Your Learning outcomes from this CPD will be:

• You will be able to differentiate between chemical and behavioural addictions and explain the shared underlying neuroscience, specifically how both types hijack the brain's powerful reward system, leading to a cycle of cravings, tolerance, and withdrawal.
• You will be able to identify the key brain structures of the mesolimbic reward pathway (VTA , amygdala, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex) and describe their specific roles within the three-stage cycle of addiction: the high, the crash and the craving.
• You will be able to classify major psychoactive substances into the categories of depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. You will also be able to summarize their primary effects, distinct mechanisms of action and potential for dependence.
• You will be able to apply Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) techniques, such as the "Miracle Question" and searching for "exceptions". You will also be able to articulate how these methods are designed to engage the client's prefrontal cortex (intellectual brain) and recalibrate the Reticular Activating System (RAS) to focus on solutions rather than problems.
• You will be able to describe how to integrate clinical hypnotherapy with conscious therapy work by using techniques like future pacing and anchoring. The objective is to align the client's subconscious programming with their consciously defined recovery goals, creating a unified neurological purpose.
• You will be able to identify key professional and ethical responsibilities, including establishing firm boundaries, understanding the limits of confidentiality for safeguarding, and the critical importance of advising clients to seek medical consultation for safe cessation, especially from alcohol and benzodiazepines. So lets dive in.