Addiction

Has life become unmanageable?

Do you need help figuring out how bad the problem is?

Totally normal!

The cornerstone of addiction is dealing with increasing unmanageability in your life.

So, together, we’ll determine how unmanageable things really are.

Wherever you are in your journey…

You don’t have to figure it out on your own.

Maybe this is a new problem or something you’ve been dealing with for a long time.

Maybe you see alcohol as the problem but want to continue smoking weed.

Or maybe you want to stop using cocaine and continue drinking.

You could be interested in 12-step programs or hate them.

Wherever you are… it’s all good. We’ll figure it out together.

Do I have an addiction?

You’re the only one who can really make that decision.

I can tell you what’s in the fancy diagnostic book, but it won’t matter unless you think your behavior is a problem and you want to change.

Ask yourself: “Is what I’m using to comfort myself allowing me to live the life I want to live? How much is it getting in my way?”

Your answer matters more than anything in a book.

Be honest with yourself.

Since it’s your decision that will determine what help you choose to seek, tell yourself the truth.

Really think about it…

What would your life look like without alcohol and/or drugs?

Do you sleep peacefully at night knowing you feel comfortable with who you are and how you’re living your life?

People say I need help.

A lot of people feel the need to get help when they realize their choices are impacting those they love.

Do you have a loved one who thinks you have a problem? Is that making it hard to have a good relationship with that person?

You can use their caring and concern to motivate you to look more closely at what’s going on.

Are we just talking about substances?

Nope. You can be addicted to all sorts of stuff.

Shopping, gambling…

Love, sex…

Food, exercise…

The list really could go on and on!

What does therapy for addiction look like?

There is tons of information to learn and talk about. Even if you already know the information, we’ll figure out how it all applies to you specifically.

Let’s work together…

We’ll explore triggers, cross-addiction, relapse prevention, harm-reduction, available resources and more.

We’ll identify your motivations, strengths, and challenges.

We’ll construct a plan of action just for you.

Addiction is a symptom…

… of an underlying issue. We self-medicate to deal with deeper issues.

And, often, along the way, we develop addictions.

If you decide to stop drinking/gambling/using drugs/etc., it won’t stick until we figure out what started fueling the fire in the first place.

Very often, seeking recovery invites dealing with past traumas.

Most people engaging in addictive behaviors also struggle with things like anxiety and depression, so we’ll be looking at those, too.

Are you going to try to make me get sober?

Nope. That’s up to you.

I’ll talk with you about options, and we’ll process your thoughts about each of them.

Recovery is a personal choice. It’s usually not sustainable if you’re doing for someone else.

Is this a 12-step program?

Twelve-step programs are great for some people. If it feels like a useful part of your journey, we’ll incorporate it into the work we do.

Not interested? No problem.

It turns out that many different therapeutic approaches match the work you’d be doing in 12-step programs anyway.

Different 12-step steps incorporate cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic explorations of the past, mindfulness, improving communication skills, healing your relationships, your own personal spiritual wanderings, and existential work to discover your individual sense of meaning and purpose in life.

You can pick and choose what’s important and resonates with you. I’ll help you sort through it all so that you’ll feel comfortable throughout the process.

How do you know what I’ll need?

If treating addiction isn’t a concrete step-by-step process, how do you know what I’ll need?

I’ve experienced a lot of addiction, both personally and professionally. So, I’m not just telling you something I learned in a class or from a book.

I’ve worked with…

Teens caught with marijuana and mandated to attend treatment.

Young adults in detox and residential facilities.

High-functioning adults dealing with addiction.

People who really want to be in recovery… and people who recognize there’s a problem but have no interest in recovery.

Partners and family members of those with addictions.

I’ve even worked as the Clinical Director of a substance abuse treatment facility.

No blame and no fault.

I don’t believe anyone is to blame.

We develop in family systems and social systems. Our behaviors evolve over time from our genetics and unique experiences.

I don’t think it’s your fault.

I do, however, believe that you are accountable for the choices you make from this point forward.

You can change.

You can change from being dependent on something outside of yourself…

… to being empowered by what’s inside of you.