WHEN RISK ENTERS THE ROOM
"What To Do When a Patient Is Using"
When a client admits active substance use - and abstinence doesn't feel realistic - many clinicians feel anxious, uncertain, or afraid they're doing harm.
This short workshop offers practical guidance for helping people with substance use ethically, and without panic.
60 minutes · On-demand · Includes clinical summary PDF
The Clinical Tension
Many clinicians worry
"If I don't make them stop, am I doing harm?"
""How do I actually help?"
Most training doesn't help with the actual clinical moment when risk enters the room.
This workshop is designed for that moment.
What You'll Learn
In this workshop, you'll learn how to:
Respond when a client discloses active substance use
Assess real risk vs. anxiety-driven risk
Reduce harm without damaging the therapeutic relationship
Maintain safety without coercion or avoidance
Know when abstinence is clinically indicated
Evaluate your own limits as a clinician
 The focus is on language, judgment, and clinical stance you can use immediately.
About Andrew Tatarsky
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 is a Professor of Professional Practice at The New School.
This workshop is for clinicians who
Who This Is For
Who You Work With
Work with substance use, compulsions, or self-harm
Where It Feels Unclear
Feel undertrained or uneasy when abstinence isn't realistic
What You’re Trying to Do
Want to reduce risk without panic, coercion, or avoidance
 No prior harm reduction training is required.
Workshop Details
60 minute on-demand workshop
Includes clinical summary PDF
$49
One-time purchase · Lifetime access
Get Immediate Access
Understanding the Path to Change
You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone
Most clinicians were never trained for these moments.
 This workshop offers a clear, grounded framework you can return to when risk enters the room.
View the Workshop