The National Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) recently featured Cary Hopkins Hall, MA, visiting assistant instructor in the Department of Criminology, as the presenter for two well鈥慳ttended and highly engaging webinars focused on emerging issues and holistic practices in the substance use and addiction field.
On Feb. 25, more than 620 participants joined the webinar 鈥淧rocess Addictions: Maladaptive Coping Across the Ages.鈥 Hall explored the parallels between process addictions and substance use disorders, highlighting how maladaptive coping manifests across different behavioral addictions. She also discussed neurobiological changes associated with addiction and offered practical strategies for practitioners working with clients experiencing these challenges.
The session sparked lively discussion, with participants posing numerous questions throughout. Hall鈥檚 background in substance use disorders 鈥 and her expanding research into behavioral addictions 鈥 provided a strong foundation for this in鈥慸epth training.
On Mar. 12, Hall returned to lead another specialty webinar, 鈥淢indfulness in the Addiction Field: Sitting with Discomfort,鈥 as part of NAADAC鈥檚 series, Restoring Balance: Mindful and Holistic Practices in Addiction and Recovery. This session focused on the role of mindfulness in supporting both practitioners and clients. Hall explained the value of learning to sit with uncomfortable emotions, introduced accessible mindfulness practices, and emphasized how these tools can enhance resilience and well鈥慴eing.
Participants in this webinar were eligible to earn continuing education credits to support their professional growth. Other sessions in the series addressed complementary topics such as self鈥慶are, resiliency, and nutrition.