Workshops That Engage, Educate & Inspire
My Interactive Workshops
I’ve developed over 30 workshops on recovery and personal change and delivered them at rehabilitation centers, including Serenity Knolls and RoseBay. Drawing on psychoeducation, motivational interviewing, mindfulness practices, and lived experience, I create safe, thoughtful, and thought‑provoking spaces to explore addiction, recovery, mental health, relationships, and recurring behavior patterns. These focused 2‑hour workshops blend psychology, neuroscience, and practical tools to strengthen self‑awareness, resilience, integrity, hope, and a renewed sense of worth and capacity for change. Workshops can be adapted and tailored to meet the needs of your specific group, team, or organization.
To discuss my Workshops further, please visit the Contact page of this site OR contact me directly by calling the number below.
530.446.1135
“I have never experienced a class remotely like Christopher’s. His style is so unique. His technique is unorthodox. He uses multimedia, videos, music, and props. He himself is thoroughly entertaining. He moves about the room until he finds the person who needs special attention. He sometimes kneels next to that person or calls them to the front, and with razor-sharp focus, helps them. I was witness to many people (including myself) recognizing, moving through, and healing from their trauma. Christopher has a gift. It is an art to have the sensitivity to help this community. He made a real and lasting impact on my recovery. I will be forever grateful to him and his enthusiastic dedication to helping others in this field.”
– Leta G.
11. Cognitive Distortions
Why I Should Not Believe Everything I Think.
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This workshop delves into the concept of cognitive distortions—habitual, inaccurate patterns of thinking that can negatively impact our emotions, decisions, and relationships. Participants will learn to identify common distortions such as all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, and catastrophizing, and explore how these thought patterns shape their perception of reality. Through guided exercises and reflective discussion, experiential exercises, the workshop will offer practical strategies for reframing these thoughts in a more balanced, realistic, and constructive way. By aligning thinking more closely with reality, individuals can reduce stress, improve emotional resilience, and foster healthier relationships and self-perception.
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Video - HI REN. Handout & Discussion - Erika Mateus - LCSW, “Is Your Mind Playing Tricks On You?”
Video - Karin Faith - “Talking To The Worst Parts of Yourself.”
Handout & Discussion - Harvard Medical School - Peter Grinspoon, MD. “How To Recognize & Tame Your Cognitive Distortion.”
Handout & Discussion - Alice Boyes Ph.D. - “50 Common Cognitive Distortions.”
3 Chairs - Experiential Exercise.
12. Happiness
How Do I Find It?
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This workshop explores the elusive nature of happiness, examining what truly contributes to a lasting sense of well-being beyond fleeting moments of pleasure or external achievements. Through interactive discussions and evidence-based practices, participants will gain insight into the psychological, emotional, and behavioral factors that influence happiness. The workshop will introduce practical strategies such as gratitude, mindfulness, values-based living, and positive social connection to help individuals cultivate a deeper, more sustainable sense of fulfillment. Participants will leave with tools to foster personal well-being and create a more meaningful, joyful life.
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Discussion - What Makes You Happy?
Video - Steve Cutts, “Happiness.”
Handout & Discussion - Nicole Celestine, Ph.D. “How to Find Happiness.”
Video - Tal Ben-Shahar Ph.D. “Don’t Chase Happiness.”
Discussion - Ways To Find Happiness In Sobriety.
13. Codependency vs Interdependency
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This workshop explores the critical differences between codependency and interdependency in relationships, helping participants identify unhealthy patterns of self-sacrifice, control, or enmeshment, and move toward balanced, mutually supportive connections. Through guided discussions attendees will learn how to set healthy boundaries, foster emotional autonomy, and build interdependent relationships rooted in respect, trust, and self-awareness. The workshop offers practical tools to break free from codependent dynamics and embrace empowered, connected living.
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Video - Codependent Music Mash Up Demo.
Handout & Discussion - Wendy Rose Gould - Medically reviewed by David Susman, Ph.D. - “What is Codependency?”
