Mark has a pretty interesting story to tell. Earlier in life, he was an international drug smuggler, an addict of 17 years, homeless, and has spent time locked up in a Spanish prison.

Now, he is a leading addiction psychotherapist at Harley Street Clinic in London, a bestselling author of two books, a family-man, and a sought after speaker and teacher on working with addiction. His work has attracted praise from the likes of Russell Brand and Ross Kemp, and he has been featured on BBC, the Daily Record and numerous other news outlets.

In this interview, we explore:

— Mark’s background and his journey to recovery

— Common myths surrounding addiction

— The root causes of addiction

— Mark’s 5-step framework for working with addiction in psychotherapy

And more.

Mark will be presenting on Schema Therapy & Addiction at our forthcoming Day on Addiction Online Conference on September 25th, 2022. The other speakers will be Dr Anna Lembke, who will give a talk on Dopamine and Addiction, and Professor Marc Lewis will present on Internal Family Systems and Addiction.

---

Mark Dempster is a Harley Street Addiction Specialist, author, and former addict. In his younger years, he was addicted to alcohol and drugs, which eventually led to him smuggling, dealing, prison and homelessness. After turning things around in his thirties, he is on a mission to help others recover from addictions and flourish in their lives. He is the author of two books on addiction: Nothing to Declare and The Ongoing Path. You can learn more about Mark’s work at www.markdempstercounselling.com, and follow him on Twitter @mdcounselling.

---

Interview Links:

— Reinventing Your Life - Dr Jeffrey Young: https://amzn.to/3cfen2F

— Mark’s books: http://markdempstercounselling.com/book