Thank You for Making the Annual Symposium a Success!
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 | Originally published in the CuttingEdge Winter 2010 Newsletter
In October 2009, The Meadows presented the "Pioneers in Recovery" Annual Symposium in Scottsdale, Arizona. The event included presentations by Pia Mellody, Maureen Canning, John Bradshaw, Bessel A. van der Kolk and Peter A. Levine. This dynamic event featured the insights of the speakers as they shared their philosophies, treatment techniques, and skills regarding such issues as trauma, addictions, relationships, healthy sexuality, codependence, spirituality, and family systems.
Program Highlights
Day one of the two-day event began with Pia Mellody discussing her groundbreaking work on the compulsive behaviors of love addicts and love avoidants. She discussed how childhood relational trauma can lead to addictive relational patterns in adult relationships. Treatment interventions and recovery issues were also presented.
Later that day, Maureen Canning gave an overview of the ideology and treatment of compulsive sexual behaviors. She presented a theoretical structure for the treatment of sexual addiction and explored diagnostic criteria, the cycle and stages of addiction, and goals for effective treatment.
Closing out day one, Peter A. Levine, founder and developer of Somatic Experiencing® and author of the best-selling books Waking the Tiger and Healing Trauma, explored how, as an integral part of treatment, we can begin to untangle the compulsive forces that drive addictive behavior. As the intimate relationship between addiction and trauma gains wider recognition, effective addiction treatment modalities must be geared toward the resolution of the individual's underlying traumatic material. It also is critical to address the compulsivity that characterizes the addictive process.
On day two, Bessel A. van der Kolk explored how, in recent years, there has been an explosion of knowledge about how experience shapes biology and the formation of the self. Within the disciplines of psychiatry and psychology, the study of trauma has probably been the most helpful in understanding the relationship between the emotional, cognitive, social and biological forces that shape human development. Trauma research has revealed new insights about how extreme experiences can profoundly impact memory, affect regulation, biological stress modulation, and interpersonal relatedness. These findings, along with a range of new therapy approaches, have led to new and unexpected ways to help traumatized individuals. The lecture presented current research findings about post-traumatic responses at different developmental levels and in various domains, and explored the treatment implications of these findings.
To close the symposium, John Bradshaw presented a lecture entitled "Effective Therapy: A Major Force in Enhancing Moral Intelligence." In this cutting-edge lecture, John brought forth a strong case for the role of therapy in forming moral intelligence. In his latest book, Reclaiming Virtue, John draws the conclusion that humans possess a unique innate moral intelligence — defined as "right practical reasoning in making good choices." John argues that this ability to choose well is marred by addictions and emotional illness. Focusing on the critical part played by emotion and volition in making mature choices, he offers specific ways in which effective therapy can invigorate and restore one's moral intelligence. Twelve Step programs talk about addiction as spiritual bankruptcy. John focuses on the fourth step, wherein participants are asked to take a searching and fearless "moral" inventory, as well as the successive six steps, which involve moral reparation and moderate living. ∞
Here's what some of the attendees had to say about the 2009 annual symposium:
"The variety of presenters and the different perspectives on primary issues - very balanced."
"Very uplifting, positive, informative, and inspiring!"
"Amazingly clear, useful, effective information that is personally and professionally empowering."
