Addiction Therapists in North St. Paul, MN.

I work with a wide variety of addictive and compulsive behaviors. These include chemical, sexual, eating, shopping, Internet, gambling and relationship addiction problems. I have 35 years clinical & teaching experience in the field and I’m the founder of the Addiction Psychology PhD program at Capella University. Not all addictions are the same, there is no one size fits all approach that is always effective. I’ll take time to understand the true nature of your problems and work with you to design a plan that will help you in make the changes that are needed. I will use a collaborative vs. confrontive approach to working with you. Contact me with your questions about how i can help.

Do you control it, or does it control you? This is the question I ask when investigating addiction. I am a Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist (CSAT) Candidate. I have had special training in the treatment of sexual addiction, including addiction to pornography. The severity of some sexual addictions is better treated in a treatment program, but often it is something that you can gain control of in a setting such as ours. I can also serve as a resource after treatment. I do in-office and online counseling. You can self-register and self-schedule at mnonlinecounseling.com.

You have made the first step toward recovery but identifying that you may have a problem. We will work together to identify the issues you have that contribute to the need to "medicate" away your pain. In addition we will work on skills to prevent relapse. Each client is unique and your path to wellness will be unique based on your specific goals. We work with clients who are in 12-step programs and those who choose Harm Reduction models.

I have experience working with individuals who struggle with mental health and chemical health. We look at where things are at and how to address each concern. I look at therapy as building a proverbial toolbox. The tools that fill this toolbox are coping skills. Some things we try will work for you while other coping skills won't. We work together to figure out what will work best for you. You will find that psychotherapy with me addresses your primary concern, not mine! I work with you to identify goals and we work to achieve those goals.

Addictions can overtake your life and pose a signficant barrier to success in multiple areas of living Whether the addiction be to shopping, alcohol, or even food, these addictive objects can be used as tools to numb your sense of feeling. My experience indicates that people battling addictions tend to be highly sensitive by nature and thus, when overwhelmed, may seek ways to lessen this intensity of feeling through means outside of themselves. Our work together can focus on building healthier ways for you to manage and cope with strong emotions, lessen both your fear and/or avoidance of emotions, promote healing and trust building, and limit the influence of addiction on your life.

I use a harm reduction/collaborative model for dealing with addiction and substance abuse. Abstinence may be your goal but if it's not, I'll support you in structuring your life to see if you can successfully reduce your use. I'll help you process the shame and negative experiences that are part of addiction and overuse. I'll work with you to identify your needs are and how to meet them in ways that increase feeling connected and cared for, and give you a sense of pride and purpose.

Do you find yourself preoccupied and out-of-control with your sexual thoughts and desires? Do you hide or feel shame as a result of your sexual behaviors? Have you been hurt or hurt others as a result of your sexual behaviors? If yes, you may be struggling with a sex or love addiction. The goal of recovery treatment is to set a foundation for healing from betrayal, shame, lack of intimacy and the destructive behaviors of sex and love addiction.

At Center for Mental Health and Wellness we provide counseling for individuals who have recovered from addiction and substance use issues. Often mental health issues may surface once substance use has ceased. Thus, individual therapy can be a helpful way to work on some of those underlying concerns. Working with a therapist after recovery from addiction can reduce the likelihood of relapse.

I have experience working with people on all types of addictions. I am comfortable working from an abstinence or a harm reduction model. People struggling with addictions benefit from my use of Solution Focused Therapy and Narrative Therapy to reduce the influence of shame and to increase the level of agency they feel they have over their addiction.

We all have habits, good and bad. It's the unhealthy habits that are always the most difficult to quit. I can help you with the unhealthy urges that are affecting your health. The goal for my addiction therapy is to help people cope with their addiction and lead a more healthy empowered life. As a recovering addict myself, I have been through the process. It's hard but not impossible. My therapy helps my clients take control and eliminate the negative substances from their lives completely. I also offer family counseling and couples therapy to help repair any damage the addiction has done to the family or relationship. I have had years of success with my approach.

Addiction and chemical abuse often have impacts that extend beyond one person and are rooted in a variety of life experiences and unmet mental health needs. Chemical dependency can become detrimental not only to the individual who is using and also to the person's loved ones. It is important to acknowledge that accountability is core intervention needed to resolve the many impacts of addiction/chemical abuse issues. There must be accountability for the individual, the loved ones who may be enabling behaviors and the loved ones who recognize there is an issue however may feel uncertain or uneasy about bringing the issue up directly.