Addiction isn't a choice but getting help is

You don't have to let substances take anything from you

It is very rare to find any addiction treatment center that does not emphasize the importance of these approaches for substance use. This is because both Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy have been well-studied and proven highly effective (2,3). I completed intensive postgraduate training in both of these modalities as well as comprehensive additional training in the process of becoming a licensed addictions counselor. CBT provides a solid framework for understanding and rationally responding to your thoughts around use as well as thoughts about yourself that contribute to it.

I guide clients through this framework and help them identify their unhealthy thoughts, rational responses to them, and the unhealthy core beliefs that create them. Then I help clients identify their unique healthy replacement beliefs and understand how to shift their baseline thought patterns to strengthen them. 

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By actively increasing mindfulness of your thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and consequences, you can address underlying factors leading you to use as well as the lies you may be telling yourself about your use and the exceptions and excuses that your brain keeps coming up with.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy provides a complex system called chain analysis that helps you break down the overall patterns of the behavior including the thoughts, emotions, and actions that are involved in your use.

As substance use treatment provider with advanced DBT training, I facilitate this entire process as well as identifying healthy replacement skills that can be implemented along every step in the chain or pattern of relapse. You can develop skills to reduce vulnerability, respond to irrational thoughts, manage difficult emotions in healthy ways, and ultimately choose healthier behaviors. DBT also contains additional skills that help specifically with substance use including coping ahead, acceptance, abstinence in the face of slip-ups, and how to deal with difficult cravings.

Even though it is common for people to want to believe all they need to do is just simply stop using or drinking, the reality is most people need to learn a lot of new skills because addiction is quite real and behavior change is typically surprisingly difficult. As a well trained and experienced addictions counselor, I have an extensive understanding of these challenges and how to overcome them.

I provide support with understanding and integrating CBT and DBT skills that goes way beyond what one can achieve on their own. I guide clients through the skills and framework with expertise and compassion as well as provide gentle accountability by suggesting things to practice and following up on how they went. Even if you can do it on your own, you will find it far more manageable with my help.