Addiction Therapists in St Marys, ON.

When we experience difficult times, it can be easy to turn to substances and distractions to numb the pain. This is a natural protective strategy. Some clients seek to stop this completely, while others seek to find a way to better manage their current use. Our aim is to find out what is best for you. If you feel stuck and could use support, read out to use and let's explore where to start.

All of us experience addiction as part of our daily routine. However, when that addiction takes over and we loose sight of our priorities, it can destroy our lives. When a substance or habits interfere with our logical thinking and we prioritize our need to satisfy that craving over everything else it can ruin our life. Our relationship, families, friends and work can suffer and we often isolate ourselves to feed our addictions without judgment. I offer a safe place to honestly explore the impact of your addiction and to find ways to manage your urges to set you free. An addictions eliminates your ability to choose your actions, I can help you regain your strength to choose a healthy life

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.

I view addiction from a holistic perspective, taking the entire person into account when providing therapeutic support. While addiction can emerge through a biological predisposition, it is also often related to how we have learned to cope with and navigate life’s challenges. I approach intervention from a trauma-informed perspective, helping clients to understand where addictive behaviour is being used to cope with unresolved emotional challenges. I also help clients to identify new ways of coping and develop healthier behaviours that contribute positively to well-being.

We have years of experience with addictions and mental health issues. Some of our therapists are recovering addicts and truly get it on a personal level. We also support clients in other areas of addiction such as food addiction, shopping, gaming, gambling and sexual behaviours. It takes great courage to be honest and face our addictions. We believe we are capable to help our clients through the therapy process and can support their needs.

My approach to Addictions Counseling is comprehensive and empathetic, designed to support you in overcoming dependency and reclaiming control over your life. In a safe and non-judgmental environment, we will delve into the root causes of your addiction, using evidence-based methods such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing. Together, we will develop personalized strategies to manage triggers, build resilience, and foster a healthier lifestyle. My goal is to empower you with the tools and support needed for sustainable recovery and renewed hope. Take the first step towards a life free from addiction—book an appointment with us today.

Addiction can be a scary thing that is often surrounded by ambiguity and confusion: why do I continue to use when I know it is bad for me? Why do I want to use in the first place? Why can't I seem to stop using and why cant I change? In working with clients, step 1 of our work is figuring out the answers to these questions and figuring out why addiction occurs in the first place. After this, we explore tools, resources, and therapies that will best work for clients in helping them create the changes they need and to promote the lives they want.

Sadly, addiction is more than a surface issue. It’s any habit that controls you - your own healthy perspective or behaviour compromised. It can be: smoking, drinking, drugs, gambling, gaming, shopping, fetishes, cutting, porn, unsafe sex, unhealthy eating, self negating, bulimia, compulsive message checking, even too much time online. Elimination or control of such a habit is only a partial answer. There’s more going on. What led you to develop the addiction in the first place? In therapy a key issue I will help you look into is what you can do instead. You can realize why you came to lean on an unhealthy behaviour, then learn to Mindfully notice other options you have in the moment.

Sometimes it's hard to see when something we enjoy is beginning to get out of control. It's not uncommon that loved ones are the first to point out that our use of something has become problematic. Alcohol, opiates, sex... if you are not sure if your use of something has crossed the line, call me. I offer non-judgemental counselling for people who struggle with symptoms of addiction. While social work cannot diagnose, I can most certainly assist you as you continue to explore your challenges at this time.

We are social beings who thrive when we feel connected to others. When we are unable to connect with our loved ones, we feel painful disconnection. These feelings of disconnection can lead us to explore other strategies to feel good, even temporarily. The use of substances or addictive behaviours can temporarily reduce our feelings of emotional and physical pain while increasing our sense of pleasurable feelings. Because it is temporary, we must continue to engage in these addictive practices to cope with feeling disconnected, and our use becomes more problematic and destructive. Together, we will explore the disconnection that is driving the addictive behaviour.

Addictions can help us get through some challenges and maybe even have saved our life. Then there comes a time when addictions seem to get in the way and cause more trouble and more problems. Therapy can help to find different ways of coping. Learning other ways of handing stress and conflict helps quiet the compulsions. Counselling will help you take charge of your life.

As the great physician and teacher Gabor Mate states, "the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection". People often develop an addiction as a way to cope and manage distressing feelings and thoughts. Addiction is a form of escape from what otherwise can feel very painful and uncomfortable, therefore addiction serves as temporary relief but unfortunately can cause longer term suffering. In counselling, you can explore the experiences which tend to lie at the root of an addiction, put voice to the things that have been hard to talk about, learn how to cope with uncomfortable emotions and sensations, and develop alternative coping tools.

Addictions often go hand-in-hand with emotional distress, masking a deeper pain beneath the surface. Finding relief from intrusive thoughts or escalating anxiety/panic is necessary and understandably leads many to distract or avoid the discomfort using substances in excess. Having a non-judgmental safe space to reflect on life is crucial for healing. You're invited to reach out and see if psychotherapy online is right for you.

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

While I'm not an addiction specialist, I do have training in this area, and I can work with you to reduce or stop your use of addictive substances. We will work together to find the deep drives that feed the addiction. For example, is your addiction helping you feel less alone, less worthless, less powerless, or is it numbing some specific pain. We would look at how the addiction is affecting your life and how to use the supports around you to change your habits.

A complex issue requiring discerning assessment. The most severe entail extensive brain changes however all have neurological aspects and individual susceptibility is an important factor. Yet esp non-substance based (eg, porn, gambling, food, sex, gaming) addictions are reversible through therapy . The approach in practice calls for amending this broad general term and defining it by how it functions: as a selected ‘reward system’ for managing past stressors that is now habituated, or for relieving current stressors impulsively/efficiently. However resulting in unrewarding consequences. From this perspective, many accurately focused interventions can be applied to change one's reward choice.

I have been helping individuals overcome their addictions since 1996. I have helped individuals who were addicted to drugs, alcohol, gambling and pornography. Given my experience working with addictions, I am able to determine if my counseling can be sufficient and or when other interventions would be more appropriate. If it is determined that outpatient or residential treatment is required, I have provided the support and assistance to individuals in preparing for and applying to appropriate treatment centres.

If you come to me because YOU want to end your substance use or behaviour, I can help you. If you are still struggling with whether or not you want to quit, I can help you with that as well! I may suggest a rehab if that is what seems best. If you are already sober and are trying to remain that way, I will offer you the numerous tools of relapse prevention, including self-care, having a sponsor, and practising mindfulness.

Substance use/ Addiction is on a continuum. It can be something we occasionally due to numb out some distressing feelings, or it can be something that we can't function without. Wherever you are on the continuum, there is always room to shift. In therapy, we can help you gain new perspectives and learn strategies for managing your use, including exploring the areas of your life your use affects (i.e. relationships, emotions, healing, functioning, etc.). Our clinicians greet each of our clients with non-judgment and meet you where you’re at. If you're wanting to feel more in control of your substance use- Book a consultation or session today! www.kaleidoscopecounsellingco.com

Addiction can be a mask to coping with other complicated issues and emotions in your life. I would assist the indivudal through therapy by giving them distress tolerance skills, validating but not always agreeing with their views, and help them to accept what they cannot change while changing what they have control over. Together we will unveil and understand their triggers thereby empowering them to battle against the addiction. Creating short term goals to build their confidence by utilizing other health coping mechanisms and then long term goals to develop a pathway to new transformation.