Addiction Therapists in Onoway, AB.

Treatment for your addictive behaviours will begin with you. We will work together to discovers the ways in which those behaviours are coping mechanisms, and the ways in which they are an attempt to recapture a desirable feeling-state. Understanding and healing some of the underlying forces driving your addiction will help you make different lifestyle choices. Shifting your focus from substances or repetitive behaviours of any kind will allow you to deepen your relationships with yourself and loved ones.

Are you or your spouse struggling with alcoholism, substance abuse, or pornography or a sexual addiction? If you would like to receive individual or couples counselling for you or your partner regarding addictions, or group counselling for the spouses of sexual addicts, it is time to contact Melissa Guzik, MA, Registered Psychologist. Melissa can be reached at 780-996-5750 or at www.melissaguzik.com for in-person counselling in Edmonton, or online or phone counselling in Alberta. Please note that the group counselling is for the spouses only and is a Christian group.

Do you feel that your drinking is stopping you from living the life you've dreamed of? Are you tired waking up with a pounding headache, dragging yourself out of bed thinking, “why did I do that?" Does a couple of drinks end up being a runaway train? Do you worry that if an emergency happened, you won’t be in proper shape to help your loved ones? Are you sick and tired of having your life revolve around alcohol? If you answered yes to any of the above, counselling can help. With powerful techniques, accountability, and genuine warmth, I help clients fully understand and master their drinking habits - so they can finally have the robust health, career, and relationships they deserve.

Addictions tend to become the “dirty little secret” that provokes feelings of shame and alienates us from our friends and family. When dealing with addictive behaviours, an important question to ask yourself is: “what am I running from?” Addictions help us numb uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Until these underlying issues are addressed, anytime we get triggered into certain thoughts and feelings, we will be tempted to turn to the addiction of choice to manage them. Counselling helps identify the issues provoking the addictive behaviours, manage triggers, and provide a framework in which to move from addiction into health.

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.

I use a CBT perspective for addictions that looks at the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviors, but also looks at the way the brain has adapted over time and what addiction has attempted to fill. I like to use an addiction protocal to try to desensitize triggers and work at building up individuals resources and confidence in their ability to change; however, people have to commit to working at it consistently.

Addictions come in a variety of forms such as alcohol and drugs, pornography, media, the internet, sex and sexual intimacy, relationships, and many others. What is common to all types of addiction is the negative impact such patterns can have on our lives, our loved ones, and things we hold dear in life. If you are caught in the chains of addiction and find yourself unable to break free, I can help you. I want to give you the power to walk down the path of recovery and to mend the damage that addiction has created in your life. In therapy we will invest the time and energy to discover what has led to addiction for you, and use proven methods to resolve the sources of addiction.

Our Therapists at Rivers Edge Counselling can help you to • Find the cause of your addiction and manage it effectively • Learn how addiction works and take necessary steps to reduce it • Control emotions and quit unhealthy habits • Coping with the stages of change • Understanding your own self and develop self esteem • Develop skills to understand your addiction

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 not problems, they are bad solutions. We always need to find the underlying problems and find effective solutions for them before we can let go of the stop-gap solution - whether the addiction is to a substance, a person, or an activity such as sex or gambling. There is always fear and pain underlying the addiction. We must learn to accept these feelings in order to free ourselves.

I approach my work with those who exprience addicton with the belief that the addictive substance/behaviour meets an underlying need, and through the reduction of guilt and shame we can work towards understanding and improved coping. I use a combination of person-centered therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and EMDR to help each client meet thier goals.