Addiction Therapists in Vancouver, BC.

A person with addiction usually goes straight from feelings into behaviour. And it is usually such an unbearable feeling that the person resorts to 'self-cure', i.e. substance abuse in order to bury it deep down inside. So after building trust, I carefully inquire about the painful events in the person's life. As alcohol and drug abuse is often sustained by denial, the client learns levels of discounting the problem (How am I lying to myself?). Often, clients will embrace alcohol/drugs because they have given up on people; sometimes, they don't know how to protect themselves from poisonous relationships: "discovering a 4-step approach to assertivity" can be of much help!

I am adept at support clients in finding the root of their addiction whether it be trauma or challenges with emotional regulation. Addictive behaviour always makes sense. Unfortunately, there is still so much shame, judgement and misunderstanding when it comes to addiction. I will help you make sense of your addictive behaviour and achieve freedom.

My approach to addiction is multi-faceted and individually focused. Exploring personal history and trauma and grieving losses are often elements, as is reconnecting with the body and its wisdom. In many cases, developing one's spirituality is central to healing. I provide a safe environment for exploring and listening to the range of feelings that have been avoided through the addiction so that reconnection with self is restored and one's deepest longings can be satisfied.

Recovery from addiction is often challenging, but with the right support it is within reach. EMDR, Internal Family Systems Therapy, Enneagram Theory, and CBT are all useful techniques that Molly might use to address root causes for addictive thought patterns and behaviors. Molly hopes to work with you on strengthening your motivation to create lasting, healthy change and find true fulfillment in life.

I will work with you in finding detox and treatment suited to your needs. I will work with you to address the underlying issues which may have contributed to the addiction, such as unhealed trauma and loss, broken attachments, relationship issues and family disruption. I work with adult children of alcoholics to address the impact of growing up in a family affected by addiction.

Addiction treatment is a challenging and ongoing process that requires a lot of support. What is often helpful for clients is using a CBT approach or a DBT approach which has been shown with evidence-based research to help manage addiction. Some of the focusses in counselling with addiction is often to prevent relapse, have better communication, improve family relationships, discovering better and healthier ways to cope than using the addiction. We would also discuss other factors that can help manage the addiction, such as meditation, religious involvement, and others.

If we all arrived on earth with an owners manual, it would be far easier to discover the most adaptable ways to cope with the onslaught of challenges we face as we grow and develop. But, we stumble along, often grabbing at crutches that soothe us for a while, but end up bringing us to our knees. My role in addiction recovery is helping you find positive soothing habits, helping you learn how regulate your emotions so that soothing is needed less on the whole, and helping you stay connected to your needs so that you remain in the drivers seat.

As a counsellor with years of experience working with addiction and its effects on the family, I have the skills to help you gain insights, change your behaviours, heal your pain and recover a sense of wholeness for life. My goal is to help you find a way out of the bondage of self hate, shame, and pain that is often caused by living with addiction. I believe that with hard work, you can regain the hope that this disease steals.

Huge underlying drivers for addiction are shame and loss. I have worked with addiction for many years and have seen how ti presents in many different ways. A blend of support around managing urges, getting clear about what it is you want that addiction is stopping you from achieving and getting familiar with what it is that the addiction is protecting you from feeling and experiencing along with therapeutic processing are the approaches I adhere to.

I've worked in Addiction for many years at treatment centres and in corrections. I'm well versed in the 12-steps approach and will apply this approach only when a client is interested and open to this. The 12-steps approach is not for everyone and so I also provide alternative ways to overcome or reduce one's addiction. Treatment of addiction starts with identifying one's triggers and then goes into alternative coping strategies that are proven to be effective. Time is also spent on examining the source of one's addiction so that change can happen more deeply. I view addiction as a symptom of a larger problem and believe if we mend the larger problem, the addiction will decrease.

I provide support for those considering or determined to reduce or eliminate substances, problem gambling, or other compulsion. Whether the goal is cutting out the addictive behaviour or minimizing its impact, I work through motivational interviewing to help people access addiction treatment if needed. If treatment is not needed, I target the underlying problem such as anxiety, depression, or family conflict. So if you have a family member who requires assessment and direction, or you yourself need to know that you addiction is in good hands while you focus on another problem, I can help.

Feeling vulnerable to an over-consumption or over-use of substances, food, or activities is a painful experience. The cycle of use, (artificial) happiness, deflation, shame, tension building and use is vicious and seemingly never-ending. I work with IFS and NARM to help identify, understand and stop the use of the things that are sabotaging you.

What emotions are your addiction trying to mask? What are you escaping from? Is your addiction costing you your relationship, your family, your work? Your addiction or dependency, is serving a purpose. Let’s explore, understand and uncover what that purpose is and what the core issues are. It’s time to lead a healthier and more intentional life.

