Open help menu
On-Demand

"Where Bonds & Behaviors Meet”: Addiction, Attachment & the Family System

Jamie Binder, LCSW
Dennis Ballinger, MA, LMFT
|

Information

Recorded

  • -

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Identify attachment-related behaviors that commonly emerge in individuals with substance use disorders.

  • Explain the neurobiological and developmental links between attachment wounds and addiction.

  • Recognize how family roles, boundaries, and intergenerational patterns reinforce addictive cycles.

  • Integrate attachment-informed interventions into assessment, treatment planning, and family work.

  • Strengthen therapeutic alliances using attunement, co-regulation, and structured relational repair. By connecting the “why” behind client behaviors with actionable clinical strategies, this training empowers clinicians to more effectively support individuals and families on their path to lasting recovery.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this course is for learners to acquire a deeper understanding of how to assess attachment patterns and explain how early relational experiences and family-system dynamics directly influence the development of attachment styles which place individuals at risk for the development of substance use and other addictive behaviors. Participants will examine how insecure attachment styles manifest in clinical presentation, how maladaptive coping strategies become entrenched through addiction, and how these factors shape treatment resistance, motivation, and relapse vulnerability.

Description

This course is designed to help mental health professionals and clinicians understand how attachment patterns shape the development, progression, and treatment of substance use disorders and other addictive behaviors. Participants will explore the intersection of attachment, addiction, and family dynamics to better support individuals and families in achieving lasting recovery.

Target Audience

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

Presenters

Jamie Binder, LCSW
Jamie Binder, a licensed clinical social worker, brings over 15 years of experience from inpatient hospitals, youth residential treatment centers, private practice, and intensive outpatient settings. After building a successful group private practice, it formally merged with Stride Denver in 2024 at which point Jamie transitioned into Director of Growth to continue to support the mission of Stride Denver. Jamie is passionate about Stride's unique leading in the field of individualized intensive community based care. Jamie is also an adjunct professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work where she enjoys connecting with the students who represent the future of social work. Her extensive training includes certifications in evidence-based modalities such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Gottman, Structural family therapy, Emotion focused Family Therapy. Jamie works with a complex clientele experiencing symptoms of trauma, psychosis and thought disorders, substance use, depression, anxiety, mood disorders and borderline personality disorder/attachment trauma.
Dennis Ballinger, MA, LMFT
Dennis Ballinger, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Addictions Specialist in Colorado, brings more than 25 years of clinical experience to his work with individuals, couples, and families affected by co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. He is extensively trained in a wide range of evidence-based modalities, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Functional Family Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, and specialized hypnosis for trauma treatment. A dedicated clinical supervisor and AAMFT Approved Supervisor, Dennis has mentored more than 75 graduate students in psychology and other behavioral health fields and provided consultation to hundreds of therapists, caseworkers, and multidisciplinary professionals. He is recognized for his expertise in co-occurring disorders, trauma, family systems, and attachment-based interventions, and is frequently invited to speak to professional groups, community organizations, and treatment programs across Colorado and beyond. Dennis lives in Glenwood Springs with his wife and three pups, where he enjoys the natural beauty of the Roaring Fork Valley and the outdoor lifestyle it inspires.

Financially Sponsored By

  • Jaywalker Lodge