Substance Use/Misuse Counseling
Has Substance Use Become A Problem?
Have you been going through a rough time and using substances to get by? Did your use start the fun, yet lately, it has begun to feel a little out of control or become so routine that you notice it's starting to affect your life negatively? Maybe you've gone through a traumatic event and started medicating the pain through alcohol or drugs or started other behaviors you feel ashamed of. Or did it begin with a doctor overprescribing, and you didn't realize you were dependent until the prescription ran out?
Many roads lead to dependency on substances and addiction, and when told the whole story, they all make perfect sense. We're human, and we're motivated to feel good; when in pain, we naturally seek to soothe ourselves. Sometimes, our best intentions, when overdone, can also take us to places that harm us.
No matter the reason and for however long you have struggled with substance use, counseling can help you break free from your dependency and get back to living the life you want to live. Compassionate counseling provides a safe and supportive environment where you can explore the root causes of your substance use, learn healthier coping strategies, and work towards a sustainable recovery.
People Turn To Substances For Many Reasons
Everyone has different experiences surrounding why they misuse substances. Some people feel intense social anxiety or ruminate on the past or the future, and pills help the anxiety quiet down. Some people lack a sense of purpose or meaning but never acknowledge it, and drinking is a way to numb that feeling. Trauma often plays a role in substance abuse, for the pain of loss and complex PTSD sometimes make it difficult to manage life on our own. Misuse of substances and dependency can become a way to compensate for other areas of life that are unaddressed and difficult.
Substance use can be both the cause and the effect of problems. When the mind becomes preoccupied with using, it leaves areas of life insufficiently attended to, such as relationships, dreams, or goals. Essentially disconnecting from ourselves, substance misuse causes many problems within oneself, like inner conflicts, complexes, and self-sabotage, aspects that are multifaceted issues that deserve attuned and curious attention.
Psychotherapy can help you address what's not working and explore areas that need attention. Through our collaboration, we'll create a space to step back and assess your substance misuse, explore your desired change, and work towards a safer level. If you've already mastered the steps, psychotherapy can be the next phase of deepening your recovery.
Substance Use Disorders Affect Over 20 Million Americans (1)
Not everyone reaches out to a counselor for their issues with substance misuse. To do so is a brave step in a new direction. Most of society misunderstands the layers and complexities of addiction. Without the knowledge that they are even struggling, it can be difficult for someone to recognize that they have an addiction and or that therapy could help. Shame is common in addiction, as is the stigma for needing treatment, and a lack of access to compassionate treatment programs often makes it difficult for people to reach out for counseling.
Societal Conditioning Teaches Us to Find Quick Fixes to Our Problems
We are a culture that prioritizes productivity over long-term sustainable wellness. A stressful world can leave people with little time for rest, making using substances an easy route to de-stress or relax.
When we're overstimulated or dysregulated, we can turn to the easiest option, and escaping or soothing with drugs and addictive behaviors are ways to evade our inner worlds to address our deeper woes. Without cultivating space to understand ourselves, we cannot live in a world that meets our needs. Typically, the cycle continues until we either become tired of ourselves or reach a "rock bottom."
Wherever you are on your path, psychotherapy can guide you in understanding how the cycle happens and finding alternative ways to cope with whatever ails you. Counseling can help you refocus your attention on what has led to your substance use and, with brave effort, create the space to look within and transform your life into a life of satisfaction.
Trauma-Informed Compassionate Counseling Tailored To You
Freedom from self-defeating patterns of substance abuse/misuse is possible and often comes through a safe and trusting counseling relationship. By recovering lost aspects of who you are and what you know — parts that were often rejected, forgotten, or buried in response to the past — you can find recovery within yourself and learn how to live a life of authentic fulfillment. You're more powerful than you realize.
Substance use and addiction is a path we can all be on, given the right circumstances of pain, trauma, and oppression. My goal is to help you rediscover your wholeness. There are enough judges in the world, and in my office, I will meet you with compassion, curiosity, and without judgment. The truth is that when it comes to living a good life, the only judge that genuinely matters is you.
The goal of psychotherapy for addiction is freedom. Freedom to choose your direction, your own life, and not be weighed down by dependency.
Sustainable recovery requires a comprehensive and long-term approach to address the root causes. I use a blended, holistic, and intuitive style that I tailor to each person's needs, including:
Psychodynamic and relational approach - Focuses on relationships of your formative years as well as present-day. We will explore how your present-day reactions are shaped by those early experiences and how you experience yourself in your relationships.
Motivational Interviewing - Together, we recognize aspects or areas of your life that you'd like to change, not based on opinions or perceived external advice, but through your own desire, discovery, and wisdom.
Mindfulness and Somatics - Body-oriented psychotherapy helps you notice and reconnect with physical sensations, practice or deepen present-moment awareness, and self-soothe with breathing, relaxation, and grounding techniques. Mastering these skills prepares you to navigate life's challenges even after therapy ends.
Attachment-focused style - In a supportive and safe environment without judgment, you can explore, process, and heal old, complex relational traumas should they come up.
You Might Still Have Concerns About Substance Use Counseling…
I’m worried it will take a long time for therapy to make a difference.
It’s natural to have ambivalence around change. Many people have told me that my compassionate approach is a welcome change from difficult recovery programs that leave them feeling guilty for using substances. Most people are surprised how quickly they feel relief when they have a counseling space where they aren't judged or shamed for using drugs or alcohol. If the 12-step program seems overwhelming and not the right fit for you, individual counseling might be exactly what you need.
I get that you don’t want you to be in therapy forever. This work takes time, effort, and investment. I aim to ensure our time together is effective, efficient, and sustainable.
Do I need to take medication to get better?
Sometimes medication can help people reach a place of stabilization, but medication is never a requirement, and I don’t push anything on you. To create the best treatment approach so that you meet your goals, we will assess the level of care you need and consider alternative skills needed. We will explore every option and your contemplations together. Our emphasis is centered on your perspectives and goals, exploring what would be most helpful and starting from there.
Whether medication is used or not, a safe, compassionate, and supportive relationship is continuously proven to be a major healing element in therapy for substance abuse and addiction.
How much experience do you have working with substance use treatment?
For the past seven years, I have worked with adults, families, and couples with co-occurring issues at an outpatient treatment program. The work has shown me that substance abuse-related issues like complex trauma, grief, PTSD, anxiety, and depression are also matched with resilience, bravery, misunderstanding, and stigmatization. I understand how most of society looks down on and misunderstands the complexities and nuances that go along with drug use, and I’m honored to offer a different lens.
Change sometimes requires a complex process of letting go of long-standing rituals and the comfort they bring. I have witnessed my clients' resilience and resourcefulness in recovering themselves and their lives, and I would love to see if I can help you do the same.
Ready to Start the Journey Beyond Substance Abuse?
To start the conversation, please reach out to me either through my contact form or call me directly at (650) 449-6054. We can discuss your needs and schedule a free 20-minute consultation. I look forward to helping you work toward a future beyond substance abuse.
Recent Posts
