What is substance addiction?

• Substance addiction is an attempt to escape, cope, and/or regulate emotions and pain with the use of substances.

What approach do you use in addictions counselling?

• Like most areas of my practice, I use an eclectic approach. This is a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, narrative therapy, family systems therapy, and the task model with a trauma-informed, psychosocial, and harm reduction lens.

• For those interested in a 12-step model, I will follow aspects of this approach, but I also recognize 12-step philosophy isn’t for everyone.

  What do you mean by concurrent disorders?

• Addiction is a symptom of trauma. Often, there’s underlying relational and/or developmental trauma and/or mental illness. Addiction is our attempt to cope and regulate.

• Substance addiction often coexists with sex, porn, and/or love addiction.

“I don’t really think I have an issue with addiction, but others do.”

• Perhaps you’d consider an addiction and trauma assessment.