Addiction Therapists in Clearview, ON.

Many addictions stem from underlying issues or experiences that an individual has gone through in the past. By exploring these experiences, clients are able to better understand why they may have turned to substances or unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with these issues. I strive to help clients develop more healthy coping mechanisms, build a more desired future and redevelop severed or strained relationships from their past.

Addictive behaviours may feel like comfort to the vacuum left by aloneness or detachment. The feeling of aloneness can start early. Children require a lot of emotional interaction to develop trust that their needs for support and caring will be met. If they don’t experience positive attachments, they may turn their needs for love and caring into physical cravings, which are easier to fill, and develop relationships with their addictions because they're more in control of them than those they look to for love and attention. I create a therapeutic environment in which individuals can deepen their understanding of their feelings and learn to trust their inner resources to connect with others.

The term “addict” is commonly shrouded in judgement, guilt, shame, and remorse. I want to introduce you to a different understanding of addiction while providing insight into your actions. I offer a safe space to share your story and the tools to help you move beyond addiction. I can help to uncover subconscious blocks on the journey of healing from addiction or from a loved one’s addiction. No situation is hopeless, regardless of the addiction (sex, drugs, alcohol, gambling, food), change is possible. We are powerful beings and regardless of our past hurts, we are all worthy of love and healing. We are all good enough as is to deserve peace, happiness and freedom from the urge to use. To Partners of Sex Addicts: Have you just experienced discovery?...(view profile to read more)

Addictions are a cry for help. I don't focus on the addiction, but the problem underneath the addiction, such a abandonment, family relationship issues, loneliness, unresolved grief, family secrets, rigid family rules, verbal or non-verbal. I uncover the reasons why the person became addicted, and then focus on new ways to replace the addiction with more healthy coping stances.

I have found that the holistic psychotherapy model plus the 12 step model has been extremely effective to deal with addictions of all kinds. The comprehensive approach that touches upon the family of origin traumas, anxiety, depression, insecurities and relationship issues leaves no stone unturned. Victoria Provides brief and long-term Transformational Holistic Psychotherapy, Motivation and Inspiration, Parts Integration Therapy, Stress Reduction, New Decision Therapy™, Couples Therapy, Polarity Therapy, Reiki and Trauma Therapy with adults. Victoria uses a variety of items from a wide menu including: Traditional talk therapy: Giving space for the client to explore and express feelings, own....

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 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 are vital in the process of positive change sustained by strategies to prevent relapse. My experience shows that underlying issues must be addressed.

While sex addiction is sensationalized in the media, it is still a valid concern for couples as it may impede their relationship and quality of life. Despite no clear definition for sex addiction, it is a societal issue that needs to be addressed and one that may affect relationships negatively. As a clinical sexologist, I feel it is vital that individuals and couples are free to express their sexuality, but without taking away from their personal, professional, and family lives. Sex therapy can provide a way to balance these aspects, as well as strive for healthy and sexually fulfilling relationships.

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

I have helped literally thousands of men who struggle with pornography addiction and the grief it brings to their marriage. The toxicity of shame and secrecy help keep this struggle private until caught. This addiction is not an easy one to win against on your own and needs the attention of a therapist. Most men have no idea why they are so locked into this addiction. In the last few years, women too are becoming increasingly more caught in the web of porn addiction, equally with no idea why. Although porn addictions look sexual they are often another issues being acted out sexually. This is where I have been so successful in helping people with this addiction and find the freedom they want.

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.

I have years of experience working with those suffering from addictions. Addictions can be very challenging to overcome and relapse can be common. Learning to identify the underlying patterns and reasons why one may be experiencing this can help to transform the individual and stop the pattern. I approach each person as an individual--unique and whole, deserving to be treated as more than just a condition.

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.