Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoAs) are a widely present but often unspoken client group in therapy. Despite the statistics - with millions growing up in homes affected by addiction, emotional unpredictability, or dysfunction; the lasting impact is frequently missed or misunderstood in healthcare settings. Many ACoAs enter adulthood without recognising their experiences as trauma, having normalised chaos, silence, or emotional neglect as children.
These clients may present with anxiety, low self-worth, chronic burnout, people-pleasing, or relational difficulties, but the root causes often remain unspoken- sometimes even in therapy. The legacy of growing up in a dysfunctional environment can shape identity, nervous system regulation, and attachment patterns in ways that go undetected, especially when external success or caregiving roles mask internal struggle.
This discussion explores why ACoAs are a ‘forgotten’ group, both culturally and clinically and why understanding their unique adaptations is essential for effective therapeutic work. It also touches on a deeper truth: that this topic can feel confronting for many, including therapists, because it invites us to consider our own histories and the systems that shaped us.
By bringing these dynamics into focus, we move closer to offering the kind of attuned, trauma-informed support this group truly needs.
Learning Objective Participants Can Expect From This Event
- Explore how ACoAs adapt through roles that often go unseen in the therapy room.
- Learn why these stories are often missed: Consider how silence, shame, and normalised dysfunction make ACoA experiences easy to overlook.
- Deepen your awareness of what ACoA clients may need to feel safe, seen, and understood.
Who is This Workshop Appropriate For?
- This course is relevant for counsellors, psychotherapists, mental health workers and other professionals in supportive roles, including those in healthcare or education, who want to deepen their understanding of Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoAs).
- While the focus is on the therapeutic process, this is a group that are often overlooked not just in therapy, but in life. Raising awareness and understanding across these fields is essential for meaningful support and change.
How May This Workshop Impact Your Practice?
- This course can enhance practice by helping professionals recognise the often-hidden patterns and roles shaped by early survival. It supports more attuned, compassionate work with clients who may not have named their experiences, but still carry their impact.
- At its heart, it’s about helping people come home to themselves and feel seen, perhaps for the first time.
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