HARM REDUCTION
PSYCHOTHERAPY TRAINING
A professionally produced 12-part certification training taught by Dr. Andrew Tatarsky, PhD
for therapists, clinics, schools, and individuals affected by problematic substance use.
Trusted by Clinicians & Institutions
  Trusted by therapists, clinics, and academic programs committed to ethical, effective care.
"This training will breathe fresh air into the way clinicians and program staff typically think about working with clients who struggle with substance use. They will question their own limiting beliefs about "the disease of addiction” and feel qualified and inspired to open up access to their practices and programs to these individuals."
Stephanie Briody
Co-Founder and CEO, Behavioral Health Innovators
Chatham, MA
"Clinicians often see substance use disorder as "another animal" and have not given themselves or potential patients the chance to experience what good work they have to offer. This could really shift our therapists."
Colgen Tyler, M.S.W.
Co-Founder, Mandala House
Louisville KY
"Having worked in the addictions field for ten years in the UK, I’ve found the material both resonant and refreshing. Andrew Tatarsky is a captivating presenter - thoughtful, engaging, and genuinely inspiring. Andrew Tatarsky presents with a calm authority and wisdom that invite reflection rather than instruction, making it accessible, humane, and clinically alive. It is a clear shift away from the traditional disease model, instead focusing on the relational and ethical heart of the work. It is a rare training that leaves you feeling informed, inspired, and quietly reconnected to the work itself."
Kylie Innocente
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist
Sydney, Australia
Meet Your Instructor
Andrew Tatarsky, PhD
Dr. Andrew Tatarsky is one of the world's leading innovators in addiction treatment and the pioneering force behind harm reduction psychotherapy. In 1998, authored the groundbreaking book Harm Reduction Psychotherapy: A New Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Problems, and went on to develop Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy (IHRP)-a model that has transformed how clinicians understand and treat substance use, compulsive behaviors, and emotional suffering.
Across three decades, Andrew has become the field's most influential voice challenging the limits of abstinence-only care and reshaping the global conversation about addiction. His thinking integrates psychoanalysis, mindfulness, and cutting-edge behavioral science into a coherent, humane, and radically effective clinical approach.
He is the Founder and Director of The Harm Reduction Therapy Training Center, and previously founded and directed The Center for Optimal Living. He is a Senior Advisor at Silver Hill New York and also serves on the Medical and Clinical Advisory Panels for the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Support. Andrew holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the City University of New York and a Certificate in Psychoanalysis from New York University's Postdoctoral Program and is a Professor of Professional Practice at The New School.
A Different Standard of Clinical Training
  Everything you need to master harm reduction psychotherapy and transform your practice
12 HD Videos
Download PDF Companion Guide
Pricing Tiers
Pick the option that fits your learning style and goals.
Complimentary Bracelet
Receive a free Harm Reduction community bracelet in the mail.
Discover What Makes Our Method Unique
Core Lessons & Skills You'll Master
Through real clinical examples and clear frameworks, learn to engage clients with empathy, curiosity, and evidence-based strategies across 12 comprehensive modules.
Harm Reduction
Reframe addiction as a learned coping strategy that can be helped in normal psychotherapy, not a disease.
Meeting The Patient
Start with non-stigmatizing language and collaborative agenda-setting so clients feel safe.
The Relationship
Treat the therapeutic alliance as the primary mechanism of change with clear boundaries and warmth.
Abstinence
Frame abstinence as one valid harm-reduction pathway chosen by the client, not a mandate.
Risk
Triage risk with practical tools—overdose prevention, safer-use education, and crisis contacts.
Using In Session
Address patients who are not sober with calm containment, safety checks, and clear therapeutic limits.
Microanalysis
 Map triggers, thoughts, and body cues moment-by-moment to identify tiny decision points.
The Ideal Use Plan
Translate intentions into concrete steps with implementation intentions and coping-ahead plans.
Urge Surfing
Teach the physiology of urges as waves that rise, crest, and fall with guided practice.
Unwrapping the Urge
Get curious about what the urge is trying to accomplish—relief, connection, or regulation.
Ambivalence
Use MI techniques to elicit change talk without argument and help values lead, not pressure.
Grief
Acknowledge losses tied to substance use and change with grief-informed practices.
Pot, Phones, and Porn
Pot, Porn, & Phones is a short workshop that focuses on practical language and treatment strategies for working with compulsive behaviors such as cannabis use, pornography, and phone use—when “just stop” isn’t everyone’s goal and abstinence isn’t always realistic.
Streaming access: $49
Learn moreWhen Risk Enters The Room
Risk Enters the Room focuses on practical guidance for moments when a client admits active substance use and abstinence doesn’t feel realistic. It helps clinicians respond ethically, reduce panic, and support safer, more effective care.
Streaming access: $49
Learn more
Friends, Family, Self
Friends, Family, Self is a short film that focuses on practical language and treatment strategies outside of the abstinence-only model for navigating substance use with friends, partners, family, and oneself.
Streaming access: $25
Learn moreWho This Training Is ForÂ
  Designed for professionals and individuals working with – or impacted by – substance use and compulsive behaviors.Â
Individual Therapists
Social workers, counselors, MFTs, psychologists, graduate students.
A Professional Reminder to Show Support and Ground Your Practice
- Use these principles as a guide for ethical, client-centered decision-making
- Help spread the word to colleagues and clientsÂ
- Remind yourself of how to direct your thinking and practice during clinical contact
- Support ongoing growth through self-awareness and reflective learning
