This course will be delivered both online AND in person at 5 The Old Laundry, Battersea, London SW11 1YF. 9.30am start and finish at 5.30pm with breaks for lunch and tea! all times are GMT. You can come in person, join online, or do a mix. The training is recorded.
A seven-day training exploring addiction, anxiety, trauma, emotional regulation, recovery and the possibility of profound personal change.
This is a week for understanding the addictive personality from the inside out but…
Not as a diagnosis, moral failing, or as something to be shamed, ‘fixed’ or hidden.
Addiction, anxiety, disorders of various kinds… they are a robust and intelligent set of behaviours, beliefs and survival strategies that were created in response to life.
Over seven days, I will guide you through a powerful exploration of what leads to the anxious and addictive nature, how it lives in the body and nervous system, and what it takes to move beyond the patterns that once helped you survive but may now keep you stuck.
This is a week of lecture, yoga, breathwork, group process, reflection and practice.
It is open to anyone interested in addiction, recovery, trauma, shame, anxiety, emotional regulation and the path towards greater freedom.
It is also open as a specialist training for yoga teachers and practitioners who want to understand how to support addiction and recovery through embodied practice.
The addictive personality is not (only) about substances
Addiction is often spoken about through the lens of substances: alcohol, drugs, food, sugar, sex, work, money, phones, shopping, chaos.
But the addictive personality is not only about what you do but also what happens inside you before you do it.
That may involve overwhelm, anxiety, shame. The hunger for escape. The hatred of how you feel. The inability to stay present. The collapse into old behaviours.
The need to change the state you are in, quickly.
This training explores addiction as a deeply embodied, emotional, psychological and spiritual pattern.
It asks:
What happened to you?
What did you do with what happened to you?
What beliefs did you build?
What behaviours became your armour?
What does your nervous system now expect from the world?
And what might it mean to live differently?
Here is the new Pdf for the 2026 workshop. Click on the picture above and you can view, read and download a copy of the 2026 course information.
Disorders, shame and the bigger picture
We will also look at how disorders play into the bigger picture of addiction, anxiety and recovery.
A disorder can be a diagnosis, but it can also be a language for suffering. It can help you understand yourself and help you find support. It can bring relief, recognition and a sense that you are not simply “bad”, “mad”, “weak” or “too much”.
And yet, in this work, we will also ask an important question:
What is the disorder doing for you?
How has it helped you feel safer?
How has it helped you organise the chaos?
How has it protected you from feeling something unbearable?
So many disorders are rooted in the hatred of how you feel.
And when you hate how you feel, you will usually find a way to get away from yourself. That may be through substances, food, sex, work, control, drama, withdrawal, self-attack, compulsive thinking, collapse or endless busyness. It may also be through a disorder that becomes part of how you understand yourself and how you stay safe.
This is not about blaming you for your disorder, or taking away the reality of what you live with. It is about becoming curious about the part it has played in your survival. If a disorder becomes the whole story, it can also become a place to hide and the explanation for everything, while the shame underneath remains untouched.
In this training, we will explore disorders with compassion, honesty and care. We will look at how they connect to shame, stress, trauma, the nervous system and the addictive personality. We will ask what they have protected, what they have cost, and what might become possible when you no longer need to organise your life around hating how you feel.
The tattoos
Each day of the training is built around a metaphorical “tattoo”: a phrase, teaching or piece of lived wisdom that becomes part of the work.
These include:
“No mud, no lotus”
“There are no dinosaurs”
“Hell is your resistance”
These teachings form the backbone of the week.
They are not slogans. They are ways in.
Ways into the body.
Ways into the nervous system.
Ways into the addictive mind.
Ways into the stories you have told yourself about who you are and what is possible for you.
The training moves gradually from understanding the formation of the anxious and addictive nature, into recognising the behaviours and belief systems that keep it alive, and then into building a practical, long-term recovery plan.
What the week includes
Across the seven days, I will teach through a mixture of lecture, discussion, embodied practice, group work and reflection.
The week includes:
Addiction and the anxious self
Understanding how anxiety, trauma, shame and emotional overwhelm shape addictive patterns.
The nervous system and emotional regulation
Applied teaching on the vagus nerve, the limbic system, stress hormones, fascia and the muscles involved in stress responses.
The body in survival mode
Exploring fight, flight, freeze, fawn… collapse and the embodied patterns that keep us organised around fear, control and protection.
The addictive mind
Looking at compulsion, repetition, self-sabotage, acting out, resistance and the stories that keep addictive patterns in place.
Disorders and the hatred of how you feel
Understanding disorders not only as labels, but as ways the psyche and body attempt to create safety around shame, trauma, fear and emotional overwhelm.
