Addiction Therapists in Winnipeg, MB.

There are high rates of addiction co-occurring with mental health symptoms and diagnosis. This can include Anxiety, Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Eating Disorders and Personality Disorders. It is essential to treat the symptoms along with the addiction. My approach is holistic and recovery based that includes the Stages of Change, Levels of Involvement and Harm Reduction strategies. The recovery plan includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior therapy, Exposure Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention in combination with grounding strategies, progressive muscle relaxation techniques, and Mindfulness / Mediation techniques.

Addiction comes in two forms: substance addiction and behaviour addiction. Most people are familiar with substance addiction. This occurs when drugs or alcohol are consumed in greater quantities than planned, and when this consumption becomes harmful to the person using and those around them. Some common behaviour addictions come in the form of food, shopping, gambling, exercise, pornography, and sex. If you believe that you are living with addiction, or if the addiction of a loved one is affecting your quality of life, get yourself some professional help.

It saddens me that often people struggling with addiction receive such judgement. I recognize that every single one of us can easily fall into the cycle of addiction, whether it be alcohol, drugs, gambling, work, sex or a multitude of other options. I like to begin from a place of addressing the issue of shame, and then help clients become more self-aware of their feelings and thoughts. I then help them learn to manage life in a more healthy manner - slowly. I believe that every addict has some form of past hurts and wounding that I would love to help them work through, so that they can live a full and vibrant life.

Our relationship with any process or substance (drugs/alcohol, pornography, shopping, work, gaming, gambling, social media) becomes unhealthy when it affects our lives in negative ways. Be it increasing distance/conflict in our relationships or creating financial/legal/health/career consequences, the result is a disconnect from our own true values and desires. I work with clients to develop curiosity-appreciating how the addiction, originating as an attempt to solve a problem (trauma, mental illness, stress), has now become the problem. Framing it as such, we can begin to work with dependence with greater perspective and compassion, shifting from ambivalent powerless to resilient action.

Are you struggling with alcohol or drugs? Is it impact your family, work or finical situation? Do you need someone to talk to about it. I here to talk. Drug and alcohol are often used to cope with struggle. They are great at numbing pain, and making use feel good for short periods of time but when they wear off we are back to square one. If you need help please feel free to reach out and ask question about how therapy can help today.

Many approaches to addiction emphasize willpower and deprivation, but this only works temporarily. Alcohol, substances, or other addictive behaviours like gambling and gaming offer short-term relief of underlying issues at a long-term cost to one's relationships and health. As an addiction counsellor, I can help you resolve underlying issues, regain control, and build a sense of meaning and purpose, so you can start living the life you want. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to addiction recovery. I meet each client where they are at, tailoring my approach to each person's unique needs. Send me a message and we can connect for a quick call to discuss next steps.

Addictions of any kind rob not just the one with the addiction but make victims of all who are a part of that person's life. Addictive behaviour runs deep and requires discernment and expertise to fully reconcile its harmful effects emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally and relationally. But, it is surely worth the work to root it out and bring peace and freedom for all.

No one in life plans on having a struggle with an addiction. I have found in my life - that it is often a quest for happiness and security that someone can become entangled in an addiction. What begins as a way of numbing or avoiding painful feelings and seeking a way to feel better becomes a habit and at times - a way of life and one of the only ways to cope with life. I wonder about addictions being the great deceiver. What we hope will help - the magic to make all well - becomes what destroys so much. Naming the problem - is really such an important and courageous step towards healing. It is so important to find support in moving forward and away from an addiction.

Addictions are a way of coping with deep, unrelenting emotional pain. You may be self-medicating to avoid the painful thoughts and feelings often arising out of traumatic childhood experiences. Whether the addiction is to alcohol, drugs, pornography, sex, shopping or gambling the purpose is the same. You are desperately attempting to avoid debilitating emotional pain. Therapy can help you identify and resolve the underlying negative emotions that trigger your addiction. You can learn to control your urges and initiate alternate, healthy responses. You can feel physically and mentally healthier. You can develop a positive sense of self, and re-establish loving relationships.

I can help you understand your relationship to addiction(s), move towards readiness for change, and develop and implement a recovery plan (which may include additional supports, such as recovery groups or residential treatment). From a place of compassion and non-judgement, I understand addiction in terms of its impact on the brain, recognizing that as addictive behaviour increases, it can be very hard for someone to change without outside help. As Gabor Mate teaches, addiction is a response to pain, whether that be trauma, anxiety, a need for connection, or other source of distress. I will support you in the healing path to recovering from addiction.

Recovery from addiction is one of the most difficult things to achieve. Relapse is a real thing, but sadly it is often viewed as a moral failure. The first thing an addict needs is to genuinely sense their counsellor has unconditional positive regard. We want to stop the shame and guilt at our office door. None of us are perfect, so let's join hands and travel together. We will proceed by creating a tailor-made plan that will help you grow out from under the power of addiction and into a new sense of self-betterment.

Trying quit, but just can't? Dr. Don Russell knows that quitting a bad habit or addiction doesn't come without skill, and support. Dr. Russell uses a scientifically proven revolutionary approach to curb the urge, and change the thoughts and feelings that drive the addiction. "I never thought I could get rid of this" is a comment Dr. Russell often hears as people begin to experience of being free of the urge and the habit. Best of all this doesn't come through willpower alone. It comes from cutting edge therapy in a safe, supportive enviroment.

Sometimes we are aware of what we are doing but have no control to stop. I believe the most effective changes begin by gradual changes. The Healing Project understands everything including dealing with an addiction is a process and will not judge you for your decisions but rather shed light onto what's currently occuring.