinical interactions.

Lesson 3 • Mood Disorders and Substance Use

Examines the bidirectional relationship between depression, bipolar disorder, and substance use. Teaches assessment and treatment sequencing for this common combination.

Lesson 4 • Integrated Treatment Principles

Establishes why sequential and parallel treatment models are less effective than integrated care. Defines the core components of a truly integrated treatment approach.

Lesson 1 • Continuing Care and Aftercare Planning

Covers the design of step-down services and long-term monitoring after primary treatment. Ensures continuity of care through structured aftercare protocols.

Lesson 2 • Understanding Relapse as a Process

Reframes relapse as a predictable process with identifiable stages rather than a sudden event. Reduces stigma and builds a clinical foundation for prevention work.

Lesson 3 • Recovery Capital and Strengths

Introduces recovery capital as a framework for assessing and building recovery resources. Shifts focus from deficits to assets that sustain long-term recovery.

Lesson 4 • Relapse Prevention Planning

Guides students through constructing individualised written relapse prevention plans. Connects assessment data to concrete, actionable prevention strategies.

Lesson 1 • Gender and Addiction

Explores biological and sociocultural gender differences in addiction onset, progression, and treatment. Develops gender-responsive clinical practices.

Lesson 2 • Older Adults and Substance Use

Examines how ageing affects substance metabolism, presentation, and treatment response. Addresses underdiagnosis and age-specific intervention adaptations.

Lesson 3 • Justice-Involved Individuals

Addresses the high prevalence of substance use disorders in criminal justice populations. Covers diversion programmes, reentry planning, and legal system collaboration.

Lesson 4 • Cultural Competence in Addiction Care

Builds skills to deliver culturally humble, responsive care across diverse client populations. Addresses how culture shapes help-seeking, stigma, and treatment engagement.

Lesson 1 • Counsellor Self-Care and Wellness

Addresses compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious trauma specific to addiction counsellors. Develops sustainable self-care practices to support long-term professional effectiveness.

Lesson 2 • Confidentiality and Informed Consent

Covers legal and ethical obligations around client privacy and consent in addiction settings. Addresses substance use-specific confidentiality regulations and their exceptions.

Lesson 3 • Ethical Decision-Making Models

Applies structured ethical decision-making frameworks to complex clinical scenarios. Builds confidence in resolving dilemmas through systematic, defensible reasoning.

Lesson 4 • Core Ethical Principles in Addiction Counselling

Introduces foundational ethical principles governing addiction counselling practice. Establishes the moral framework for all subsequent clinical decision-making.