Shame and self-attack
Understanding shame as one of the hidden organising forces in addiction, anxiety and disconnection.
Breathwork and yoga as tools for recovery
A full yoga class each day, alongside breathwork and embodied practices that support emotional regulation, presence and self-awareness.
Boundaries, self-parenting and responsibility
Developing the internal structures needed for recovery, steadiness and change.
Spiritual practice, ritual and ceremony
Exploring what can replace acting out, collapse and compulsion with meaning, presence, repetition and reverence.
The recovery plan
Over the course of the week, you will build a personal toolbox for long-term recovery, relapse prevention and continued practice.
A personal week, but not a confessional one
This is a deeply personal training, but it is not a requirement to share traumatic stories.
I hold a space that invites honesty, reflection and openness without pushing people into disclosure.
There is group work throughout the week, but the focus is on insight, practice, regulation and integration.
You will be invited to look clearly at your own patterns: where they came from, how they function, and what they have cost you. You will also be supported to build new ways of meeting yourself, your nervous system and the world.
The role of yoga and breathwork
Yoga and breathwork are woven through the week as practical tools for recovery.
There is a full yoga class each day. These classes are not separate from the teaching; they are part of the learning.
The body is where anxiety, trauma and addiction are held. It is also where regulation, presence and change become possible.
Through yoga, breathwork and embodied practice, you will explore how to work with the nervous system rather than against it. You will begin to understand how movement, breath, attention and intention can support recovery from the inside out.
You do not need to be a yoga practitioner to attend.
Who this training is for
This training is for you if you are interested in addiction, recovery, anxiety, trauma, shame, emotional regulation and the possibility of change.
You may be:
In recovery
Sober curious
Working with addictive patterns
Living with anxiety or emotional overwhelm
Interested in trauma and the nervous system
A therapist, coach or practitioner
A yoga teacher or trainee teacher
Working in recovery, mental health or group settings
Looking for a deeper understanding of yourself
Seeking tools for long-term emotional and spiritual steadiness
You do not need to identify as an addict to benefit from this training.
The addictive personality is not only found in substance misuse. It can show up in work, relationships, food, sex, phones, shopping, achievement, drama, avoidance, control and self-attack.
This week is for anyone ready to understand those patterns more deeply.
For yoga teachers and practitioners
This training remains open as a specialist yoga teacher training.
If you are already a qualified yoga teacher, you may take the exam after attending all seven days. Upon passing, you will be certified to teach Mastering the Addictive Personality classes in settings such as prisons, rehabs, halfway houses, yoga centres and community spaces.
If you are not yet a qualified yoga teacher, you are still welcome to attend the training. You may go on to complete a foundation teacher training in your chosen form of yoga and then take the exam at a later date.
Certification is based on full attendance and the passing of the exam.
Please note: you do not need to be pursuing certification in order to attend. Many people come to this training for their own personal development, recovery, learning and practice.
The path out of hell
Hell, in this work, is not a place.
It is the state of being trapped in the same pattern while knowing it is costing you your freedom.
It is the resistance to what is true.
The fight with your own feelings.
The shame that says you are beyond help.
The compulsion to do the thing again.
The belief that nothing can change.
This training is called The Path Out of Hell because it offers a way to begin walking out.
Not by pretending the past did not happen.
Not by shaming yourself into being better.
Not by controlling everything more tightly.
By the end of this training, you will have a deep understanding the body, the nervous system, the addictive mind and the spiritual work of recovery.
This is a week of practice, learning, honesty and change.
It is challenging. It is compassionate. It is practical. It is profound.
And for many people, it is life-changing.
Certification is based upon the passing of an exam and attendance of all days. If you are not already a trained yoga teacher, you can go on to do a foundation teacher training in your chosen form of yoga, and then take the exam. Upon passing your exam, you will be certified to teach Mastering the Addictive Personality yoga classes in prisons, rehabs, halfway houses and yoga centres.
The cost of this training is £1500 and starts on the 7th of November 2026
We are pleased to be able to offer instalment options for this training. Each instalment is £750
Instalment One
Instalment Two
Refunds & Cancellations: a full refund will be given if you cannot attend and if you let us know two weeks prior to the start of the workshop. There is a 50% retention fee if you cancel one week prior to the start and after that time no refunds will be issued.
Feedback from the most recent course:
As a psychotherapist, ‘Mastering the Addictive Personality’ workshop is, without doubt, one of the most valuable investments I have made, both personally and professionally. What I experienced over the seven day course was truly transformative.
