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Live Webinar

A Disease of Loneliness: Addiction Through an Attachment Theory Lens

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Information

Date & Time

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Explain how attachment insecurity may interact with biological, psychological, and social factors to increase vulnerability to substance use disorders.

  • Describe the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms shared by attachment relationships and addictive processes, including affect regulation, reward, and responses to separation or withdrawal.

  • Apply at least three attachment-informed and culturally responsive principles to the assessment, treatment planning, and clinical engagement of individuals with substance use disorders.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this workshop is to help learners understand how attachment insecurity may contribute to the development and maintenance of substance use disorders within a biopsychosocial framework. Learners will also gain practical strategies for incorporating attachment-informed, culturally responsive assessment and interventions into treatment.

Description

This presentation examines why some individuals who use alcohol or other substances develop severe substance use disorders, emphasizing attachment insecurity as one potential pathway within a broader biopsychosocial framework. It reviews psychological, relational, and neurobiological evidence linking attachment and addiction, then considers implications for culturally responsive assessment, treatment planning, therapeutic engagement, and recovery.

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

Michael Roeske, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience in clinical practice, behavioral health research, and executive leadership. He established and serves as the Senior Director of the Newport Healthcare Center for Research and Innovation, where he oversees research initiatives and measurement-based care, including the development and validation of assessment tools. Dr. Roeske has co-authored peer-reviewed publications addressing adolescent and young adult mental health and innovations in clinical practice and is a frequent presenter at regional and national conferences. Previously, Dr. Roeske served as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of accredited outpatient and residential programs serving patients with primary mental health conditions, disordered eating, and substance use and co-occurring disorders. He has also served as a clinical director, adjunct professor, and therapist, with training in inpatient psychiatric hospitals and community-based services. Dr. Roeske’s contributions extend to professional organizations as a Board Member and Ethics Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Association of Addiction Professionals and as a former Advisory Board Member for the NAATP FoRSE Treatment Outcomes Program. His work focuses on advancing evidence-based care through collaboration, measurement science, and translational research.

Financially Sponsored By

  • Newport Healthcare