Addiction Therapists in Calgary, AB.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Have your addictions and/or compulsive behaviours taken control of your life? Does life seem unmanageable and you feel the things you value slipping away? Does someone you love appear unable to quit doing something even though it is hurting them? As a therapist, my role in the recovery journey is a supportive one. I help people who are already in a 12-step or other program to maintain sobriety by exploring their unhelpful thinking styles, helping them mourn past losses, and addressing other underlying issues that have led to the addictive behaviours. I also help the loved ones of addicts, especially partners of sex addicts who are trying to heal from the trauma of betrayal.

At the core of addiction is the inability to live in your own skin. We live in one of the most distracted, numbed out and addicted cultures in the history of mankind. I read a statistic recently - there are over 100 million prescriptions written in the United States for antidepressants and/or mood altering prescription drugs. As a culture, not we're not good at dealing with reality and we look for all kind of ways to avoid our internal experience – drinking, drugs, eating, workaholism, "shopaholism" and perhaps most common is addiction to TV, Internet and electronic devices. Using mindfulness and ACT therapy, I teach clients how deal more effectively with their internal experience and feelin

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.

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!

I know what it’s like to be an addict. I have been in a recovery from my addiction for several years now. I am also an expert in addictions and I am currently writing an American textbook called “Addictions Counseling Now: Substances and Addictive Behaviors.” If you need a competent psychologist, book now at https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=14249112

Addiction is a concern that many people struggle with. Often people are unaware of the way in which addiction can significantly affect life, and cause harm to self and others. Feeling out of control and unable to stop harmful behaviours is a normal experience when someone is addicted to a substance or behaviour. Addiction is a treatable disease, which can be managed through therapy and a recovery program. I treat individuals with addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, food.

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!

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.

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.