The next certificate program will take place in January 2024. Please sign up here to get updated!
This 15-week program is designed for mental health and substance abuse treatment professionals, psychiatrists, graduate students, and those working in harm reduction settings who wish to deepen their knowledge and skills about harm reduction principles and practices.
Our Harm Reduction, Psychotherapy Certificate Program, offers an intensive immersion in the principles, theories, and practical application of harm reduction psychotherapy. Harm reduction psychotherapy is a collaborative, personalized, and empowering approach to helping those with substance use issues and other risky behaviors. Our integrative perspective combines relational psychoanalysis, psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and mindfulness approaches.
Continuing Education: This certificate program consists of a total of 30 contact hours which count towards continuing education credits. Optimal Living Psychological Services, PC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0534 and by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychologists for licensed psychologists #PSY-0075.
Tuition and Fees: The Certificate Program Training costs $3,500, and full payment is due by the first class unless you are signed up with an installment plan. Additional information will be sent once students are accepted into the program. Refunds or credits will not be issued once classes have started.
PLEASE NOTE:
*Attending one of our 3-day IHRP Training (now called Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy Essentials) is strongly recommended before or after the Certificate Program training but not required. The Essentials Training page can be found HERE
Recommended Reading Tatarsky, A. (2007). arm Reduction Psychotherapy: A New Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Problems. New York: Aronson. You can purchase it HERE.
"Contact events@cfol.org with questions
Course Objectives:
Fundamentals for conceptualizing, assessing, and treating substance misuse and other risky behaviors
Integration of relational psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness, and approaches
Knowledge of pharmacology of specific substances and how to tailor interventions accordingly
Review of epidemiology and data related to substance misuse and co-occurring disorders
Discussion of limitations of the disease model
Understand the Psychobiosocial Process model of the addictive experience
Increased awareness of the history and social and political context of harm reduction
Identify effective strategies to develop the therapeutic alliance and track interpersonal process issues (e.g., transference, countertransference) in the treatment
Understand the new corrective emotional experience facilitated by IHRP
Learn strategies for engaging diverse clients and collaborating around assessments, clarification of goals, and personalized clinical treatment plans
Understand how cultural issues impact the therapeutic process and develop skills to work with diverse clinical populations
Application of emotion regulation strategies
Learn techniques for Embracing Ambivalence to empower positive change
Integrative harm reduction group therapy
Understanding of the connection between trauma and substance use disorders
In-depth practice with mindfulness-based interventions and ways it can be tailored for clinical practice in both individual and group therapy
Continuing Education: Optimal Living Psychological Services, PC is recognized as an approved provider of continuing education by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work for licensed social workers #SW-0534 and by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychologists for licensed psychologists #PSY-0075.
Our Facilitators
Andrew Tatarsky, PhD.
Dr. Tatarsky is a psychologist who developed Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy (IHRP) for treating the spectrum of risky and addictive behavior. IHRP combines psychoanalysis, CBT, and mindfulness in a harm-reduction frame. The therapy has been described in his book, Harm Reduction Psychotherapy: A New Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Problems, and a series of papers. The book has been translated into Polish and Spanish. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from the City University of New York and is a graduate of New York University’s Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. He is the Founder and Director of the Center for Optimal Living in NYC, a treatment and training center; founding member and Past-President, of the Division on Addiction of the New York State Psychological Association; and Member of the Medical and Clinical Advisory Boards of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Dr. Tatarsky trains nationally and internationally.
Jenifer Levy, PhD.
Dr. Levy is a psychologist who specializes in treating trauma and co-occurring substance misuse. Dr. Levy's approach is interactive, working from an integrative harm reduction framework. It focuses on developing practical skills to manage intense emotions, reduce self-judgment, and promote self-compassion. Mindfulness skills are integrated into an active exploration of the interrelationship between thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and behaviors and their contribution to substance misuse and relationship issues. Dr. Talley is also interested in how yoga can enhance the connection with the body and support the development of emotion management skills. Along with Dr. Tatarsky, she created the Harm Reduction Psychotherapy Certificate Program and participates in the training and supervision of clinicians and graduate students. She was previously the Assistant Director of the Concentration in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counseling at the New School for Social Research.