Notes that the problems that practitioners face in working with drug and alcohol misusers are rarely straightforward and clear. Dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty are part of the practitioner's role in working with substance misusers. The traditional method of teaching and learning, to overcome the dichotomy between theory and practice, is somewhat limited. There is a need to look beyond the traditional approaches of teaching and learning activities. This paper describes an attempt to provide a kind of learning strategy, using the critical incident technique, to make meaningful links between theory and work practice in the addiction field.