Workshops

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This workshop is grounded in practical application, not abstract motivation. The session is a real-world experience that helps identify and honour the strength of values that have been very much alive in the despair of the cage that substance use built.

What if the same determination, resilience, and creativity that kept fuelling the suffering could instead fuel recovery, wellness and meaning, turning the same hustle into healing?Participants will understand how to tap into the unstoppable force they have carried all along.

We will explore how the human operating system has always been acting on values, even when substances detoured into unhealthy operations. Individuals will absorb practical strategies to operationalize values like resilience, creativity, determination, and adaptability in everyday life, discover how to rewire old operating systems with actions that actually serve goals, and find ways to stay aligned with their values even when it’s boring, painful, or nobody’s watching.

Our patterns and behaviours are influenced by the world around us, it’s shaped by culture, environment, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and how we navigate life. This workshop will support exploration of the full landscape of substance use, understand the cultural and social forces at play, and recognize the choices that can lead to real change. It will examine how beliefs, patterns and social environmental factors shape behaviour, and challenge traditional theory to gain practical insight for making meaningful, sustainable changes. 

Participants will capture a clearer understanding of their relationship with substances, insights into the personal and cultural forces driving the behavior, and practical strategies for making meaningful, sustainable changes toward a healthier, more empowered life.

Substance use often pulls people away from their true self in subtle but profound ways. In this workshop, participants will explore the foundations of the authentic self, examining how identity is shaped not only by personal choices but also by the ties of family, the pull of culture, and the push of society and past experiences. We will uncover the difference between the “costumes” we wear and our true selves. Participants will learn why a grounded sense of ego identity isn’t arrogance, but survival fuel that keeps us steady through life’s storms. 

Participants will navigate the delicate balance of showing up as themselves without compromising their values or well-being while identifying the difference between isolation and solitude, using intentional alone time to reconnect with energy, values, and edit the story they tell themselves. 

Additionally, we examine cognitive dissonance as a compass, recognizing when actions are out of sync with values and using that discomfort to guide realignment. This workshop offers practical strategies for experimenting with and rebuilding identity, safely test-driving new roles, behaviors, and ways of being to step into the “authentic self” with confidence.

This workshop offers a deep dive into the neuroscience behind substance use and the path to recovery, combining rigorous science with practical insights to support long-term well-being. Participants will explore how drugs disrupt the brain’s natural communication system, affecting neurons and neurotransmitters, the chemicals the body produces naturally, and how this interference can hijack the nervous system.

Through this session, the intention is to deliver a clear understanding of how substances excite or inhibit neural signals, how reward pathways, hormones, and circadian rhythms shape pleasure, energy, and mood, and why tolerance, dependency, and withdrawal are rooted in the body’s self-regulating systems. Key processes such as memory consolidation, sleep cycles, and Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) will also be unpacked to illustrate why recovery is about more than stopping use, it’s about restoring balance in body and mind and supporting cognitive, emotional, and physiological stability.

Participants will leave with practical knowledge to understand their brain, reclaim control over their nervous system, and apply strategies that support sustainable recovery and resilience.

Trauma is complex, and so is the responsibility of supporting people who carry it. A trauma-informed culture recognizes that the responses of service users, at times interpreted as “difficult” or “demanding” are in fact survival strategies born from deep emotional and physical pain. Approaching these responses with awareness, patience, and compassion is not optional, it’s essential.

This workshop provides clear, accessible messaging on the realities of trauma and its impact on behavior. Participants will learn to understand trauma responses for what they are, protective adaptations, rather than character flaws. Participants will gain strategies to respond in ways that reduce re-traumatization and foster trust. Together, we focus on building and advancing a program culture grounded in trauma-informed principles. We explore practical strategies to embed these principles into daily interactions, policies, and organizational practices, ensuring that trauma awareness and compassionate response are not just individual skills, but the foundation of the program’s identity and way of working.

By the end, you’ll be equipped to create an environment where staff feel supported, service users feel truly seen and safe, and healing, collaboration, and stability can flourish.