Carolyn has created something profound and powerful. The workshop provides deep, practical insights and tools that create real change. Following the course, I have gained a clearer understanding of myself and my behaviours, but most importantly, I have a plan and a new path to walk that is clear, beautiful and forever available to me. Equally valuable is the impact the course has had on my work as a therapist. The insights I have gained are already enhancing my client work noticeably. Having completed years of psychotherapy training, this course is, without doubt, the one that has had the deepest impact and given me the clearest understanding and tools for my client work.
If you’re wondering whether this workshop is right for you, I cannot recommend this extraordinarily special workshop highly enough, you will not regret it. Thank you, Carolyn, for the magical alchemy you so generously share.
Carolyn Cowan is a phenomenon and MAP is by far the best of the many wonderful courses I have been on over many years. Carolyn’s kindness, wisdom and astounding level of expertise in the two very different but complimentary disciplines of psychotherapy and kundalini yoga both gave me the missing piece of the puzzle behind my own destructive habits along with as truly potent a set of tools to regain control over my own well being as I could have ever hoped for. I have no hesitation in recommending this superbly effective course to anyone, whether looking for a path out of hell, deepen their own loving connection with themselves and the world or simply enjoy life even more.
There is much I could write about the Mastering Addictive Personality however I think the most important testimonial I could write is to say that finally after a lifetime of addiction to food and sugar I left the course feeling I have the tools and agency to make the changes I want and need and that is still the case a month afterwards. Dr H, Clinical Psychologist
I signed up for the MAP course as a yoga teacher , I wanted to take my breath work deeper and gain more experience by a highly respected Yoga Teacher.
I did not have any experience of the classes , I started following Carolyn on Instagram and quickly realised I had signed up for more than just a breath work course.
The course started to intrigue me and I wondered how it was going to feel actually having therapy as part of the weeks learning.
I was subconsciously getting more excited to be able to deal with my own tall dark history .
I have to say Carolyn is an absolutely brilliant Teacher & Therapist & the most honest open human being.
I quickly felt comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and felt totally safe and able to deal with my own experiences.
Carolyn holds the space, the group, and the journey expertly, and seamlessly. The depth of her knowledge is impressive as is her willingness to share the fruits of her own journey in order to help heal others. Over the course of the week, the programme’s contents pack a real punch. Alongside the rollercoaster ride of discomfort and clarity, laughter and tears, love and hatred, clear lines are drawn from the outset which enables the process of taking responsibility for our own tall dark stories without the need to reveal their contents. A safe space. Like so much during the week, a lot of what feels counter-intuitive initially, slowly begins to make sense and slot into place. Ultimately, I felt a huge amount of relief and reassurance at finally having my hell validated after years and years of trying and failing to make sense of it all. For me, this 7-day intensive course (and it really is intense) has delivered on its promise of providing me with the tools to forge a path out of my hell. Through the power of the group as well as a strong desire to show up for myself, the path is clear and imbued with candlelight, incense, music, love, and laughter. Otherwise known as hope. Gently, kindly, and slowly, the real journey starts now. With lashings of gratitude – thank you!
This MAP course is modern science delivered as an art form.. it is an art to learn to transform one’s internal neural and body chemistry to change one’s body and in turn one’s mind.
Ground breaking. Revolutionary. Life changing. Extra-ordinary.
I have just completed Carolyn’s course Mastering the Addictive Personality: A Path out of Hell and I cannot recommend both her and the course highly enough. Having suffered with depression and severe anxiety for most of my life (self-medicating with alcohol and drugs) it was suggested I try this course by a very good friend. I undertook it in a purely personal capacity with no intention of being a yoga teacher especially given that I had never practised yoga before in my life! I’ve got to say I was pretty nervous not really knowing what to expect. On day one Carolyn immediately made me feel welcomed and at ease. She quickly allayed any fears I had of being new to yoga with her clear and kind explanations and attitude. Carolyn is excellent at holding of a room (in this case approx. 20 people) of strangers and ensuring everyone feels safe and secure. The week was a really good balance of lectures, group work and yoga. Carolyn is a fantastic teacher, informative, funny, engaging and wickedly sharp. As the week progressed there developed a genuine bond between all of us participating, again, facilitated by Carolyn’s years of experience. I learnt so much, both on an intellectual and personal level, and have come away with a huge toolbox of practical skills to take forward in life. A cliché I know, but the experience was definitely life changing for me. Thank you so much Carolyn and I hope our paths cross in the future.
The MAP course was a journey that has taught me more about myself than I have learnt in the past 10 years of therapy and other various treatments. Carolyn holds the room so well that I never felt like I was losing concentration or interest. I have now so much knowledge of what I need to work on and also soooo much information about how much my anxiety is held in my body and the tools to release it. It was also such a gift to meet people on the course and go through the experience together. I will definitely be coming back to the future workshops.
