Addiction Therapists in Tamalpais Homestead Valley, CA.

I help men when alcohol or other substance use has become a barrier in their relationships and/or career. For more then 10 years I have focused on the particular way men use substances to relate to, and cope with the world around them. At some point, the partying stops feeling like a party, and the consequences set in. Often times men go back and forth trying to answer the question, "do I really have a problem here?" You can do something about this, and you do not have to deal or cope with this alone. The majority of my clients express that they are comforted and inspired in their work with me, as they gradually develop greater self-understanding, and a feeling of empowerment in their lives.

I see addiction from the perspective of what is called "The Hungry Ghost". That when we aren't fed the nourishment we need as children, love, support, being seen, heard, cared for and held safe, that we then feel a huge hole in our psyche's. And when we have not experienced the natural highs of intimacy and love in relationships, we will naturally find a replacement for that feeling in an addiction. The solution is not to shame the addict, but help them see that there addiction is simply Mal-adaptive, and to help guide them to get their needs met with health intimacy. In other words to show them that once they find healthy ways to meet their needs they won't need the addiction.

Addiction is a mental health condition and I treat addiction by a multi-pronged process predominately from a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) model. I help my clients understand the reasons they use a substance or engage in an addictive behavior, teach them skills regulate their emotions and tolerance distress that might otherwise lead them to engage in their addiction, and address any underlying issues that contribute to their addiction. I also help clients with with concerns about their substance use or compulsive behavior to avoid developing addictions.

We have all experienced some sort of addiction, whether it be to food, work, sex, alcohol, a drug, gambling, shopping, or our cell phone… This unconscious escapism or desire to fill a void runs rampant in our modern day lifestyle. What do we do when addiction is eroding our quality of life and/or our relationships? I find the solution is often in identifying the core wound that is causing you to want to escape, or to fill a void. I offer a more spiritual approach to recovery work in which you will cultivate your relationship with your Higher Self and learn how to keep the addict part of you in the back seat with the seat belt on.