CAAP Sponsored: Rein in Your Brain: From Impulsivity to Thoughtful Living in Recovery
This event is now closed.

Event Date: 4/21/2016 - 4/21/2016

Event Overview

Sponsor: Colorado Association of Addiction Professionals

Speaker: Cynthia Moreno-Tuohy, NCAC II, CCDC II, SAP

Executive Director, NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals 

Addiction—whether to mood-altering substances, gambling, sex, or food—stems in part from an over-reliance on the reward system of the primitive part of the brain, pushing us to make poor choices based on an expectation of immediate gratification. People in recovery often struggle with compulsive thoughts and behaviors that are still programmed into their addictive brains well after the drinking and drugging has stopped. These often play out thoughtlessly in their interactions with others, damaging their relationships and growth as balanced human beings.  The Executive Director of NAADAC (National Association of Addictions Counselors) and addictions expert Cynthia Moreno-Tuohy is offering this powerful workshop (based on her book) on ten techniques for breaking the cycle of impulsivity. These time-tested self-interventions include standing still in the moment, giving up control, not assuming another’s intent, tolerating differences, accepting emotions without giving them free reign, and differentiating between immediate fear-driven reactions and measured thoughts. By incorporating these tools into your daily clinical interactions, your clients can move from a place of conflict to a place of mutual respect and understanding.

Learning Objectives:  Participants who attend this workshop will be able to:

  1. Articulate a brief explanation for letting go of the limbic brain and embracing the thinking brain.
  2. Describe how compulsive thoughts and behaviors continue well after the person enters into recovery. 
  3. Identify 3 phrases that come from the cortex.
  4. Identify 10 interventions that help the person slow down fear-driven reactions.
  5. Access brain resiliency development.

 

Bio:  Cynthia Moreno-Tuohy, BSW, NCAC II, is the Executive Director of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals. She previously served as the Executive Director of Danya Institute and the Central East Addiction Technology Transfer Center. Prior to this she was the program director for Volunteers of America-Western Washington, serving homeless populations and dealing with the co-occurrence of poverty and substance abuse issues.   She has also written training components and manuals about working with adolescents, adults, and seniors; school intervention; involuntary commitment; community mobilization; intensive outpatient treatment and continuing care; the foundations of addiction practice; medication-assisted recovery; impaired driver programs; employee assistance programs; and gang intervention and treatment.