Addiction Therapists in River Vale, NJ.

There are all kinds of addictions, from substance abuse to internet pornography. In each case, the bottom line is that a person is dealing with feelings of depression, anger or anxiety in a destructive way. They drink, gamble or look at pornography whenever they feel stress, but do not face the feelings that are causing the stress and work through them. I encourage addicts to make use of 12-step programs in combination with psychotherapy. When they stop denying and commit themselves to both, they quickly make progress.

The purpose of Addiction Counseling is to help the client identify for him or herself if there is an addiction present. If this is the case, a variety of cognitive behavioral techniques are utilized as well as mindfulness exercises to help with focusing and how to cope with difficult emotions in healthy ways to become abstinent. In addition, there is a focus on stengths, and what the client has done in the past to abstain from using the substance of choice. Thus, the client can try and implement at least some of these techniques again and stay away from triggers and past negative behaviors that led to relapse. There is also focus on self-esteem building and how to prevent relapse in the future once the client is abstinent.

What do you do if 12-step based treatment and AA or NA aren’t a good fit for you? You may want to explore cutting back on your drinking. You may not be ready to stop using marijuana but need support to look at how using is impacting your life. You may know you need to stop, and are abstinent, but need help to develop a long-term recovery plan with alternatives to AA or NA. A good life without drugs or alcohol is possible with or without 12-step meeting attendance.

Addiction: Alcohol, Drugs, Porn, Sexual, Gambling, & Over Spending Do you really believe that your addiction is ruining your life then you are ready for us to work together. However, having said that, if you are addicted, you need more than will power. To “beat your addiction” you need new strategies and tools, and you also have to develop a practical plan to be able to combat your addiction that would involve additional techniques. To learn about 7 different therapies that can be used to treat addiction go to: http://drmartytashman.com/a-note-to-the-person-struggling-with-addiction

Overall, I treat addiction much like I would treat any other crisis. I would do addiction assessment to make sure I'm the right person to treat you. I'd identify triggers, what makes you more likely to repeat the addictive behavior. I can work with substance use and sex addiction. My general belief is that addiction is a way that people avoid dealing with other people and their problems. It can be a learned behavior. In order to stop doing the offensive behavior, it is important to focus on what you do want to do. This is the process of recovery, and I will do my best to facilitate this.

The cycle of addiction is dizzying to the addict and it creates what I calling "doing" some forward movement in growth. And undoing. The old (by now probably moldy) undoing). The trapdoor for the addict is you know the drug offers relief. And since you live only in the hear and now (emotional and physical pain can cause that feeling) you want the instant relief that it seems only the drug gives you. My job is to gently and sometimes not so gently dispel you of this massive myth. What you really need is to learn to slow down by substitution of behaviors. It will be clearer when we meet.

You went after work to hang out with friends. You had some drinks or you got high. Everything was fine in the beginning until you noticed that just stopping was no longer easy. I believe that people can reduce or completely stop. The choice is yours to make. There are consequences to working me; you may decide you don't need to be high or drunk to enjoy yourself.

I have successfully helped clients with a variety of addictions including eating disorders, substance abuse, compulsive shopping, compulsive exercise, gambling addiction, and sex addiction. I often work in conjunction with 12-step programs or other support groups, as guided by the needs and preferences of the client. In addition to helping clients stop the addiction that is hurting them at the moment, I help you to understand the origin of your addiction so that you can attain a more permanent recovery. By helping to you see the psychological motivations, you are empowered to work your program more effectively. Instead of transferring from one addiction to another, you develop strategies to

Addiction can be a powerful driver of actions and thoughts that can disrupt your life and those of your loved ones. As a therapist that specializes in work with couples but also works with individuals, my goal is to help you understand the roots and triggers of your addiction so that I can give you the tools to adjust and modify your behavior. When you're ready to become the best possible version of yourself, let's talk.

Addiction Counseling can include substances, alcohol, behaviors, eating, technology, gambling and others will be addressed in therapy sessions. Taking a look at current patterns in behaviors and how changes can occur will be explored and processed. Natural ways to target urges and cravings will be discussed in order to build confidence in the ability to tackle any challenge.

Individuals in the process of recovering from substance use can learn how to prevent relapse, identify and process triggers associated with substance use, learn interpersonal and emotion regulation skills to navigate life in recovery from using substances and assist in developing a positive support system. Individuals can learn about treatment and recovery from substances.

I show people who are misusing substances that overcoming an addiction is quite possible. I emphasize work and practice at coping skills. I first help the individual to judge only their self-defeating behavior but never to put themselves down as a person for being addicted. This helps reduce guilt, shame, anxiety and denial. We focus on developing coping skills to handle problems and change behavior. I show the individual how to develop emotional and behavioral control even when life is difficult and stressful. I teach how to increase frustration tolerance. I lay out a specific plan for coping with temptation. I build and maintain motivation for staying with the recovery process.

Audrey will help you work through addiction as a symptom to a bigger problem instead of the core problem in your life. She will help you identify behavioral patterns and negative core beliefs about yourself and the world around you. Through this you will work through develop healthy coping skills outside of substance use and develop a fully developed esteemable life you can be proud of.