Top addiction therapists in 98277: Oak Harbor, WA.

I consider myself an expert in addiction therapy. My focus is not the addictive substance or activity. I focus on the root cause for why you engage in the various activities for the purpose of self-medication. As we flesh out the emotional and traumatic scars from past life events, you will find that your desire to self-medicate reduces significantly.

What sometimes starts as alluring, intriguing and fun...can grow into a habit or behavior that leads to mounting consequences for yourself and those around you. When you continue to engage in something that continually results in pain and problems...it can be really tough to find your way out of the snare of the behavior. Our counselors at Mill Creek Family Services are experienced and trained to help you loosen the grip of addiction. With compassion and commitment we work with you to create the shifts needed to leave the damaging habits in the past and move into a life of freedom.

Addiction is a mental health condition and I treat addiction by a multi-pronged process predominately from a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) model. I help my clients understand the reasons they use a substance or engage in an addictive behavior, teach them skills regulate their emotions and tolerance distress that might otherwise lead them to engage in their addiction, and address any underlying issues that contribute to their addiction. I also help clients with with concerns about their substance use or compulsive behavior to avoid developing addictions.

It's only rarely that addiction 'just happens.' For most who have been caught in the web of addiction, it started for a reason. That reason may or may not be obvious, but through the counseling process, you can gain a deeper understanding of what drew you to substance misuse and why you continued using even when you knew it was a problem. Then you will also learn new ways meet those needs, ways that create vitality rather than disruption in your life.