Addiction Therapists in Victoria, BC.

I am honoured that you are interested in my services and I would like to tell you a little bit about myself. I have been described as slightly non-conventional in the counselling world, which suits me perfectly, and also tends to suit youth who are trying to stand up to the force of the problems in their life. I am very comfortable working with this population, and I feel fortunate that I can connect with teens the way I do, conventionally or in a way that makes sense to them.

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.

Often in life, stress, responsibility and unhappiness can lead to managing/medicating with a variety of substances; marijuana, alcohol, gambling, sex, internet, drugs, ect. This can lead to an unbalance in the usage of these substances, create a significant strain and negative affect on relationships, family, work and one self. We will work to uncover the motivating force that has driven to substance abuse and help to regain control. Through this work we will strive to regain a healthy and balanced life, free of addiction or dependency.

Addictions are a way to manage unmanageable pain. Within a safe and caring therapeutic relationship, I can help you to build the emotional skills and capacity to heal the underlying distress and trauma that you cope with through addictive patterns and behaviours. With compassion and curiosity you can meet your authentic needs for connection and care rather than relying on substances to regulate your emotional states. My approach to addiction treatment is based in the work of Compassionate Inquiry, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Dr. Sloat treats addiction using non-12 Step methods (including CBT), and while she welcomes people struggling with any stage of addiction, she specializes in working with those who are post-rehabilitation. It is important to understand why one becomes addicted in the first place, and it's important to establish new and healthy patterns that edge out the addictive ones such that relapse is less likely. During treatment Dr. Sloat touches upon the actual addictions, but mostly she focuses on the underlying reasons and factors that perpetuate them. If left untreated, addiction becomes "hard-wired" in, and Dr. Sloat helps people "re-wire" their lives.

I have experience and training in substance and process (behavioural) addiction. I draw on EMDR to help reduce the urges that result from specific triggers related to the addition. I also use a the psychotherapy process to help clients work through the painful experiences that resulted in addictions, work at repairing relationships and moving forward.

Working through addiction can be a raw and difficult process, that often reveals the pain that the addiction was helping to disguise. My approach to treating addiction applies cognitive awareness and mindfulness strategies to managing and reducing addictive tendencies and impulses. Addiction tends to thrive in isolation, so having a guide to help anticipate the struggle of addiction, identify and exercise strategies that are clinically effective in relief of addiction, and trauma.

I am adept at support clients in finding the root of their addiction whether it be trauma or challenges with emotional regulation. Addictive behaviour always makes sense. Unfortunately, there is still so much shame, judgement and misunderstanding when it comes to addiction. I will help you make sense of your addictive behaviour and achieve freedom.

The common cause of most addiction is shame- based thinking and behaviour. Once we can identify and understand the source of our cravings or compulsions, then we can work to change this into more positive choices. In this work I challlenge clients to examine their own thinking and needs that underlie their addictive process. Then they can seek to fulfill these needs in more productive ways.

While most treatment approaches to addiction include 12 step programs, rehabs, and now sober living houses, Grey Matters International, Inc. provides a wildly successful alternative to traditional models of addiction treatment----that keeps the brain in mind. That is, talking to the conscious brain while the primal brain is deciding things even before you are consciously aware? Well, that is the problem to solve in addiction. We have the solution utilizing a new cutting edge neuroscience-centered brain rebalancing system. Contact kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or call 877-606-6161.