March 2nd, 2011
My therapy practice is designed to provide compassionate support to those exploring addiction issues. We live in a society riddled with addiction. There are myriad ways we can become dependent on behaviors that temporarily soothe or distract us but ultimately cause measurable harm to ourselves and others. Alcohol and drug addiction counseling is a major focus of my therapy practice.
Alcohol and drug abuse are perhaps the most obvious examples of addiction. However, on closer examination we can see that food, money, sex, unhealthy relationships, the internet, pornography, religion, and certain other risky behaviors all fall within the realm of addiction. Learning to identify the signs of alcohol and drug addiction, acknowledge its reality, and crafting a healthy response leading to a path of recovery is an important focus of my counseling practice.
There are different models and alternatives for addiction recovery. Twelve Step Programs like AA, NA, and OA offer a path of spiritual recovery that is best known and has perhaps the greatest popular success. They are based on the basic principle of absolute abstinence. For others, programs like Rational Recovery and the Harm Reduction model may be more appropriate. I provide support for clients in a way that encourages them to discover the approach that is most successful for them.
Studies reveal that addictive behaviors are maladaptive reactions to various forms of emotional distress, dysfunctional strategies carried out in attempts to manage discomfort and suffering. Mindfulness-based stress reduction utilizes awareness skills to learn strategies of authentic self-acceptance and compassionately confront addiction issues. Clients can be empowered to reduce stress in healthier ways.
Embarking on the path of recovery is a beginning. Learning to navigate the inevitable challenges and distractions along the way requires unconditional acceptance and support. As an addiction counselor, I offer myself as a therapeutic ally, one who listens well, inquires, and supports a process of self-discovery that can lead to insight and the genuine recovery of life. My approach is to be supportive of recovery.
In over twenty years of experience, I have discovered that genuine recovery is truly liberating. We have the possibility of experiencing greater self-acceptance and of becoming more useful to society and to ourselves. Learning to live life in ways that are less self-absorbed and more service oriented; learning to have compassion for all living beings; and learning to laugh at the comedy of our circumstances, all give us the possibility of relaxing and discovering the joy of living.