This training is life-changing and powerful! This in-depth week equipped me with new practical tools for recovery, greater awareness of my behaviours and greater compassion towards myself and others. Carolyn is an embodied and generous teacher who is on a mission to alleviate suffering. She holds a kind, engaging and safe space and brings great humour to her work, as well as attracting really lovely people to the group! Carolyn distils complex psycho-therapeutic concepts into simple and digestible pieces and offers tried and tested tools for recovery that really work. The most powerful thing about this training is how experiential it is, we practice what we learn immediately and are invited to take ownership of ourselves along the way. I walked away feeling empowered, incredibly privileged to have access to such groundbreaking teachings and stronger. Do this course if you want to learn how to experience yourself differently.
I want to say how much I enjoyed the course. I was worried that zoom could be a bit of a barrier, I am dyslexic. But you held the space amazingly I was engaged the whole seven days and did not get bored or switch off. The course has been life changing for myself the knowledge and personal understanding I now have is down to Caroylyn. Her passion and knowledge, sense of humor and openness was great kept me engaged. I have gained so much for my work in addiction. Highly recommend this course.
I am not sure words could do justice to just how transformative this course has been. The level of depth and structure to the course was astounding and Carolyn led us in an intelligent, clear and most of all- compassionate way. I finished with so much more awareness. This has helped me understand my addictive behaviours in a forgiving and empowered light. I have found this experience truly life changing and it has given me a firm foundation on which to take the next step of the journey- in excitement rather than fear. If you are considering this course – know you are in good hands. The discussions were thought provoking and it was an honour to be learning alongside such an engaging people on the course. Its been profound for my recovery and the shift in my mindset is being felt not only by myself, but also in the lives of those around me. I have left with skills for life, a sense of relief and excitement for what the future holds. Having a deeper understanding into the roots of addiction and how I can begin to live in the now has opened up so much space. I feel renewed and lighter in my being. I suppose the word I am looking for is gratitude- for the past, the present and ultimately Carolyns course. This has been one of the greatest investments I’ve ever made. Thank you.
I wanted to sit down and write to thank you for the most powerful workshop last week – it was incredibly moving, and it has taken me several days to simply process the impact that it has had on me. I have been rereading my notes, and they resonate so much with how I feel, especially during this time of lockdown. Understanding and learning about my behaviours is very empowering. It is difficult to explain to family the impact of the week – but I could feel the energy shift by the end of the 7 days at the checkout and listening to the heartfelt comments of others.
It was a privilege to meet the other people on the course, the groups worked really well – everyone was so considerate and gentle.
I am so impressed with how you held the group for 7 days, through some tricky discussions and topics – and even when these topics were triggering, I felt ‘safe enough’ through your understanding and allowing us to stretch, breathe and showing us we can cope with our tall, dark histories.
Thank you for running this workshop, and your ability to manage this on zoom is astounding.
For me, the most striking element of all I have taken from the training is how much it has inspired me as a teacher. We went in such depth into the teaching skills, the nuances inherent in teaching people who are moving through anxiety and addiction. I now feel very empowered to take steps toward creating classes and workshops that will really help people who are suffering.
I think that is what many teachers strive for – to be able to signpost people, kindly, on the path out of hell. So many of us know that yoga has really helped us on our own journeys through our tall dark histories, but, until we do this training, we are not equipped with enough depth of knowledge of the ‘why’ and ‘how’ it helped us to activate ourselves to share it on in a way that feels safe, kind and specific to the needs of our clients. Now I really do feel activated… to do all of that and more. I feel like a better teacher.
Doing the training on Zoom is just amazing. I really love the intimacy it creates. That group conversations feel so private. The space you hold is very strong. Always kind and funny but also with a constant sense that safety is implicit and the weight and importance of the subject matter shown consistent respect. I wish I could do it again this week because it felt like waking up on Christmas morning every day for 7 days. To observe the journey of everyone else on the training through the week is such a beautiful and humbling thing and, as is always the case with your offerings, this training attracted a truly fabulous and fascinating group of people who were a joy to get to know and spend time with.
Carolyn kindly, gently and softly guided us through what can only be described as a life changing week. She helped us plant the seed of transformation for a better future. One filled with forgiveness for the past and with the knowledge in what has made us who we are. This week has held up a mirror to all that I am, and with the incredible guidance and wisdom from Carolyn, I have been able to meet myself at myself. Finishing this course, I am left with an abundant amount of resources and tools to help regulate and support myself with triggers that may arise. She has helped me finally see my past as my gold which can be the shining light for my future.’
