Addiction Therapists in Orleans, ON.

One of our lovely psychotherapists, Cher, has spent the majority of her career supporting folks struggling with addiction and addictive behaviours. It’s something she’s passionate about! Using a variety of therapeutic interventions and a harm reduction approach, she supports her clients to discover and develop their version of a happy and healthy life. This may include helping people gain new perspectives and strategies for addressing struggles with interpersonal relationships, facing difficult emotions, healing past wounds, and exploring and understanding one’s self in new ways. She greets each of her clients with non-judgment and meets you where you’re at.

I provide individuals with a safe space where they will have the opportunity to openly address any aspect of their life that may present difficulties while trying to overcome addiction. Psychotherapy can also be effective for individuals who have a history of addiction and are emotionally and interpersonally vulnerable. I can offer coping-focused psychotherapy to help you learn the practical and specific ways in which you can cope with your problems. These may be addiction, relapse prevention, panic, anxiety, and depression.

Often, the focus of addictions counselling is abstinence. But my treatment philosophy focuses on getting at the feelings that lie beneath the symptom - the symptom of addictions or substance use. Substances or any addictive behaviors are driven by painful hurt, trauma, and losses/grief and working through these issues I can help you to better understand the role of substances in your life. You don't have to do this alone.

Many people who don't understand addition would say to someone struggling with addiction to just quit or stop the behavior, but addiction is a disease. You don't have to do it alone. I understand that the will is not the issue, let's work collaboratively together on your journey to take control of yourself and redirect your focus to what matters most to you.

Addiction is a complex coping strategy and illness. Often deeply connected to attachment struggles, together we will map out the role addiction has played in your life, and create strategies for wellness and balance. Addiction often requires a team approach, with family, medical practitioners, and others working together to support you. I would be honored to be part of your wellness team as you address addiction in your life.

It can be hard to know where to begin when dealing with addiction because its roots can run deep into the fabric of our lives. When working with individuals who experience addictions, I first seek to understand and appreciate each person’s story and work to provide a safe, supportive and non-judgemental space where healing can begin. My own experiences with addiction and recovery have helped me to understand the healing power of compassion, acceptance and encouragement. Reach out today to learn more about my approach and your journey to healing.

Gaining recovery from addiction will help you to feel empowered and more in control of how your life enfolds. You can begin to proactively choose beneficial goals and outcomes, rather than being at the mercy of a behaviour or a substance. Gaining the ability to live in the present--rather than, consciously or unconsciously, constantly focusing on capturing a future state promised by a substance or behaviour--can offer you new-found appreciation and joy in your everyday surroundings and bring you back to self-love.

We are social beings who thrive when we feel connected to others. When we are unable to connect with our loved ones, we feel painful disconnection. These feelings of disconnection can lead us to explore other strategies to feel good, even temporarily. The use of substances or addictive behaviours can temporarily reduce our feelings of emotional and physical pain while increasing our sense of pleasurable feelings. Because it is temporary, we must continue to engage in these addictive practices to cope with feeling disconnected, and our use becomes more problematic and destructive. Together, we will explore the disconnection that is driving the addictive behaviour.

Addictions, normally have to do with emptiness that has to be filled and what we do to fill it up are the different kinds of vices that holds us under the control of whatever addiction one has. It is important to really explore what is being covered by the addictions because what one might think or refer as pure enjoyment might be completely different than the real reason being covered.

In a supportive and empathic environment I help people suffering from an addiction to develop trust, build motivation to change, implement and maintain strategies to change as monitor their recovery process and journey of self-discovery. I work with both cognitive and behavioral techniques on the cycle of addiction as well as insight-oriented methods to develop a healthier and more productive whole person.

Addiction often stems from deeper issues that must be uncovered. People use substances or behaviours as a way of numbing and escaping from their pain and unmet inner longings. I can help you discover those root issues and begin the necessary healing process. I will also guide you in developing healthy new ways of handling your pain and depending upon the help of God and others throughout the process.

The Addiction Psychology Service at the Centre for Interpersonal Relationships is a private, office-based service offering individualized and flexible psychological assessment and treatment of substance use and gambling difficulties. Substance use and gambling are part of the lives of many individuals. Occasionally, some experience problems with their physical and mental health, personal relationships, or school or work as a result of substance use or gambling. CFIR therapists offers scientifically-based, short-term or long-term psychotherapy options to assist clients in changing their substance use or gambling behaviour.

Addiction can be a scary thing that is often surrounded by ambiguity and confusion: why do I continue to use when I know it is bad for me? Why do I want to use in the first place? Why can't I seem to stop using and why cant I change? In working with clients, step 1 of our work is figuring out the answers to these questions and figuring out why addiction occurs in the first place. After this, we explore tools, resources, and therapies that will best work for clients in helping them create the changes they need and to promote the lives they want.