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BODRUM MUNICIPALITY HOLDS SEMINAR IN BİTEZ ON FAMILY ROLES IN ADDICTION

22.04.2026

Bodrum Municipality’s Directorate of Women and Family Services organised an interactive seminar at the Bitez Women’s Life Centre on family structure and roles in addiction.

Held on Tuesday 21 April as part of the directorate’s workshop programme, the seminar was attended by members of the Bitez Women’s Neighbourhood Assembly, participants from the Bitez Women’s Life Centre courses, and local residents. Director of Women and Family Services K. Gözde Çakıroğlu and members of the directorate’s staff were also present.

The seminar was delivered on a voluntary basis by Nermin Wood, a psychologist, behaviour and addiction therapist, who holds a major in Psychology from Saint Leo University, a minor in Criminal Justice, and specialist training in Alcohol and Drug Studies and Chemical Dependency from Rutgers University.

During the session, Wood drew attention to the roles often assumed by individuals and children within families affected by addiction, noting that these patterns can, often unknowingly, become part of a structure that sustains addiction. She stressed the importance of addressing the issue in a multi-layered way and said the aim was to create an interactive setting shaped not only by theory but also by participants’ own experiences.

The seminar covered a range of issues, including the rise in peer bullying, parental approaches to children, and the foundations of healthy communication. Using the question, “Are we friends with our children, or are we parents?”, the discussion also examined boundaries within family life. The contribution of a sound understanding of discipline to children’s sense of security was explained through examples from around the world.

The programme also underlined that alcohol and substance dependency is not simply a matter of willpower, and highlighted the importance of self-awareness in recovery as well as the role of self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Participants contributed actively throughout the seminar by sharing their own views and experiences. The event concluded with a question-and-answer session.

Following the seminar, K. Gözde Çakıroğlu said that awareness-raising and educational work for women would continue, and thanked Nermin Wood for her valuable contribution.