This course invites you to look honestly at what you are doing, how you aren’t supporting yourself and gives you the option and skills to live a meaningful life of your choosing rather one that may have been chosen for you. You will be given the option to ‘take yourself on’!
None of the tools taught by Carolyn require a ‘buy in’ to a particular faith, dogma or cult of thought; instead everything shared is rooted in understanding, choice, self-parenting, self-forgiveness and self-love.
I found over the past 7 days I was in a sometimes uncomfortable but strongly held space, despite being on Zoom, with other group members where I felt understood and safe to explore the parts of myself I don’t choose to look at if I can help it. The group-work was always well managed and I was so fortunate to work with people who are also looking for change and are committed to doing their work. I have attended many yoga teacher trainings and found the safety and intimacy created in the on-line break out rooms to be as effective if not more so. It seemed easier to speak more openly here and I felt safe to be more honest from the safety of my own home.
Carolyn shares a phenomenal amount of knowledge from other thought leaders in the fields of addiction, relationships, mindfulness, trauma, plant medicine (there were more!) and together with her own personal experience weaves together a course and manual where she invites you to live life differently. The tools are as always reassuringly practical; yoga and breath practices that will bring immediate relief and are ultimately a path to transformation. The online zoom teaching was as good as classroom teaching with prompts for adjustments when needed.
Learning that body/eating disorders are safety mechanisms, signs of shame, sadness and hurt really helped me to move so much of my own shame at behaviours that I have always thought that on some level were a choice or my fault and brought me to feel an overwhelming love for those in my life who were doing the best they could with what they had.
This course will change the life of those who are addicted to substances & to those of us who are living in a constant state of panic and anxiety. The tools will help those living a life that is not what they had hoped for but can’t quite see a way through. It will offer a framework to those who struggle with repeated patterns of thought and behaviour ,where change seems impossible and not worth any more effort.
This course was more than I could have hoped for, I was gifted many personal breakthrough moments from the safety of my own home and I am truly grateful to Carolyn and to all of those who worked openly, honestly and kindly. I have been shown a way out of hurt and given an opportunity to reset. I can choose each day to start over and move into a life of slow, steady dedication and love to not only my own health and happiness but to those who share my life.
As someone with a history of an eating disorder, I came to Mastering The Addictive Personality with behaviours and thinking I now realise were rooted in the idea that I have a disease. My self-loathing about this was unacknowledged; to the outside world I have always done everything in my power to appear perfectly presentable and regulated, so it really took me by surprise to wake up one morning half way through the training and think ‘Wow, I really do think I am a piece of shit who deserves nothing.’ It may not sound like it, but this was a massive, positive, breakthrough for me because Carolyn’s teaching on MAP had got me to a place where I was finally safe to have that thought and be able acknowledge it with no shame. Knowing I can move forward from that place, that thought, safely and with masses of tools is invaluable. Beyond MAP is where the magic can begin to happen because until I got here, all I had been doing in all of my inner work and all of the therapy I’d had was sanding away the most recent outer layer of varnish that had begun to chip away only to recoat it again with a fresh, thicker, layer. Mastering The Addictive Personality penetrated deeper, took the varnish away entirely, reframing my thinking about not only why I have hopped from one disorder or addiction to another for my entire life but, most importantly, how being free from my own hell can be achieved gently, imperfectly, and in each present moment. Within a week I have acknowledged a disconnect from my physical body I hadn’t quite come to terms with, and deepened my awareness of how I can come back to connection. I’ve found a new support system. I have had hundreds of ‘aha’ moments and joined many dots that previously felt that they existed as the eyes of needles in haystacks that were each in entirely different universes. Now they are all joined up and very much on the same planet as me. I’ve realised that what I can offer myself to live the life I want to is more vast and expansive than my own small circle of hell could ever hope to be.
Thank you again for a wonderful course. The mixture of learning and personal growth was exceptional and the way you facilitated and orchestrated the process was very, very powerful. To be able to lead people safely outside of their comfort zone and support them to find their own way back with minimum prior practice of using the tools was impressive to be part of and to watch. I really noticed and felt transformation happening over the week for myself and others. I think the mix of teaching approaches worked very well, information shared verbally, visually, in diagrams, in groups, shared and through questions and feedback, alongside the experienced and embodied work led to maximum learning and growth, in my opinion.
