Addiction Therapists in Beddington, AB.

Addiction is often less about the substance or behaviour itself and more about the underlying needs it has been meeting. In our work together, I take a non-judgmental and collaborative approach, focusing on understanding what is driving the pattern and what purpose it has served. We explore triggers, emotional regulation, and the cycles that maintain addictive behaviours, while also building practical coping strategies and healthier alternatives. Clients often benefit from increased self-awareness, greater control over impulses, and the development of more sustainable ways to manage stress, emotions, and life challenges without relying on the addiction.

My approach to addiction treatment is supportive, non-judgmental, and rooted in understanding the underlying emotional and psychological needs driving the behavior. I use evidence-based therapies like CBT, ACT, and mindfulness to help you develop healthier coping strategies, build self-awareness, and reconnect with your values. We’ll work together to reduce shame, strengthen emotional regulation, and support lasting change through compassion, skill-building, and a focus on what truly matters to you.

Having worked previously at an addictions treatment facility for over 9 years, I have seen both the damage caused by a variety of addictions and the ability of individuals to arrest addictive behaviors and re-build healthy addiction-free lives. Whether you are attempting to moderate your use of an addictive substance or behavior, or abstain completely, therapy is an important tool. Together we will explore your triggers for addiction, relapse prevention strategies, and look at the resources available to you as you recover.

For every woman, the first step towards freedom from addiction is always the step of coming to believe in freedom and to believe that freedom is possible. We can show you a way out of the guilt and away from the shame that keeps you from the love your heart longs for. Reject the lie that you will always be an addict, reclaim your ability to know truth and choose life!

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!

This isn't who you are. Is it time for a change? Ready to consider doing something different in your life? My approach to addictions looks at behavioral, emotional and cognitive changes that can support your recovery, building a new you and a new life. Drawing on CBT and other approaches, the supportive, non-judging space I provide teaches you practical strategies to cope with life, alternative (aka more rewarding and fulfilling) behaviors (and to learn to like them!), and helps you heal. You'll come to know greater freedom and satisfaction with who you are, your relationships, and with your life.

Addiction can be a lonely burden to carry. Those around you may have trouble understanding what you are going through which can create separation in relationships and leave you feeling worse. My approach is to find the right strategies to get you back in control and leading a healthy life. We will explore the roots and meaning behind ones addiction and develop healthy coping.

Support for relationship, career, and mental health issues associated with addictions. Gerard has diverse experience as a psychologist and leader in social services, schools, universities, corporati, and his private practice. He supports addicts in recovery from all walks of life, including continuity of care for physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and others struggling with addiction. Using a theoretical foundation of social learning and cognitive-behavioural training, he is well-versed in formal and informal assessment and solution-focussed approaches. He listens carefully to understand your needs and relies on his extensive experience to help you find solutions to your dilemmas.

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.

People don’t just “choose” addiction or harm—they’re often trying to cope with pain, trauma, stress, or the chaos of life. Harm reduction means we stop treating substance use like a moral failing and start treating it like what it is: a complex human behaviour that deserves understanding, safety, and support. We don’t expect perfection or total abstinence overnight. Instead, we offer a space where you can be honest about your use without fear of judgment or shame. We focus on: Understanding your relationship with substances and what role they play. Exploring safer ways to reduce risk—for your health, your relationships, and your life. Supporting you in setting realistic, achievable goals.

I will work with you to understand the underlying emotional and psychological factors contributing to your addiction. I employ a harm-reduction approach to substance abuse treatment as opposed to complete and sudden abstinence. I will work with you to build effective coping strategies, heal trauma and provide techniques which will help you navigate the stress and complexity of long-term recovery.

Addictions counselling provides a structured, compassionate space to understand the patterns driving substance use or compulsive behaviours. We work collaboratively with clients to explore underlying stressors, emotional triggers, and unmet needs while building practical coping strategies that support lasting change. Using evidence-based approaches, we focus on increasing self-awareness, strengthening accountability, and developing healthier ways to manage distress. Clients benefit from improved emotional regulation, clearer decision-making, and greater confidence in maintaining progress, fostering stability and a renewed sense of control over their lives.

Addiction can feel overwhelming, not only for the individual struggling, but for the relationships and systems around them. Whether substance use or behavioural patterns have become a way to cope with stress, trauma, or emotional pain, Renee provides a compassionate, non-judgmental space where clients can begin to explore change without shame. Recovery is not linear, and setbacks do not equal failure.