Open help menu
Live Webinar

Addiction: A Family Problem Requiring a Family Solution

Sherry Gaugler-Stewart, BS
|

Information

Date & Time

Description

When a loved one struggles with addiction, families tend to focus on getting that person well. Most believe that if their loved one finds help, then everyone else will be okay.

While the negative impacts of addiction on their loved ones may be obvious, family members may find it difficult to see the depth of how they’ve been affected. If families aren’t getting support for themselves, the fear that they’ve had about their loved one finding recovery often becomes fear about whether or not their loved one will maintain it. Without an understanding of this disease, families often continue reacting as they did when their loved one was still in active addiction.

This session will look at how families are affected by the disease of addiction, and how to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of families finding support for themselves.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this workshop is for clinicians to gain a better understanding of the symptoms of the family response to addiction, and they leave with abundant resources and an action plan to help better serve these families.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Discuss at least two clinical and systemic obstacles to family recovery currently found in the addiction recovery field.

  • Describe the overlapping behavioral and emotional symptoms of addiction that both families and their affected loved ones experience.

  • Identify and list at least three evidence-based resources available to support family members who have a loved one struggling with a substance use disorder.

Target Audience

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

Presenters

Sherry Gaugler-Stewart, BS
Sherry Gaugler-Stewart, BS, is the Director of Family and Spiritual Recovery at The Retreat in Wayzata, MN. She has worked with The Retreat's Family Program since its inception in 2005. Sherry is a certified Spiritual Director, a certified Structured Family Recovery® Counselor, a Nationally Certified Family Recovery Coach, and has been an active participant in family recovery since 1999. In addition to her work at with families, she has led spiritual retreats and workshops internationally, and is a meditation teacher. She speaks on the topic of family recovery regionally and nationally, as well as contributes to blogs and publications. She also oversees Kids CAMP at The Retreat, a program for children aged 7 - 12 years who are growing up in families impacted by someone's addiction. She is the 2026 recipient of the Martin Luther King National Day of Service Award, recognizing her commitment and service to families, presented by Relevant Recovery.

Financially Sponsored By

  • The Retreat