We employ addiction counseling as a specialized form of therapy to support clients in their journey toward overcoming addictive behaviors and fostering self-acceptance. Addiction counseling provides a compassionate and non-judgmental space for clients to explore and understand the underlying factors contributing to their addictive behaviors. Our skilled counselors employ evidence-based approaches such as motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and relapse prevention strategies to guide individuals in gaining insight into their addictive patterns, identifying triggers, and developing effective coping strategies.

There is an interesting connection between trauma and addictions. When events or situations are perceived as life threatening or overwhelming (even though this might not be a conscious realization), the response to such overwhelming pain is logically to self-medicate. Treating addictions requires gently addressing how clients manage emotional, physical, and mental pain and sensitively building resources to find better coping strategies while healing old wounds.

As is often said in AA, your very best thinking has gotten you here. In other words, it's time to let yourself have the outside support you need. It's time to do something different. An important part of my role in working with clients who have addictions is helping them conceptualize what recovery means: while sobriety and/or abstinence are goals - they are merely steps along the journey of recovery. That is, without doing the inner work of healing, sobriety and/or abstinence are short-lived. Learning to identify and process one’s emotions in healthy ways, as well as establishing/re-establishing relationships with others and with self, are some examples of what recovery work entails.

While most treatment approaches to addiction include 12 step programs, rehabs, and now sober living houses, Grey Matters International, Inc. provides a wildly successful alternative to traditional models of addiction treatment----that keeps the brain in mind. That is, talking to the conscious brain while the primal brain is deciding things even before you are consciously aware? Well, that is the problem to solve in addiction. We have the solution utilizing a new cutting edge neuroscience-centered brain rebalancing system. Contact kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or call 877-606-6161.

Substance and behavioral addictions are widely misunderstood, and as a result, those that experience addictions can be unjustly pathologized and even criminalized. The term “addiction” stands for diverse, multi-faceted, socio-cultural, biological, and psychological phenomena. The idea that addiction is a brain disease is an ideological narrative, not a fact. I offer non-judgmental and non-coercive counselling to support an individual’s growth and future pursuits. I hold a deep empathy for your life experience, choices, and lack of choices. I will coach you to tap into your inner resources, resilience, and “brilliant sanity.” I am an advocate for decriminalization and harm reduction policies.

Addiction is any extreme habit that is self-destructive. We generally think first of alcohol and other drugs when we think of addiction, but we can be addicted to pretty much anything: watching TV, scrolling, eating, pornography, gaming, cleaning, shopping. I use a harm reduction approach to working with people who are grappling with addiction. For some, stopping the activity completely is the best way want to go, and it works. For others, learning to safely manage the activity and reduce use is preferred, and this can also be successful. There isn't a generic solution to addiction, and I work with individuals to regain their freedom in a way that makes sense for them.

Clients with lifelong addictions have found freedom and hope again. "The first time I saw Kathryn I was a mess! ...I was depressed, confused, hurt, angry and desolate and almost to the point of ending it all. Life just didn't seem worth living... Kathryn was so understanding and kind and helped me to change my negative thoughts into positive ones ...She also taught me that no one can make me feel anything happy, sad, lonely, miserable - these are my own thoughts and they come from my own guilt or shame,people just trigger them... I now want to live and I understand how important it really is to live an honest clean life and to care for and love myself like I never knew how to before."

Addiction counseling provides a holistic approach to supporting individuals struggling with substance use disorders and their loved ones. A safe and non-judgmental therapeutic relationship is used to explore the underlying causes of addiction, address co-occurring mental health issues, and develop personalized recovery plans. Additionally, counseling helps loved ones understand addiction as a complex disease and offers guidance on setting boundaries, practicing self-care, and fostering healthy communication within the family system. Through education, empathy, and ongoing support, addiction counseling empowers individuals and their loved ones to navigate challenges.

Do you wake up in the morning with a feeling of regret and remorse over how many glasses of wine you had, again? Are you struggling with a habit that you thought was temporary and now you find you can't walk away from. The realization that you may be struggling with an addiction may gradually unfold or a loved one may bring it to your attention. Often addiction arises from a need to 'take oneself away' from the rough spots on life or it may be a habit out of control. Whatever the background, together we will look at what has contributed to your desire for you habit, what is reinforcing it and get you back in the drivers seat of your life.

Working through addiction can be a raw and difficult process, that often reveals the pain that the addiction was helping to disguise. My approach to treating addiction applies cognitive awareness and mindfulness strategies to managing and reducing addictive tendencies and impulses. Addiction tends to thrive in isolation, so having a guide to help anticipate the struggle of addiction, identify and exercise strategies that are clinically effective in relief of addiction, and trauma.