Addiction Therapists in Binbrook, ON.

Addiction is a process that involves dependence on a substance or behaviour that becomes uncontrollable. It affects loved ones who end up alienated and frustrated. The addicted person often suffers from low self-esteem and negative thinking patterns that need to be examined. I provide a context for understanding the origin of the issues and explore effective strategies to deal with the current addiction and explore new thinking and behaviours that will help usher in a healthier lifestyle. Family and community supports such as AA/NA are vital in the process of positive change sustained by strategies to prevent relapse. My experience shows that underlying issues must be addressed.

Addiction is rarely a stand-alone issue. It often develops as a response to deeper experiences such as trauma, emotional pain, stress, or unmet needs. Lasting healing requires more than simply managing cravings. In my work, I support clients not only in coping with urges, but in understanding and healing the root causes of addiction. Using trauma-informed approaches such as EMDR, Brainspotting, and Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), I help clients address the underlying patterns that sustain addictive behaviors and support meaningful, lasting recovery.

If we do something repeatedly, that we would rather not do, then we have an addiction. The problem with addictions is that people get hurt. The addicted person may not recognize the seriousness of their situation, but eventually both the addict and their loved ones suffer tremendously in a state of helplessness. Many families have been destroyed from addictive behaviour such as substance addiction (drugs/alcohol), gambling, sexual addictions, gaming/internet addictions. A counsellor can help. Workshops, groups, individual or family counselling can assist in breaking the devastating cycle of addiction. Coping skills and emotional awareness to negotiate compelling urges and compulsive in

Addiction is a multifaceted challenge, and understanding its roots is key to recovery. While I do not offer therapy sessions for addiction, we have several addiction specialists at Psychotherapy Collective who are available to schedule a free 15-minute consultation with you to ensure they are the proper fit for your journey. Visit our profiles at https://www.psychotherapycollective.ca/our-team

Having an addiction is rarely a choice that an individual makes when they first decide to use a substance. Addictions can often leave individuals feeling helpless and overcome with guilt for the way the addiction has impacted their relationships. Despite this, there is hope for someone with an addiction. With supportive counselling, an individual can overcome their addiction by recognizing their triggers and building on their current life skills to handle their triggers.

Sex addiction is one of the hardest addictions to treat because it’s not about avoiding/quitting the “poison”, rather, managing sexual desire in the right context. And since it’s based in shame, internal discomfort & self-loathing, approaching it from a moral judgment standpoint only exacerbates the problem. As such, I conduct the treatment process from a place of understanding, so the client can reach in their darkest places to identify triggers and we can address them – the process also works with porn addiction. I take a multi-prong approach – identifying & treating root causes, eliminating the addictive cycle, replacing it with constructive ways of self-soothing, and building self-esteem

Are you struggling to overcome addiction? You do not need to struggle alone - any addiction, whether to drugs, alcohol, pornography, internet, or any other behaviour that you want to change - is powerful. Our thinking patterns, behaviours, emotions, and the pure power of habit itself re-inforce each other and can keep you feeling trapped in the power of the addiction. Together we will explore how to break these cycles. Contact CBT Solutions to learn how this highly effective, evidence based treatment can help you.

For some clients, managing the use of drugs and alcohol is a potentially destructive area of their life. Managing these concerns requires knowledge, patience and persistence on the part of both the client and the therapist. Helping a client remain focused on their ultimate goal—be it sobriety, abstinence, or simply reducing the harm from their substance use—is a vital aspect of addiction counselling. Once these goals are in focus, clients need to be supported using evidence-based techniques which help them create healthy personal boundaries as they deal with the underlying issues beneath their addiction.

Addiction is a very complex issue, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the impacts of addiction are far reaching. While there are many factors that contribute to addictions, it is imperative to learn about emotional regulation in order to learn how to manage them. Individuals struggling with addictions find themselves in a continuous viscous cycle fighting uncomfortable emotions. Individuals continue with addictions because drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc. provide immediate and temporary relief from their environment and their painful emotions. My focus with addiction counselling is teaching emotional regulation and behavioural modification strategies.

My work in addictions take the approach that the addiction serves a purpose to the client and that without understanding the purpose, recovery is very difficult. We focus on strategies to manage/lessen/eliminate substance use while at the same exploring how substance use has served us - such as protecting us from uncomfortable feelings, or making us feel invincible, or bringing us a sense of control, to name a few.

Having an addiction is not a sign of weakness or lack of character. In fact, reaching out for help and being open to change takes a great deal of strength. My approach is one of openness and non-judgment. I follow a harm reduction approach meaning that I respect my clients right to set their own goals which will then guide our sessions. I appreciate that not everyone is ready to, nor wants to, work towards full sobriety. Harm reduction is about reducing the negative impact that substance use has on that person’s well-being and life. I strongly believe that any positive change is a success. If you think that my approach would work for you, please book a free consultation.

Learning to process emotions is a key component to addiction recovery. Getting in touch with your emotions, learning what your emotions are telling you, and how to manage and meet your needs in healthy ways is essential to staying free from addictions. Addictions often cover up unprocessed pain that needs attending to. We have therapists that can help you on our journey to living free from addiction.

It is very difficult, and it is a process, to make the changes necessary to stop abusing substances or performing an addictive behaviour e.g. gambling. Often there is a misconception that the difficulty in quitting has something to do with moral character or willpower, but nothing could be further from the truth. By the time a substance or behaviour becomes a problem in someone’s life there have been changes in the brain and body that make quitting a complex process. Through exploring the role the substance/behaviour originally played in the life of the individual, the underlying issue creating the feelings the substance/behaviour “soothes” can be determined and a new coping skill learned.