Video - The Codependency Tree. by narcissistapocalypse.com
Handout & Discussion - Jodi Clarke, MA, LPC/MHSP Medically reviewed by Carly Snyder, MD. “How to Build a Relationship On Interdependence.”
Video - Teddy Swims, “The Door.”
14. Shame
Shame Does Not Have To Be A Lifelong Sentence.
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Shame is a powerful and often hidden force that shapes our thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. It can root itself in past experiences, keeping us stuck in cycles of self-blame, silence, and disconnection. This workshop explores how shame shows up in our daily lives—through our inner critic, our fears of being seen, and the stories we carry about not being enough. Through guided reflection, group discussion, and experiential exercises, we can gently uncover these patterns and learn compassionate ways to release ourselves from the prison of shame. Together, we’ll create space for healing, self-acceptance, and the freedom to move forward with clarity and courage.
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Video - Foo Fighters - “Shame.”
Handout & Discussion - Lynn Margolies Ph.D. - Quotes from - Lyon, Krammer, Hooge, Breugelmans & Zeelenberg - “Is Shame Good or Bad? The Effects of Shame & Guilt.”
Video - Bessel van den Kolk - “Trauma & Shame.”
Handout & Discussion - Mary C. Lamia Ph.D. “Shame: Concealed, Contagious & Dangerous Emotion.”
Video - Berne` Brown - “Shame.”
Handout & Discussion - Rubin Khoddam Ph.D. - “Steps to Heal Shame. Shame Does Not Have To Be A Lifelong Sentence.”
Handout & Discussion -Ariane Resnick, CNC Medically reviewed by Ivy Kwong, LMFT - “Impact of Body Shaming And How To Overcome It.”
Video- Berne’ Brown - “Empathy vs. Sympathy.”
15. Trauma
What Is Trauma & How Do We Begin To Heal?
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Trauma is not only personal—it can be inherited across generations and passed through epigenetic patterns that shape how we experience the world. This workshop explores the deep-rooted effects of trauma helping participants recognize how unresolved pain from past can live on in our bodies, emotions, and behaviors. Through guided reflection, shared personal experience we will learn how to gently identify these imprints, honor the stories they carry, and take meaningful steps toward healing. Together, we’ll create a compassionate space to break cycles of suffering and begin the journey back to wholeness.
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Handout & Discussion - Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — By Gina Ryder - “What Is Trauma?”
Video - African Slave Trauma, Jewish Holocaust Trauma, Native American Trauma.
Discussion - “What Is Epigenetic?” - Handout & Discussion -Thema S. Bryant, PhD. “Seven Medicines for Healing Collective Trauma.”
Video - Charles Hunt, “What Trauma Has Taught Me About Resilience.”
Discussion - Take Aways.
Video - Khalil Gibran, “Pain.”
16. The Inner Critic
Who Is That?
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The inner critic is that persistent inner voice that judges, doubts, and undermines us—often echoing messages we’ve unconsciously inherited from family, culture, or early life experiences. In this workshop, we’ll explore the origins of the inner critic, how it’s shaped by generational patterns and societal expectations, and the ways it influences our self-worth and decision-making. Through guided practices, reflection, and dialogue, participants will learn how to recognize this internal voice without being overwhelmed by it, begin to set compassionate boundaries with it, and cultivate a more supportive and empowered inner narrative.
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Video - Allison Ponthier - “Harshest Critic.”
Handout & Discussion - Medically reviewed by Scientific Advisory Board — By Rachel Eddins, “Working With Your Inner Critic.”
Video - Shizard Chamine Ph.D. “Don’t Believe Your Thinking.”
Experiential Exercise - “Saboteur or Sage?”
Handout & Discussion - Excerpt from B Grace Bullock, Ph.D. Mindful Relationships: Seven Skills for Success, “How To Stop Your Stories From Running Your Life.”
Handout & Discussion - Anna Katharina Schaffner, Ph.D. “Living With the Inner Critic.”
Video - Lindsy Sterling - “Behold The Untold.”