Although deep down I think that suffering from anorexia in my teens is why I unlimitedly ended up signing on to the course, there are so many layers of life on top of that period for me now that it was very interesting for me to go back there. It was a lot less raw and painful than I thought it might be and I am taking that as a good thing in terms of work already done. I did get a lot of new insights in to the why’s and how’s of both that period in my life and how it has shaped the rest of my adult life as well and was able to ‘breathe new life’ in to the potential for the ownership of this experience to become something more powerful and ultimately helpful in my own life and perhaps for others as well as great tools to help manage the me I have become. You asked specifically about ’the experience of the body as traumatising’ when suffering from an eating disorder. This is something I have not thought about for a very long time and fortunately, is no longer part of my experience of my self. However, it definitely was something I experienced. Retrospectively, for me, I think the experience of the body as traumatic was representative of the experience of finding that my emerging self of self as an embodied woman with a mind and body and soul, who is part of nature and part of womanhood was (and still is I think) completely rejected and ‘brutalised’ by western culture. For me I think there was, and still is, a big social and cultural aspect to my trauma body as well as some Karpman triangle and family or origin issues.
In my experience the thing that helped to (start to) heal that particular trauma at the time was learning to really trust my body and what it could do from movement and learning skills, to healing injuries, alternative medicines, crystals, tarot cards, meditation, yoga, the works really. That started 30 years ago and continues to this day. I think, for me, the embodied work that you do and the mind body approach that comes from that work is extremely effective for eating disorders. I am more than happy to answer specific questions on this area if you have them but I am not sure how ’typical’ my experiences are.
If you relate to the quote from Anne Lamott which says, “my mind is like a bad neighbourhood, I try not go there alone“ – then this course is the perfect place to Be. On this course I have been offered practical tools which really work, a wealth of information and the support of an amazing group of people. And then there’s there’s Carolyn – who facilitated the whole week with wisdom, knowledge, humour, balance, power, energy and Grace. It’s hard to find the right words to express the difference this course has made to me. It’s Alchemical. There’s another saying that when the student is ready the teacher appears. That’s how I have felt throughout this last week. I have massive gratitude to Carolyn and to all those who participated and also to myself because this course was the best and most precious gift I’ve given to myself for a long time.
Wow! What an intense and humbling journey I have been on. An addictive personality has been the bane of my life with food and alcohol being my demons. Carolyn Cowan is such a powerhouse of knowledge & experience, with a charismatic personality and an abundance of enthusiasm which shines through. A charismatic personality with a unique form of teaching which includes her personal experiences intermingled with theory – lots of it too. Her honest and funny, no nonsense approach coupled with set boundaries lends itself to a unique and enjoyable learning experience.
This on-line course, using Zoom as the platform, worked really well. It felt totally safe and within a teaching environment. The breakout rooms were an amazing experience, intimate and non threatening. A fab mixture of Carolyn teaching us, interactive Q&A sessions and different ways of asking questions e.g. privately or face to face.
Having a history of obesity (nearly all of my 57 years), binge eating and drinking, bulimia including vomiting and the use of laxatives plus body dysmorphia – to have this subject covered and learn and be able to discuss my issues in this safe environment was a life changing experience.
Daily yoga, pranayama and meditation, brought out so many emotions and experiences. Using Zoom meant that if you did have the desire to undertake the session ‘in private’ you could.
Included is the course book which is so full of information. Carolyn also shares a plethora of different information on line and throughout advises of books that are relevant to the subjects being covered.
I left the course with the feeling I now had a further 41 people in my life & a boxful of shiny new tools to guide me on my new journey in life. I am exhausted, exhilarated, humbled, grateful & totally in awe of this inspirational woman.
Signing up to managing the addictive personality course was a leap of trust but I am so grateful to myself for making it. Carolyn teaches with beautiful authenticity and authority, she holds a fabulous space within which we were safe enough to explore and expand our understanding of self, she gave us the tools and created the capacity within us for finding our inner power for transformational change. Absolutely no hesitation about recommending Zoom as a platform for the course. Carolyn is a master at creating online connections and making people feel able to contribute. The break out rooms created a beautiful space and cohesion between the group and we now have our own ready made support group to take us forward with our action plans
Most enlightening were the profound insights into my relationship between my past and my relationship with food and now feel ready and skilled to take on the changes I need to make.
If you are hesitating i encourage you to take a breath and take that leap
Wauw…. End of day 7 and I did not want to leave that room.
I am writing you this, just as we’ve closed space and said our goodbyes… They are not final those goodbyes, for I am certain, that we will meet in again in some way, shape or form.
This course has been exceedingly extraordinary. The way you have managed to create and facilitate a safe space on zoom is incredible and the breakout rooms as well as the main room have been full of trust and compassion.
I truely move into the next fase of my life a changed woman. So much more aware of who I am, and what gold I bring into the world. So much more in-tuned with my soul purpose and SO ready to self-parent.
The lecture you did on Eating Disorder was profound and with a true understanding of how it feels to have such a disintegrated and hostile relationship to the body. To my body. It gave me a different and deeper understanding of the behavioral and thought patterns I have had – which in turns gives me the power to take my power back.
