About this Event
Join Jaywalker’s Chief Clinical Officer Dennis Ballinger, LMFT, and Stride Denver’s Growth Director Jamie Rabkin for his in person and live streamed CEU Event.
Where Bonds and Behaviors Meet: Addiction, Attachment, and the Family System
Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from two respected leaders who bring decades of clinical expertise, compassionate insight, and a deep commitment to supporting individuals and families in recovery.
This course is designed to equip mental health professionals with a deeper understanding of how attachment patterns, early relational experiences, and family-system dynamics directly influence the development and maintenance of substance use disorders and other addictive behaviors.
Participants will examine how insecure attachment styles manifest in clinical presentation, how maladaptive coping strategies become entrenched through addiction, and how these factors shape treatment resistance, motivation, and relapse vulnerability.
Through an exploration of both theory and applied practice, clinicians will learn how to:
- Identify attachment-related behaviors that commonly emerge in individuals with substance use disorders.
- Understand the neurobiological and developmental links between attachment wounds and addiction.
- Recognize how family roles, boundaries, and intergenerational patterns reinforce addictive cycles.
- Integrate attachment-informed interventions into assessment, treatment planning, and family work.
- Strengthen therapeutic alliances using attunement, co-regulation, and structured relational repair.
By connecting the “why” behind client behaviors with actionable clinical strategies, this training empowers clinicians to more effectively support individuals and families on their path to lasting recovery.
Dennis Ballinger LMFT
Chief Clinical Officer - Jaywalker
Dennis Ballinger is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Addictions Specialist, and serves as Jaywalker's Chief Clinical Officer. He is a member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and an Approved Supervisor and Approved Supervisor of Supervision through AAMFT.
Dennis has over 25 years of experience providing counseling to individuals, couples, and families who are struggling with co-occurring disorders. He has been trained and certified in a number of evidence-based practices, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Functional Family Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Hypnosis for the treatment of Trauma, and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, among others.
Dennis has trained over 50 individuals working towards their master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and has been a consultant to hundreds of therapists, case workers, and other professionals. He has presented to professionals and community members throughout Colorado and the nation on issues related to co-occurring disorder treatment, family therapy, trauma, and attachment disorders.
Jamie Rabkin Binder LCSW
Growth Director - Stride Denver
Jamie Rabkin Binder is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Growth Director at Stride Denver, where she helps lead a comprehensive wraparound program supporting teens, young adults, and families facing mental health, addiction, and neurodiversity-related challenges. With over a decade of experience in clinical practice and care management, Jamie specializes in attachment-based work, family systems, and guiding young people toward greater stability, independence, and resilience.
In her role at Stride Denver, Jamie blends strategic leadership with hands-on clinical insight to ensure families receive individualized, coordinated, and holistic support. She is passionate about bridging the gap between therapy and day-to-day functioning, empowering clients to build strong relationships, improve life skills, and thrive within their communities.
Jamie is known for her warm, connected approach and her ability to meet families where they are. She brings a steady presence, clear communication, and a deep respect for each client’s lived experience. Her work is grounded in the belief that healing happens through relationships — and that sustainable change requires collaboration between the individual, the family system, and the broader support network.
TPN Health
This presentation will be livestreamed through TPN Health, a trusted national platform for continuing education and professional development in the behavioral health field. TPN Health provides secure, high-quality streaming and on-demand access, allowing clinicians to participate in real time or watch the session at their convenience. With its comprehensive CE library and user-friendly interface, TPN Health ensures that this training is accessible to professionals wherever they are.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
FREE Recovery Community, 2122 South Lafayette Street, Denver, United States
USD 0.00
