Holistic Well Being (Counselling) Forum Events

The Department of MSc (Counselling ), School Of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Mangalore and IQAC, hosted a National webinar on “ Psycho-Physiology of Addiction and Motivational Interviewing” on 29th August, 2023. The webinar was attended by 68 participants including students and professionals. The objective of the two-hour session was to elaborate on the psycho-physiological aspects of substance addiction, the importance of interventions, the application and impact of motivational interviewing in the management of addiction.

The session was conducted by Mr. Nithin D’Silva, an alumni of SSW, Roshni Nilaya, currently working as a Wellness Coach at Accenture, Navi Mumbai. The session began with a welcome note by Ms Haleemath Safwana, II MSc (counselling). The resource person was introduced and welcomed by Ms Arpitha HB, II MSc (counselling).

The speaker introduced the various types of addictions before focusing on the topic of the day, substance addiction. The need for putting people first and doing away with the stigma attached to substance addiction was emphasized and also was mentioned the global awareness and attempt at preventing discrimination and strengthening prevention through the celebration of World Drug Day. The speaker then expounded on the meaning of substance, Substance Use Addiction (SUD), its criteria, along with the causes or risk factors. The next aspect explained was regarding the progression of substance use, as to how a casual single instance of substance use could lead to the compulsive or addictive stage. The participants were also informed about how substance use can be a causal factor for mental disorders and vice versa. The natural history of substance use, the vulnerability factors associated with substance addiction and the various effects of different forms of substances were explained, along with various routes of administration. The psychoactive effects of substances, the social stigma, and the impact on individual’s relationships and life were touched upon alongside the components of interventions and the basic principles of effective drug treatment. The speaker then introduced the Motivational Interviewing used as an effective intervention method, that is a client centred approach, that focuses on collaboration, empathy and intrinsic motivation. The core principles, techniques, the Four Processes of MI, and how it is used in conjunction with the Transtheoretical model were all elaborately explained. The session was open for questions and participants made judicious use of the opportunity. The session concluded with vote of thanks by Ms Precella JB, II MSc (Counselling).