I feel so at ease now, knowing that I will stop trying to fit in and be normal, and just be me with all that I am. I am worthy.
I CAN REGULATE AND I WILL REGULATE!
Thank you for everything you give and everything you are.
Carolyn holds a space to look at eating disorders and the traumatic relationship with the body in a way that I have never experienced before. I have a better understanding of how detached from my physical body I am due to my history of sexual trauma and how I have used bulimia to purge my feelings of shame and self disgust. I have a recovery plan in place of how I can combat this with my daily practice and the contract I will put in place with my therapist, so I can continue to heal and get well. This is a profound leap for me in my recovery as nobody in my life has been able to hold a space for me like this before. It feels empowering and I have hope for a better future with my relationship to my body and food.
If you’re looking for a tectonic shift in unpicking your stories and behaviours and managing your mind and mental health, this course is for you. Without sounding ridiculous this might be the most profound and positive gift I’ve ever given myself. Even if you don’t identify as an addict this course gives tremendous insight into the machinations of the mind and body and gives you the power to make better choices with your life.
Taking part in this course has been profoundly life changing. I’ve struggled with addiction and mental health problems all my life and having done various programmes- nothing quite compares to the wealth of knowledge, kindness and clarity I received on this course. To be able to understand what it is I am really dealing with and HOW I can actually improve my quality of life has been fantastically empowering- I am blown away and don’t want it to end! Doing it on Zoom has made it all the more personal for me, it was a level of honesty and healing that I don’t think my shame would have allowed me to explore as deeply in person. I’ve made a circle of wonderful friends to keep connected with too! My deepest gratitude to Carolyn for the work she does and how much she has changed my life in this extraordinarily difficult time we are living in. Carolyn delivers life changing content with such ease, clarity, kindness and she has the most brilliant sense of humour too- a true gem! I feel more comfortable to be myself and have less shame around my addictive personality and mental health issues. I am blown away at how much I have learned in just 7 days, which is the equivalent to what you would spend years in therapy for! To conclude- This course is a truly life changing experience and I am so full of hope for a better future and look forward to adulting more and turning my poison into nectar! “Shit happens the rest is what you do with it!”
This course puts so much into context – supported by a great manual but also experiential through exercises and engaging discussions in Breakout rooms, it offers incite and lightbulb moments.
All sorts of people can use this course, on a subject that reaches far and wide; the disruptive & sometimes destructive habits we form to keep our status quo – are gently explored and reviewed, with tools aplenty to aid an alternative path. Great breath and depth.
The course is insightful and gives an in-depth insight into the complexity of the human psyche. The best part is that you are given the tools to put into practice what you learn as you go along. Carolyn makes the content accessible and fun. If you want to learn more about yourself, improve the quality of your life, and mingle with like-minded people, don’t hesitate and sign up today!
Again, massive thanks for providing me with ways to carry out some proper analysis on how to gain clarity and improve myself and my relationship with others/the world. I think the trust thing is not only a great way to move from being childish, but also an amazing way to stop being black and white and impart some rationality towards others. The same with contracts and the fuck it button. Lots of logic here. I absolutely love logic and reason.
I have learned more about myself and my addictive personality in the last week than I have in the past 20 years of treatment centres, the rooms and therapy combined. Not only am I clearer on the roots of my issues but importantly I feel armed with tools and surrounded by a new-found community which will aid me on my path to recovery. As a teacher Carolyn is knowledgably, kind and funny in equal measure and creates the safest space in which to explore these challenging aspects of the self. I cannot recommend this course highly enough!
This course is taking me to places inside myself, which I have long neglected and which are in need of gentleness and love. The tools and wisdom shared both by you and the other participants have been profound and applicable. I’m surprised as to have far and how deep we’ve gone in just the first few days… It amazes me know exceptionally knowledgeable you are Carolyn! Truely an inspiration beyond words!
As a yoga teacher this course enables me to bring my teachings to a completely different level.
As a human being… this course is changing my life!
Thank you 🙏🏼
The MAP workshop proved to be an incredible journey and this seven-day experience is on my personal map as being pivotal in turning around my life. I feel I now have the knowledge and tools and a personal framework to overcome CPTSD, which has dominated my life too much. The Zoom experience presented an unexpected intimacy – especially in the Breakout Rooms – and because of the way Carolyn impressed upon us from the outset the necessity of confidentiality (as well as us all signing the NDA) we very quickly settled into respectfully discussing and sharing our thoughts on specific topics. I gained so much from the other participants as well as Carolyn’s clearly presented ‘lectures’, and also consolidated stuff I’d learnt previously via six and a half years of psychotherapy and elsewhere. There was plenty of time to ask questions. Support was there throughout from Carolyn privately if needed. Carolyn’s facilitating skills are outstanding – she has admirably strong boundaries and cohesively held together 40+ participants from all over the globe presenting a broad spectrum of addictions. We all came away with our own personal holistic recovery plans. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this online workshop to anyone who thinks they have an addictive personality, and particularly to anyone who suffers from CPTSD.
