Addiction Therapists in Calgary, AB.

Addictions, in any of their many forms, from shopping and gambling to sex, tobacco, alcohol or drugs (street or prescription), exert a stranglehold on individual quality of life and relationships that can be devastating. The first line of attack against the addiction is information and awareness. I can help you begin that process. Together, we can look at how the addiction has convinced you it can help you cope with life ... and we can begin to address the lies addiction has told you. We can look at the triggers for your addiction, alternative strategies for coping with emotions and stressors, and ways to maintain your gains. I can help you rebuild your relationships and your 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!

Addictions are hard but not hopeless. I my self battled with my own addictions. Along with education I also have understanding at a deeper level due to my personal experience. The substance that you are addicted to is not so much the issue as is the feelings, thoughts, experiences and behaviours. Processing ones story within therapy allows a person to step one foot closer to freedom and hope in a better life. It is a risk to reach out and be vulnerable. The key is to keep picking oneself back up and keep trying.I look forward to hearing your story and journeying with you as you process it.

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!

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."

"The opposite to addiction is not sobriety. It is human connection" -Johann Hari. This is a perspective I wholeheartedly agree with. If you are struggling in your addiction(s), please consider reaching out. Together, we can examine some of the underlying causes of your addictive behaviours through a supportive and collaborative relationship. If you are able to connect to yourself and others in a more compassionate way, I believe the healing can begin. Call today to find out more: 587-362-0640

Therapy is essential if you are struggling with substance dependence or addictive behaviours, or have a loved one who is. Having worked with various mental health and addictions programs, including with individuals who have concurrent mental health and addiction problems, I am experienced in providing therapy/counselling to move you towards health, wellbeing, and happiness again. Together we will work towards your goals of reducing or abstaining from addictive substances or behaviours, as well as preventing of relapse during stressful times. You are not alone on this journey.

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.

Jennifer believes in the value of 12-step programs, due to their high success rate and popularity worldwide. She also believes, however, that often more issues need to be dealt with that are not treated in 12-Step programs, for clients to see long lasting success. If you have completed, and/or are currently a part of a 12-Step program, but feel you would benefit from working through some additional issues in therapy, Jennifer would be a good fit.

One of my favourite authors on addiction says "What if we replaced the word "addict" with: “A human being who suffered so much that he or she finds in drugs or some other behavior a temporary escape from that suffering"? G. Mate. When I see clients struggling with an addiction, I also see them struggling with pain. I work on both pain and the addiction as a method.

The question is not why the addiction, but why the pain (Dr. Gabor Mate). Addictions can be difficult to overcome because it both causes problems AND medicates the pain of life in the short-term. Also, there is great stigma from society around addiction--so many have said, Why dont you just stop using? Motivational interviewing, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Relapse-Prevention techniques can be very helpful in supporting people through recovery rather than shaming them towards quitting a substance without dealing with whatever is underlying the addiction.

Addiction is a complex disease that affects the functioning of the brain and body. It causes serious damage to families, relationships, communities and workplaces. Common symptoms of addiction include loss of control, preoccupation with using, continued use despite consequences, failed attempts to quit, high tolerance and withdrawal. At Valiant Recovery, our specialty is addiction treatment, and we offer services such as professional intervention, detoxification, 30, 60 or 90-day residential rehabilitation, and a sober living program for our alumni. Addiction can be effectively prevented, treated and managed with the help of our expert addiction specialists.

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.