Parents teaching their daughter how to ride a bike; African-American family having fun outside.

Virtual Family Wellness Workshops

Addiction impacts the whole family as a system, not just the individual struggling with drugs or alcohol. Mountainside understands that family members providing support to help a loved one through difficult times may also need resources and support for themselves, too. We’ve created a series of online family support groups to provide space for loved ones to learn about some of the most pivotal aspects of addiction treatment and recovery, safely ask questions, and build a support network.

All Virtual Family Wellness Workshops are free and open to the public. If you enjoy the workshop and would like to make a donation, proceeds will go to the Mountainside Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support for comprehensive alcoholism and drug addiction treatment services to individuals in need.

You can attend all of the meetings listed below, or pick and choose individual topics that are most relevant to you. To register for the workshops you’d like to attend, click the applicable dates below.

Neurobiology of Addiction Workshop

In this workshop, we will cover psychoeducation on addiction under the paradigm of disease model, and the nature/onset of the condition. Mountainside professionals  will provide education to families around the basic anatomy & physiology of the brain, and its impact on those struggling with addiction. Families will establish a baseline understanding of the complex nature of addiction and its relevance to families/loved ones who are involved in the recovery journey.

Dates of Workshop:

Addiction as an Attachment Disorder Workshop

This virtual workshop will address psychoeducation on addiction through the lens of attachment theory and the nurturing/development of the condition. Mountainside professionals will help families to better understand the function of attachment as a biological imperative in humans, how it’s relevant to the condition of addiction, and the impacts it may have on a family system.

Dates of Workshop:

Family Roles Workshop

This workshop will help families to better understand the impacts of stress and how each loved one can find balance for themselves, even in difficult or trying times. We’ll review the many common characteristics of people in families with high stress. At the end of this session, participants should be able to describe the different roles observed in high-stress families, the specific roles each person takes on in their current family dynamics, and roles they occupied in their family of origin, as well as common behaviors associated with these roles. Making sense of these roles and relationships can help everyone by providing insights that foster empathy.

Dates of Workshop:

Illness to Wellness Workshop

In this workshop, families will learn how addiction can impact functions and dysfunctions of the family system. During this time, we will review Virginia Satir’s perspectives on family wellness in terms of communication, and the 4 types of helpful and unhelpful communication styles that influence the transition between illness and wellness. This session will help you to expand your “tool box” no matter where you are in your recovery journey.

Dates of Workshop:

Wellness Into Action Workshop

This online workshop is meant to share different ways to practice wellness for self care. Here we will explore practical ways to maintaining family wellness by learning different mind-body oriented activities important in fostering stability and resilience in ourselves. Self care is a very important part of addiction treatment and recovery, whether you are the person in treatment or a loved one.

Dates of Workshop:

Healing Relationships Workshop

This workshop engages families in role plays and other exercises focused on fostering healthy relationships (i.e., boundaries, differentiation of self, fair fighting rules, etc.) You’ll leave this session with even more practical additions to your addiction treatment and recovery “tool box.”

Dates of Workshop: