Addiction Therapists in Calgary, AB.

An addiction, whether to a substance or a behaviour, is an attempt to alleviate distress, self-soothe or fill an emptiness. The substance or behavior cannot bring relief because it is not what you truly need. No matter how you have been self-medicating your stress and pain thus far, I can help you treat the underlying issues in ways that are life-sustaining rather than destructive. The earlier you get help, the better. I will compassionately help you no matter how many times you have tried to quit and will help you establish ways that will help you stay quit. I provide therapy for various addictions with a sex addiction specialty. I help those addicted as well as their families.

In our early environments, we absorb a lot of information about ourselves and the world. Sometimes this stuff is positive – like language or self-soothing, but sometimes it comes from a disruptor and is not. Things like criticism, alcohol used by a parent, detachment from parents, perfectionism, or whatever can cause limiting beliefs about one’s self.

I have worked in the addictions field for the past 15+ years. My understanding of addiction is that it stems from multiple traumas whether beginning in childhood or adulthood. My approach to counselling is mind/body focused and aims to assist clients to heal wounds caused by trauma at the body level where trauma is stored. If we experienced early childhood trauma, often the body is the only access point to heal trauma as we experienced trauma before we had the ability to process things verbally. I also believe that in order to heal trauma, we need to heal in relationship as the majority of our traumas occurred in relationships which counselling provides between therapist and client.

Addictions; they meet a need, they have a purpose. I will help you identify what your addiction is doing for you and how to reach that need in a healthier way. You can learn what your triggers are, how to address them and how to maintain an eye on what contributes to relapse, so you can address it early on, as well as identify what helps you maintain progress. Part of my therapy, for those who are interested, involves hypnotherapy because of the benefits and positive difference I see when I work with clients. I'd be happy to chat with you about what your goals are, how I approach counselling (accepting, goal focused and action oriented), and how to begin to create long term success.

Do you ever wonder what it would feel like to truly be free? Not just hanging on for dear life and hiding a life of secrets, but to be truly able to look in the mirror and say, "I'll never go back again?" You don't need to wonder anymore. Let us walk with you as you discover how to be free of that hunger inside and to never feel that fear again. Our Registered Christian Addictions Counselling can help you set love in order and you can truly live again!

Is your use of porn, alcohol, shopping, prescription medication, illegal drugs, tv, food, video games and online activities bothering you or someone you love? Are you wondering if it is an addiction? Sometimes a good strategy goes bad when it is relied on too much. Then the strategy has become the boss and not just a tool. Discover the addictive voice and learn about the sober/healthy voice. Learn to respond to the part of you that would like relief and wants to be addiction-free (your noble self). Learn more effective ways to manage stress so you are not turning to substances or behaviors that are costing your peace of mind.

My work with addiction is to examine the beliefs, thoughts and feelings that lay beneath the addictive behaviour. My approach is to help you see the value that the addiction has in your life and why you have held onto the behaviours associated with the addiction as long as you have. Once we identify what you are getting from the addiction we can begin to look at replacing the behaviours.

Addiction can be anything from annoying to devastating in terms of the effect on your life. Addictive behavior of any kind, substances, technologies, food, sex, porn has the potential to limit the quality of life of those affected. If you are reading this it is possible that you may be having an experience with an addiction of your own or someone you care about and are interested in wanting change. Addiction is very understandable from a brain science perspective. There is a part of our brain that has a habit making function. We very easily form habits that have an emotional payoff for us. Once a behavior has a payoff then this brain jumps into action to create a brain pathway that helps us repeat the behavior. In other words, it helps us to keep...(view profile to read more)

It is my belief that addition is a disease of the mind and the most major symptom is craving. Although withdrawal and tolerance are both indicative of addiction, even worrisome drinking or substance use can be classified as addiction. Addiction is a progressive illness and can destroy people's lives quickly. A client will be at a certain level of awareness of their addiction. Through motivational interviewing, I can help the client move towards a desire for change and into actual change. I am a firm believer in the 12 step spiritual programs and believe that it is pertinent for a client to find a sense of spirituality in order to recover and thrive.

If you or someone you know are addicted to prescription drugs, Dr. Mervin (Paraklesis Counselling) can come alongside you and help you to break the cycle of lapse and relapse. Often people with depression become dependent on taking benzodiazepines (a suppressant that depresses the mood), and they therefore struggle not only to get out of the depression but also to stop taking the tranquilizers. With an understanding of the working mechanisms of the drugs, and with the guidance of a psychopharmacologist, you can begin a new chapter in your life.

Addictions issues can both result from distress in relationships and precipitate or create distress. Support in addressing addictions issues can have a signifiacant positive impact on overall relationship functioning. The fact that relationships are one of our primary coping mechanisms multiplies the potential distress when addictions is present as it impacts the very mechanisms we use to cope.

Learning to successfully manage and overcome a variety of addictions is focussed on. Some of the areas are drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling and eating. The approach does not view total abstinence as being the only method in many situations. Saftety for all people involved is, however, a priority. Usually people struggling with addicgtions will switch addictions if one area is stopped without addressing the underlying issues. The underlyng issues, such as unmanageable emotions or troubling circumstances are addressed and usually lead to loing term success in working out addictions.

Don't let addiction rule your life for another minute. I work with folks who struggle with addiction on a maintenance level. Meaning if you are in recovery I can help you crystallize the path forward of of healing and commitment. Addiction can cripple the person and their family members. The compulsion to feed deeper rooted issues is often the culprit and needs to be remedied for lasting change. I can help with creating a path forward for healing old wounds, understanding the behaviors and for installing positive habits as replacements.