About the Workshop
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 9 million Americans have a co-occurring mental health disorder, and in one study, 46% of those with a substance use disorder also met the criteria for an anxiety or mood disorder (SAMHSA, 2025). Substances are widely used in our society, yet an individual’s relationship to substances typically isn’t something that is frequently reflected on or explored. In the clinical private practice setting, it is common that clients use substances even if that is not their primary reason for seeking therapy, which makes it essential for clinicians to assess how substance use may impact a client’s overall day to day functioning and general well being.
The substance use narrative based assessment training will provide a structured method in how to explore a client’s relationship to substances through a client centered and non judgemental approach. If you are looking to add or build upon your clinical skillset in approaching substance use, this workshop will provide you tools for assessing, intervening, and supporting clients who want to further understand their relationship to substances. Practical tools and case studies will be included.
Learning Objectives
Learn how to compassionately and directly assess for substance use, misuse, or dependence with both individual clients and client systems.
Build clinical toolkit through exploration of each element of substance use assessment measure that can be applied to explore client(s) relationship to substances.
Learn when further substance use exploration will be a clinically relevant therapeutic intervention and gain tools to utilize in implementation.
Build more clinical confidence in how to approach and discuss substances with client(s).
Target Audience
This educational activity is intended for behavioral health professionals, including Psychologists, Social Workers, Counselors, and MFT's.
Learning Levels
Beginner
About the Instructor
 | Amanda Galarza, LMFT (she/her)Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist |
Amanda Galarza (she/her), LMFT received her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Northwestern University and works at Chicago Center for Relationship Counseling as a therapist. Amanda works with individuals, couples, and families from a variety of backgrounds and brings a systemic, trauma informed, multicultural approach to all of her work. Amanda has experience working with clients navigating comorbid substance use disorder, depression, anxiety, complex trauma (CPTSD), OCD, ADHD, and mood disorders. Amanda values a client centered, humanistic approach with her clients and places an emphasis on building a collaborative, trusting therapeutic relationship. She believes therapy can provide a unique opportunity to act as a vessel to explore a variety of presenting problems that are impacting clients in their day to day lives. She has seen the benefit of therapy being the first space where a client may feel open to stepping into exploration of how substances impact their life and strives to support clients through this step in their therapeutic journey.