ACI Members: Please leave the "Membership Number" field blank when booking your place.
The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland and Alcohol Action Ireland wish to invite Members of IACP and ACI to an afternoon conference titled: Rethinking Addiction: Perspectives on Individual and Family Related Harms.
Facilitator: Linda Breathnach
Event Schedule:
14:00 - 14:20 - Conference Opening (Chairs/CEOs of IACP, ACI and AAI)
14:20 - 14:50 - Presentation by Robert O'Driscoll: Reflections on Addiction
14:50 - 15:20 - Presentation by Austin Prior: Problematic Substance Use - Its impact on the Family and Its Presentation in General Counselling
15:20 - 15:30 - Comfort Break
15:30 - 16:00 - Presentation by Marion Rackard: Silent Voices Emerging - Impact of Parental Alcohol Problems on Children and Adult Children
16:00 - 16:30 - Presentation by Seamus Sheedy: Rethinking Addiction and Asking Questions as Professional Therapists
16:30 - 17:00 - Panel Discussion and Conference Close
CPD certificates will be emailed after the event
Conference hashtag: #rethinkingaddictionconf
Please note the event will be recorded.
About Presenters:
Austin Prior
Austin is a highly experienced Addiction Counsellor and Supervisor, with training in Couples Counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Relapse Prevention. He worked for 15 years as a Counsellor in the Rutland Centre, which is a highly acclaimed Addiction Rehabilitation facility in Dublin. For most of his time there he was responsible for the Continuing Care programme, which supports clients and their families in the immediate aftermath of treatment. In this work he gained a great insight into the damage that addictive behaviour is capable of inflicting, on not just the affected person, but also on the wider family, and the support that both require in order for them to take on the challenging but rewarding work of recovery. Over the years he has seen the devastation caused to partners, spouses, parents and adult children, by the problematic use of alcohol, drugs, gambling, and the compulsive use of sex and food, and has developed the awareness and understanding necessary to support them also, in rebuilding lives and relationships.
He stepped down from the position of Deputy Clinical Director of The Rutland Centre in 2014, and is currently established in private practice as a Counsellor and Clinical Supervisor. He also offers training and information workshops around the issues of substance misuse and recovery.
Dr Robert O’Driscoll
Dr Robert O’Driscoll has worked with the HSE Cork Kerry Community Healthcare Child and Adolescent Addiction Treatment Services in Arbour House, St Finbarrs’ Hospital for twenty years. His area of practice and research interest is in implementing and evaluating evidence-based substance misuse treatment and prevention programmes.
Robert developed, coordinates and lectures on the UCC/HSE Diploma in Substance Misuse and Addiction Studies. He lectures on the UCC Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Munster Technology University, BA Degree in Counselling with Addiction and the UCD Masters in Public Policy.
Robert has published peer reviewed journal articles on the cultural adaptation of evidence-based substance misuse programmes in Ireland and implementing Motivational Interviewing in Dental Teams. He has published a book chapter on what type of learning is required for social workers and addiction counsellors to work collaboratively on behalf of children in the care of the state. He has also presented research findings at international conferences in the US, the UK and Europe. He is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. Robert has trained counsellors, social workers GPs, clinical psychologists, probation officers, Gardaí, nurses and mental health nurses to deliver Screening and Brief Interventions for Problem Substance Misuse and Motivational Interviewing in Ireland and in Europe.
Marion Rackard
Marion has a General Nurse background, she is an Addiction Counsellor(ACI), Psychotherapist(IAHIP) and Accredited Supervisor.
Marion worked in a variety of areas in the HSE for past 30 years related to alcohol prevention,advocacy, treatment and trauma with the direct benefit of seeing alcohol related harm from a primary, secondary and tertiary prevention perspective.
For the past 5 years, Marion has been working as Project Manager HSE Alcohol Programme with responsibility for askaboutalcohol.ie campaign & resources.
Other Roles: Senior Addiction Counsellor, HSE Community Alcohol Services Treatment Team, South West Dublin; Director of Alba Counselling Service, (National Counselling Service); Founding member, Chair and CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland 2002, Founding member of Silent Voices Alcohol Action Ireland 2019;
Séamus Sheedy
Séamus Sheedy studied Counselling and Psychotherapy in Trinity College Dublin and has been working full time in the profession since 1999. He specialises in The area of Addiction, Relationship Difficulties, Mental Health Issues and Supervision, having undertaken studies in these areas.
Seamus is an Accredited member of IACP and ACI and has served as a member of the Board of both IACP and ACI in the past and is presently a member of the Board of IACP where he holds the role of Regional Chairperson for the last three years . He is also An Accredited Supervisor with IACP.
Following specialised training in Supervision he achieved an MA in Supervisory practice in 2012 from DCU . He has been an Associate Lecturer on the Degree in Addiction studies and The Counselling Degree in Athlone Institute of Technology from 2010 to 2015 . He had delivered workshops on Stress ,Anxiety ,Anger Management, Mindfulness and Addiction issues to Business and the community .
ACI Members: Please leave the "Membership Number" field empty when booking your place, as this is only required for IACP members.
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