It was an extraordinary experience and I consider this training the best experience and investment this year. Carolyn shared enormous amount of knowledge, including her personal experiences. Zoom became the space to share feelings, stories and tears of joy. I can’t wait to sign up for another course!
The days were intense, but amazingly orchestrated by you. It was the right balance of lecture, breakout rooms, discussions. You supported us and gave us plenty of space for personal reflection and growth.
I took classes on zoom, but this was my first long workshop with breakout rooms and discussions amongst peers. The intimacy we created and the bonding that happened over the days are exceptional.
The course is very well structured with lots of content that was delivered in a way we could all follow.
I had a special interested in Eating Disorders as I have suffered from Bulimia for many years when I was younger. You explained the root cause for Eating disorders – from Anorexia, over Obesity to Orthoraxia etc and the effects this self harm has on the physical and emotional body. You inspired me not to be ashamed about it anymore and turn my hell into ‘Gold’. I cannot Thank you enough.
I am looking forward to the next course.
“Be warned, Carolyn pulls no punches. But what she does do is give, give, give: understanding, tools, wisdom, humour, beautiful and practical ways dig yourself out of your personal hell. I’ve found my spade and I’m gonna use it! An amazing and life changing week already, thank you.”
Having just completed the Addictive Personality course, it has taken me a few days to register my experience. I would say it’s essential learning for anyone wanting to find out more about their emotional history and what shapes are there every day lives. The course content is phenomenal, to the point, then the delivery is the icing on the cake. Carolyn is one of those teachers that’s engaging, caring and passionate about the subjects at hand. I have done a few trainings in yoga and breath, and Carolyn’s content manages to join the dots and glue everything together. Her experience as a trauma, sex therapist, translates. For anyone contemplating, do it. You won’t regret it and come out the other side with a new understanding of yourself.
This course was far more than I ever could have hoped for or expected. Carolyn is a force of life to be reckoned with and like a wise maestro, she leads you on an inward journey, unfolding her knowledge like a paper origami, one side at a time and at exactly the right pace so as not to leave you overwhelmed. Knowing exactly when to hold you tight but also when to let you go. After a week of lectures and group discussions covering not only some yoga series, but also anatomy, psychology, neurological reactions, prayer, affirmations, and much more, you slowly start to see yourself and understand certain behaviours as never before.
May you struggle with addiction, eating disorders, learning or behavioural difficulties, and find yourself at this point in time wondering if this course is for you. The answer is 100% yes.
This course was like an answer to the prayer I hadn’t managed to formulate yet, and it has left me profoundly changed. I find myself equipped with actual tools and techniques to be used on a daily basis, but also new hope and direction, all the whilst comforted by the knowledge that I am not alone, and that there was a perfectly reasonable explanation to the chaos I had experienced previously.In this case more than ever, knowledge truly is power, and I am forever grateful for Carolyn’s journey and her dedication to share it with such grace and humour with any student ready to take a leap of faith.
No matter your reasons for taking this course, you will finish with it far exceeding your hopes and expectations. You cannot understand the journey Carolyn takes you on until you are on it and at the end of it. I didn’t. No written description or video or even this review can truly explain to you the process you will go through internally. And that process is a beautiful thing.
There’s nothing to be afraid of and nor will your time or money be wasted.
This is not a course or a workshop. This is a journey of the self.
What I lost I have now found.
What I already had I have now built upon.
Carolyn’s disposition, intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, and background make her the essential teacher for personal growth. To the Moon and back.
Mastering The Addictive Personality – what a transformative week that was! Initially I attended the Teacher Training in order to add a couple more tools to my teachings, especially around anxiety. However, as someone coming from the background of a long-term eating disorder – I came out with so much more. Thank you Carolyn, I’ll definitely be back, your teachings are priceless.
The work shop was a glorious dive into the self exploration using the breath. The mix of experiential learning, break out groups to practice techniques and theory was very well balanced. My concerns about zoom were soon dispelled, Carolyn is a master at creating on line community and lots of opportunity for networking and sharing.
I really loved the course – and found that I could really connect with the rest of the group over zoom, much more than I expected I would. The breakout rooms were brilliant – felt quite intimate. I also felt like I connected with different people as a result of being in different breakout rooms each time.
