Addiction Therapists in Westlock, AB.

Addiction is the constant need to use certain substances or engage in particular behaviours. It isn’t limited to substance use (drugs and alcohol); addiction can also show up as impulse control (gambling, self-harming, kleptomania, pyromania) and behavioural (internet, pornography, sex, video games, working, exercising, shopping, food). An activity or substance becomes an addiction when you use it to avoid or deal with activities, emotions or thoughts. Once you stop or slow down, the withdrawal symptoms begin. These Symptoms Can Present Physically and Psychological symptoms. Our specialists will help you move through this towards long term sustainable function.

Jennifer believes in the value of 12-step programs, due to their high success rate and popularity worldwide. She also believes, however, that often more issues need to be dealt with that are not treated in 12-Step programs, for clients to see long lasting success. If you have completed, and/or are currently a part of a 12-Step program, but feel you would benefit from working through some additional issues in therapy, Jennifer would be a good fit.

[I OFFER VIDEO SESSIONS THROUGHOUT ALBERTA AND ONTARIO]. I know what it is like to be an addict. I have been in recovery from my addiction for several years now. I am also an international expert in this field. My American textbook called “Addictions Counseling Today: Substances and Addictive Behaviors” was published recently. I have been a practicing psychologist since 1986. If you need a competent psychologist, book now at https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=14249112

I have advanced training in the assessment of addictions. In order to have any success with addictions counselling there has to be some level of commitment to deal with the discomfort of giving up or at least reducing the addiction. Family and relationships are core to the success of the counselling. Addictions are powerful coping techniques that don't really work. Dealing with addictions means dealing with the pain and past hurts that have not healed or been properly dealt with. Any successful additions therapy means diving deeply into ones life and the beliefs one has developed over a whole lifetime. Connecting to a deeper spiritual set of values can be a tremendous help and support

Addictions can appear in many forms including substance addictions, internet addiction, sex addiction, gambling addiction, shopping addiction, pornography, social media, excessive exercise, food, etc. Strong cravings with a loss of control can lead people to become addicted in spite of possible dire consequences. Counselling is one of several possible treatments available for addictions. Individual, group and family therapies have been found to be helpful in order to inform a client regarding the harmful effects the addiction may have on themselves, their friends, family and society. Promoting physical, emotional and spiritual well being is often critical for the rehabilitation process.

Addictions are not problems, they are bad solutions. We always need to find the underlying problems and find effective solutions for them before we can let go of the stop-gap solution - whether the addiction is to a substance, a person, or an activity such as sex or gambling. There is always fear and pain underlying the addiction. We must learn to accept these feelings in order to free ourselves.

Addictions come in a variety of forms such as alcohol and drugs, pornography, media, the internet, sex and sexual intimacy, relationships, and many others. What is common to all types of addiction is the negative impact such patterns can have on our lives, our loved ones, and things we hold dear in life. If you are caught in the chains of addiction and find yourself unable to break free, I can help you. I want to give you the power to walk down the path of recovery and to mend the damage that addiction has created in your life. In therapy we will invest the time and energy to discover what has led to addiction for you, and use proven methods to resolve the sources of addiction.

Ready for change? In your life, relationships, and with yourself ? Change begins with you. Exploring how your addiction has influenced your life and imagining how your life can be by rewriting your relationship with addiction. Our lives and our pathways are not written in stone. When we tell our stories in ways that can make us stronger, we can discover - we are not the problem - the problem is the problem. When we separate ourselves from the problem, we can begin to revise our relationships with problems and gain new insight into different ways we can live our lives. I can help you discover ways to reclaim your past and re-envision your future and change your relationship with addiction.

Our Therapists at Rivers Edge Counselling can help you to • Find the cause of your addiction and manage it effectively • Learn how addiction works and take necessary steps to reduce it • Control emotions and quit unhealthy habits • Coping with the stages of change • Understanding your own self and develop self esteem • Develop skills to understand your addiction

Addiction is often the surface problem, it's a way of staying away from a greater pain that is below the surface. Doing addiction counselling with me is a gentle and compassionate process of tending to the real issues below the addiction, so that there is no longer a need to engage in this harmful behaviour. When you pull out the roots of a weed, the weed will not grow back, and real change has been achieved!

In working with addiction in counselling, I first start by developing a trusting and safe environment for clients to explore their concerns. I then help clients develop psychological flexibility and self-compassion when exploring and processing their issues related to addiction. Gordon Alan Marlatt's model of relapse prevention informs my approach (i.e., relapses are to be expected).