We’ve been socialized to think of addiction or harmful use of alcohol, drugs and other compulsive behaviours in a whole lot of stigmatizing ways.  In fact, most addiction is the brain’s best attempt at providing relief from the suffering of that comes from experiencing trauma, mental health problems, grief and pain.

If you’re concerned about an addiction, I provide a non-judgmental, supportive space of self-discovery.  I’m not going to tell you that you have to makes changes in any certain way, I’m going to meet you where you are at in your own process.  Addiction therapy often starts with examining the behaviour and looking at what benefit you get from it.  Change looks different for every person but we’ll start with minimizing the harmful consequences of your behaviour so you can start to have more control over your life.  Deeper therapeutic work often means looking at those underlying hurts and beginning to resolve past traumas when you are ready to do this.

Overcoming addiction means teaching your brain how to do things differently.  We’ll explore more effective coping strategies for coping with triggers and stressors, so you can feel more confident in making changes and possibly letting go of the harmful behaviours that are keeping you stuck.

Sometimes, more intensive treatment is required, especially if you have a goal of abstinence and are having a hard time achieving a stretch of sobriety.  I can help you decide if a residential treatment program might be the right choice for you.

If you’ve already completed a residential or day treatment program, you may be seeking support for maintaining the changes you’ve already made or relapse prevention.  Regular individual sessions provide accountability and increase your ability to be successful in overcoming your addiction.

Loving someone with an addiction is heart-wrenching.  You likely feel powerless and consumed by your loved one’s behaviour.  Therapy can help you support the person you love but also set appropriate boundaries and take good care of yourself.