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.

Book a Workshop

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.

Workshop Details

 Workshops 1–10

 Workshops 11–20

 Workshops 21–29

11. Cognitive Distortions
Why I Should Not Believe Everything I Think.

  • 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.

    • Discussion - Individuals share the moment they looked honestly at themselves and knew they needed help and decided they needed to go to treatment.

    • Video - Ted Talk - How to Spot Lying by Pamela Meyer

    • Handout & Discussion - Honesty from Buddhism & the 12 Steps by Kevin Griffin

    • Video - Life is a Game of Bullshit - This is How You Win By Telling The Truth by Genevieve Gregorich

    • Handout & Discussion - Honesty - What Would Count As A Right Reason For Honest Behavior by Christian B Miller

    • Experiential Exercise - 3 Chairs: Lying - How it Felt - What if I Hadn’t Told That Lie?

12. Happiness
How Do I Find It?

  • 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.

    • Video - Rehab by Amy Winehouse

    • Photos & Discussion - Celebrity Deaths from Addiction - Money & Fame Will Not Save You

    • Handout & Discussion - Alcohol & Drug Deaths in US CDC, National Institute on Drug Abuse & Statista & American Addiction Centers; Signs of Alcohol Use Disorder by Elizabeth Fiser - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse; Warning Signs of Substance Use Disorder - National Institute on Drug Abuse

    • Video – Addiction - Road to Recovery

    • Handout & Discussion - Cause of Addiction by Kristen Fuller, MD; How Do Drugs Work in The Brian?-  National Institute on Drug Abuse

    • Video - Caitlin’s Intervention - A&E

13. Codependency vs Interdependency

  • 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.

    • Video - Sober by Kelly Clarkson

    • Discussion - Recovery Strategies Value of Extending Treatment, IOP, PHP, SLE’s; Various Therapy’s, CBT, DBT, Somatic; Building Community In 12 Step Program & Non 12 Step Programs; Reintegrating into The Stream of Life in Balanced Way

    • Video - How Recovery Changed My Life – Road to Recovery

    • Experiential Exercise - Why I Want Recovery

    • Video - I Got My Mom Back by Gremlin

    • Handout & Discussion - Recovery & Resilience Recovery & Relationships - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration

    • Video - A Lesson on Resilience - The Learning Lab

14. Shame
Shame Does Not Have To Be A Lifelong Sentence.

  • 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.

    • Video - Hard Times Made Me by Amanda Mammana

    • Handout & Discussion - Addiction Triggers

    • Video - Triggered Again

    • Handout & Discussion - Stages of Relapse by Gorski

    • Video - Why We Relapse - What Is Anhedonia? by Robert Mo, Tree House Recovery

    • Graphic - Chemistry and Neurotransmitters

    • Handout & Discussion - Dopamine What Does to The Brian? by Timothy J. Legg, PhD

    • Video - Concerto No 4 featuring Chole Chua on violin

    • Handout & Discussion - How to Naturally Increase Dopamine by Dr Elvira Brattico

    • Video - Redemption of Ginny Brown

15. Trauma
What Is Trauma & How Do We Begin To Heal?

  • 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.

    • Video - Ego by Willy Williams

    • Handout & Discussion - What is Ego? – pathwaystohappiness.com

    • Graphic - Ego vs True Self

    • Video - The Grip of Ego & Living More Consciously by Ekhart Tolle

    • Handout & Discussion - Is there a Healthy Ego? by Michael Burkhardt

    • Video – Gollum & The Precious - Lord of the Rings

    • Video - The Eternal Now featuring voice of Alan Watts

16. The Inner Critic
Who Is That?

  • 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.

    • Video - DBT & Radical Acceptance by Marsha Lineman PhD

    • Handout & Discussion - What is Radical Acceptance? by Arlin Cuncic, Medically reviewed by David Susman, PhD

    • Video - Acceptance & Mental Health by The School of Life

    • Handout & Discussion - Coping Statements for Radical Acceptance by Arlin Cuncic - Medically reviewed by David Susman, PhD

    • Video - The Darkest Part of You by Dr Gabor Matte

17. The Genogram
Our Family Story

  • 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.

    • Video - I Love Me by Megan Trianor

    • Handout & Discussion - Declarations of Self-love Quotes

    • Handout & Discussion - What is Self-Love? by Mind Help - Verified by World Mental Healthcare Association

    • Video - I Love Me by Medea

    • Handout & Discussion - What Dose Self Love Look Like? by Mind Help - Verified by World Mental Healthcare Association

    • Video - The Person I Need to Marry by Tracy McMillan

    • Handout & Discussion - Tips of How to Practice Self Love

    • Video - You Are Who You Have Been Looking For by Motivational Vibes

18. Self Hatred vs Self Acceptance

  • 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.

    • Video - Richard Goodall - AGT

    • Handout & Discussion - 7 Things You Need to Know About Fear by Theo Tsaousides PhD

    • Video - What is Fear? by Beautiful Science

    • Handout & Discussion - What is Fear? by Lisa Fritscher

    • Video - What They Don’t Tell You About Fear by Kristen Ulmer

    • Handout & Discussion - Why Do Good People Do Bad Things? by Arthur Dobrin DSW

    • Video - Fear by Blue October

19. I Am Not My Diagnosis

  • 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.

    • Video – Resentment by A Day to Remember

    • Handout & Discussion - What is Resentment & How to Let Go Of It by Surabhi Kedia, Reviewed by Dr Nereida Gonzalez-Berrios, MD

    • Video - The Real Reason for Forgiveness by Sara Montana

    • Experiential Exercise - 3 Chairs: My resentment - How it feels - Who am I without that resentment?

    • Video – Resentment by Beyonce

20. Humility
Understanding Humility

  • 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.

    • Video - I See Red written by Robbie Nevil, sung by Kristen Cruz

    • Handout & Discussion - Why Manage Anger? by Amy Morin, LCSW

    • Video - How to Get Angry a Lot by schooloflifecom

    • Video - Anger is The Sharp Edge of Pain - PBS interview with Robin Tyler

    • Handout & Discussion - The Value of Anger by Moshe Ratson, MBA, MS, LMFT

    • Video - The Unhealthy Effects of Suppressed Anger & Rage by Dr Gabor Mate’

    • Handout & Discussion - Bad Brains by James Kimmel Jr

    • Video – Volcano in Iceland

Take the First Step Toward Healing… Call today

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.

530.446.1135