17. The Genogram
Our Family Story
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In this workshop, we will use the Genogram—a powerful visual mapping tool—to explore patterns and dynamics across generations in our families. By charting significant events such as addiction, mental and physical health challenges, economic instability, migration, losses, and unresolved grief, we begin to uncover the deeper intergenerational narratives that shape our present lives. This process allows us to recognize inherited patterns of resilience and struggle, bring unconscious dynamics to light, and create a clearer, more compassionate understanding of our family system. With this insight, we can begin to disentangle from what no longer serves us and move toward healing with greater awareness and intention.
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Clients receive instructions in how to create their own Genogram’s and if comfortable share them with the group.
18. Self Hatred vs Self Acceptance
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Many of us carry an inner burden of self-judgment and shame, often rooted in past experiences, unmet expectations, or internalized criticism. This workshop offers a compassionate space to explore the difference between self-hatred and self-acceptance, helping participants recognize the harsh inner voices that keep them stuck in cycles of guilt and unworthiness. Through reflection, guided exercises, and gentle discussion, we’ll begin the journey toward self-forgiveness—learning to soften the inner critic, acknowledge our humanity, and cultivate a more loving, accepting relationship with ourselves. This is an invitation to move from self-rejection to self-compassion and forgiveness one step at a time.
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Video - Justin Courty - “Hate Myself.”
Handout & Discussion - Sanjana Gupta & Meghan Marcum, Ph.D. “Self Hatred vs Self Acceptance”
Video - Nadine Machkovech, “The Secret To Being Enough.”
Video - Jeremy Anderson, “Dollar Bill.”
Video - Elle Duke, “Nicer To Myself.”
19. I Am Not My Diagnosis
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A medical or psychological diagnosis can offer insight and support, but it does not define the full truth of who we are. In this workshop, we will explore how labels—though sometimes helpful—can also limit our sense of identity and possibility. Together, we’ll examine the difference between managing a condition and being reduced to it, and how to reclaim the complexity, strength, and potential that exists beyond any diagnosis. Through storytelling, reflection, and empowering practices, participants will be invited to see themselves not as broken or fixed, but as whole human beings with the capacity to grow, heal, and redefine what’s possible.
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Video - Rachale Bloom - “My Diagnosis.”
Video - AGT - Jane “Night Bird”.
Handout & Discussion - Kimberly Nelson, MA with Courtney Kelly. Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer, “You Are Not Your Diagnosis - Four Identity Mistakes And How To Overcome Them.”
Breakout Groups - Clients explore diagnosis and implications in their lives.
Handout & Discussions - Eddie McNamara, “You Are Not Your Diagnosis - Having A Name For Your Condition Can Help With Proper Treatment, But It Is Not Who You Are.”
Video - AGT - Mzanis Youth Choir, Nightbird Tribute.
20. Humility
Understanding Humility
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This workshop explores the transformative power of humility as a grounding force that helps us remain right-sized—neither inflated nor diminished—in how we see ourselves and our place in the world. Participants will examine how humility opens space for deeper self-awareness, a greater respect of the power of addiction, fosters genuine curiosity, and expands the possibilities of learning both within and beyond ourselves. By embracing a posture of openness and interconnectedness, we uncover new ways of engaging with others, embracing uncertainty, and cultivating growth in personal, communal, and global contexts.
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Video - Number One - “Humility.”
Handout & Discussion - Anna Katharina Schaffner, Ph.D. Scientifically reviewed by Jo Nash, Ph.D. - “What is Humility & Why Is It Important.”
Video - Alessya Farrugia, “Humility Will Ruin Your Life.”
Video. “Thoughts On Humility.”
Handout & Discussion - Tiara Blain, MA, Reviewed by Sabrina Romanoff, Psy.D. - “The Benefits Of Humility & How To Be More Humble.”
Video - Quincy Mix, “Choosing Humility In A Self Centered Age.”
Video. - Martin Luther King - “Love & Power.”
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Whether you're just beginning to ask questions or ready to take action, I am here to help you move from fear and uncertainty to clarity and connection.