Addiction Therapists in Lindsay, ON.

Many of the clients I have supported over my professional life have struggles with mental health and battles with substance use. I work from a harm reduction model. In addition, I can offer support to family members struggling with the heartache of seeing someone they love fighting their misuse. Please feel free to contact me for a consultation to discuss you accessing my services.

Addiction brings pain and chaos individuals, couples and families. I see addictions as poor and destructive coping mechanisms and work with individuals and couples to interrupt the behavior and work to process the pain underlying the behavior. I am very familiar with 12 step programs and CSAT work that help individuals and couples make sense out of the addiction. I also work within a complementary framework of attachment and the importance of strong close inter-dependent, not co-dependent relationships with the most important people in one's life, family. Call me for a consult about your particular needs and situation.

Addictions counselling will support you through your recovery. Addiction recovery may include education on what the addiction is and how it effects your brain, being completely honest to others and accountable to yourself, gaining understanding by linking your behaviour to past history, gaining a support system from therapy and groups, and learning how to recognize addictive triggers as well as healthy ways to cope with them. Ultimately, addiction recovery will allow you to let go of the guilt and shame to a place of acceptance and forgiveness.

As a therapist, I know how challenging it can be to manage addiction. Addiction can impact the quality of our lives, our relationships, and our connection to ourselves. Therapy can provide a safe space to navigate addiction and explore what you wish for in relation to the substance or behaviour. Discussing the addiction can also provide us useful clues as to what roots the addiction, allowing us to navigate the core issue at hand and explore preferred coping strategies. Connect with me today for a free consultation to begin your healing journey.

Transform your approach to overcoming addiction with a blend of Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Emotionally Focused Therapy. This unique combination empowers clients by identifying personal goals, building on strengths, and addressing the emotions behind addictive behaviors. Motivational Interviewing fosters commitment to change, Solution-Focused Therapy enhances resilience, and Emotionally Focused Therapy deepens self-awareness. Together, these approaches offer a compassionate path to lasting recovery, helping clients regain control and reconnect with their best selves.

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Alcohol use disorder (AUD) can affect mental and physical health, relationships, work, and quality of life. There are many factors that contribute to drug and alcohol use and addiction counselling can help a person explore these factors as well discuss motivation to change the cycle of addiction. I use a blend of CBT and DBT to help give practical skills to help with cravings, emotional regulation and thought processes. Addiction counselling works to: • Strengthen a persons self-worth • Develop alternative ways to manage stress • Prepare and manage triggers • Develop skills to help manage cravings • Help with broken relationship

Feeling out of control and unable to stop engaging in harmful behaviours can feel shameful, over-whelming and hopeless. My approach to addiction treatment is based in a harm reduction model. This approach acknowledges that maintaining abstinence may not be a realistic goal. Without judgement we will work together to set realistic goals that seek to reduce the negative impacts of your addiction. You may choose to explore the roots of your addiction and any other related issues. It will always be up to you. Please reach out for a consult so we can assess whether I am the right therapist to help you move toward change and stability.

My approach to counselling is attachment based and trauma informed. I have extensive training in emotionally focused therapy, the gold standard in couple's therapy, which I apply in my work with couples, families, and individuals. Addiction often isolates us and keeps us from forming meaningful and intimate relationships with those most important to us. During our sessions I will be engaged and focused on helping you to make the positive changes you are looking to make and helping you to build stronger and more authentic relationships.

"Addiction", whether it be over-using drugs, internet, sex, etc., is a means of seeking pleasure in order to mask difficult feelings and thoughts that you may be dealing with. Sometimes, the pain of difficult or traumatic experiences becomes so intense that we unknowingly turn to unhealthy means of gratification. It is my goal to collaboratively, delicately and thoughtfully explore the underlying reasons of your excessive use of drugs, internet, etc., and support the working through and acknowledgement of the feelings and thoughts associated with the underlying reasons. If you are persistent in obtaining health and a happier existence, you will experience healing and release from pain.

Addictions can be very difficult to overcome, but there is hope. Clients will gain an understanding of what drives their addictions as well as ways they can overcome them. Many people feel that when the "home" of their life has been ravaged by an addiction, they need to do major renovations, or even tear it down and build a new house. I give you the tools to do that. Very often the addict has a partner that is also affected, and we are here to help them understand and help with recovery. Start on the path to freedom and recovery today. I work a lot with clients engaged in compulsive sexual behaviours such as pornography addiction and see great results in helping them recover.

In order to understand addictions, we have to first understand that it is a symptom of a much larger issue. By working with me through their addiction, clients often find that they get to the root of the issue that may be causing relapses or active addictions. Clients often develop new ways to cope with what is going on around them and begin to understand certain aspects of themselves that maintains the addiction cycle. Once they discover these aspects and reprocess certain memories, living in recovery becomes much more attainable.

Merriam-Webster’s definition states: Addiction: a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble). The key word is harmful. In this light, one could even postulate people can be addicted to arguing and fighting, to the chemicals released from the adrenal gland during "fight or flight"? Did you know the actual term “addiction” was originally used in the slave trade? (S. Luper-Foy C. Brown (ed.) (1994). Drugs, Morality, and the Law. Garland). When a slave was sold to the “owner”, they were said to be addicted to their master which meant “tied to”. Well, if you and I can be tied to something… yes… we can be untied! www.jeffpacker.com

Addiction is a misunderstood disease that affects both the sufferer and those who love the sufferer. People who struggle with addiction often feel overwhelmed and confused by their lack of ability to control their behaviour, as well as deep shame and frustration. Addiction therapy can help us understand the roots of addictive behaviours, the purpose they serve and other more helpful ways to meet those needs. Therapy can provide support, tailored support plans, coping strategies and resources to assist in developing a personalized recovery that works well for you.