Supporting Someone with Addiction: Tools for Families & Professionals

Learn tools to manage burnout, grief & emotional stress when supporting someone struggling with addiction (MA residents & clinicians)

Supporting someone with addiction can take a toll — whether you’re a loved one or a professional.

You may feel the stress of uncertainty…

the emotional weight of relapse cycles…

or the quiet grief of watching someone struggle, knowing you can’t do the healing for them.

For family members, this can feel like living between hope and fear.

For professionals, it often means holding space for both clients and their families — again and again.

And over time, that impact builds.

Most people are taught how to cope with this.

Very few are given tools to actually process what they’re carrying.

In this free one-hour virtual workshop, we'll introduce practical, body-based approaches that help you move through stress, grief, and emotional overwhelm more effectively.

You’ll learn how techniques such as EFT (tapping), EMDR-informed practices, and mindfulness-based tools can help regulate the nervous system, reduce emotional intensity, and support your own well-being — even in difficult and uncertain situations.

What You’ll Learn

• How to recognize and manage burnout, emotional stress, and grief

• Practical tools to help process emotional intensity in real time

• How EFT (tapping) and EMDR-informed techniques support nervous system regulation

• Ways to support someone with addiction without losing yourself in the process

• How to navigate the reality that you can’t control someone else’s recovery

• Tools to help both families and professionals sustain their well-being

Meet Your Hosts

Leigh-Ann Larson, LMHC

Founder of Rising Up, LLC & Founder/CEO of Elevate Counseling Services

Leigh-Ann Larson is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Grief Educator, and Energy Psychology Practitioner with over 20 years of experience supporting individuals through trauma, anxiety, and major life challenges.

She specializes in integrative, mind-body approaches that help people process what feels stuck and move toward meaningful healing.

Kolby Andrade, LICSW

Clinical Director of Rising Up

Kolby Andrade is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who brings a relational, compassionate approach to working with individuals navigating trauma, grief, anxiety, and substance use.

As Clinical Director of Rising Up, she oversees program development and supports both clients and clinicians in delivering grounded, effective care.

Who This Event Is For

This session is open to Massachusetts-based attendees (18+), including:

Family members and loved ones who:

* Are supporting someone struggling with addiction

* Feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, or stuck in cycles of hope and fear

* Want tools to take care of themselves while supporting someone else

Professionals, including:

* Therapists, social workers, and mental health clinicians

* Substance use and recovery professionals

* Case managers and healthcare providers

* Anyone working with individuals or families impacted by addiction

Why This Matters

There’s a reality many people face when supporting addiction:

You can care deeply.

You can show up consistently.

And still not control the outcome.

Without the right tools, this can lead to chronic stress, grief, burnout, and emotional exhaustion.

This workshop offers a different approach — one that helps you process what you carry, not just push through it.

About Rising Up

Rising Up is a holistic Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) serving adults across Massachusetts, offering virtual care statewide and in-person services in Buzzards Bay.

We support individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, and emotional overwhelm — especially when traditional therapy alone isn’t enough.

Our approach integrates evidence-based care with mind-body practices, helping clients and those who support them access deeper, more sustainable healing.

Reserve Your Spot

If you’re supporting someone with addiction — as a loved one or a professional — this session will give you tools to take care of yourself while continuing to show up for others.

Spots are limited, this event is free. Register to save your seat. If you can't make it live we'll share the replay with those who signed up.