Strategies and support from a therapist who knows both addiction and recovery.

Alcohol and Drug Counseling

Private addiction help in Boca Raton, Florida and online throughout Florida.

What does addiction look like?

If you recognize yourself in any or all of these descriptions, you may have a substance use problem. or a behavioral addiction, or both.

Your life is dominated by frustration, resentment, anger, and irritability.
Shame and doubt keep you awake at night, and you’re afraid to plan for next week, let alone the next ten years.
Maybe you have a pattern of losing jobs, and the only reason they gave you was, “It just wasn't a good fit.” You never told them you were working under the influence, or that you called in sick with a hangover, but somehow they knew something was off.
You feel powerless over how to handle racing thoughts and uncomfortable feelings. You feel like life is happening to you instead of for you, and it isn’t fair. You’ve lost control over your emotions.
Your moods seem to control your choices. You feel like your life is dominated by frustration, resentment, anger, and conflict.
You tend to act on a whim, choosing instant gratification over long term rewards. But now those negative consequences have started piling on. You’d like to sort it all out, but you don’t know how.
You see things as one way or the other - if there’s a middle ground, you can’t find it.
Your chest feels tight and every muscle in your body feels tense. Perhaps you overreact to things you think you should be able to handle.
It’s difficult for you to accept criticism, yet you judge yourself more harshly than anyone else does. You secretly feel unloved, or even unloveable.
Do you feel more shame, guilt, or fear than you used to? It may be hard to get honest with yourself about how deep this problem goes.
You may have trouble resolving conflicts with others. Do you have a hard time being honest with yourself and the people in your life?
Your relationships have suffered — with your friends, your family, and even yourself. You can’t imagine the first step toward rebuilding what you’ve lost.
Sometimes you obsess over disappointments and mistakes. Other times, you feel trapped or overwhelmed. It’s exhausting, and sometimes it’s easier to go back to bed.
Do you have trouble setting goals, let alone achieving them? You're overthinking to the point of avoiding decisions and actions, and you have trouble setting goals because you feel powerless.
You feel like you're out of touch with the things that are important to you.
Your physical health has deteriorated, and you feel it. You don’t want to admit how bad it’s gotten, so you make excuses - to others and to yourself.
At this point, you can’t tell the difference between physical pain and emotional pain, and you just want to feel better. You try to cover up your fear, but you’re not sure you’re fooling anyone anymore.
You feel numb or unfocused, like you’re walking through a fog instead of living your life.

If you’re turned off by the thought of putting your life on hold to deal with the way anxiety, addiction, or trauma is affecting your family, your career, your social relationships, your moods, your motivation, and your sense of self-worth, let’s get connected so you can get the relief you need.

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The Right Fit

How do you know if you’re in the right place?

My practice is a good fit for you if you are ready to get off the emotional rollercoaster, repair your relationships with family and friends, and get your career back on track.

Whether you think you might have an addiction to alcohol or other drugs but you're not sure, you're just out of rehab and you need some extra support, or you’re the parent or partner of someone in active addiction, I can show you how to recover your life.

If you’ve already got some time in recovery and you're ready to take your recovery to the next level, I’ve got the tools for you, too.

Why are you here?

Some of the initial questions I ask my clients are, Why are you here? Why now? What do you hope to gain from therapy?

These are the answers I hear most often. I’m willing to bet that at least one of them is going to resonate with you.

I want to stay sober. If I can just get a little time sober, everything will work itself out.
I want to be happy.
I don't know who I am.
I want my family to trust me again.
I want to be more confident.
I want to make my own decisions.
I want peace of mind.

Those statements probably sound familiar to you. But you’ve hesitated to get help because you do not want to quit your job, leave your home, or put your life on hold.

Research shows that online treatment for substance use disorders and behavioral addictions is just as effective as in-person treatment. With the convenience of online therapy, you can get the help you need.

Addiction, Therapy, and Mental Health

Addiction takes many forms, and they are not all related to substance use. It is possible for you to have both substance addictions — such as alcohol, illegal drugs, and prescription medications, and behavioral addictions, also known as process addictions — such as codependency, compulsive shopping, and excessive internet use. I work with both.

Dual Diagnosis

We may not realize the connection between our substance use and our mental health. Often, that connection comes from a history of trauma. Because of stressors in our homes and workplaces, it’s more common than you might think to receive a mental health diagnosis along with diagnosis of a substance use disorder. That's why I specialize in dual diagnosis - therapy for addiction recovery and co-occurring mental health disorders.

There are many diagnoses that appear alongside drug and alcohol addiction.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Depressive Disorders
Panic Disorder
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Psychotic illness
Borderline Personality Disorder
Antisocial Personality Disorder

Active addiction mimics a lot of the symptoms of mental health disorders. I find that when we deal with the stressors, triggers, and trauma, some clients no longer fit the criteria for the co-occuring disorders they thought they had. Others realize that these mental health disorders are what led them into addiction in the first place. Sorting it all out is a validating and comforting experience.

All addiction, whether it's a substance addiction or a behavioral addiction, is about the same thing: Feelings.
People use substances and behaviors to escape feelings, or to find a way to have feelings they see other people having and wish that they could have.
I’ll help you find other ways to cope - ways that won’t damage your relationships, jeopardize your job, or lead to a downward spiral of shame and guilt. I’ll give you the tools to manage your recovery with confidence.

Life in Recovery

There are so many positive changes you can expect to see through recovery and the work that we do together.

You will get comfortable with your feelings. You will learn to manage your emotions instead of letting them manage you.
You will repair the damage to your relationships and start to build new relationships - healthy, satisfying relationships. You will learn to set and keep healthy boundaries around how you treat others, and how others treat you.
You will start to think more clearly. Your memory and focus will improve. Your senses will sharpen and you will start to develop more confidence in your decisions. You will have more energy, less muscle tension, and less anxiety.
Your physical health will improve as you change how you treat your mind and body. Your skin will clear up, you will sleep better, and you won’t get sick as often.
You will start to notice something you haven’t had for a while: Stability.

Are you looking for an addiction therapist in Florida?

My clients tell me they feel more comfortable with a therapist who has lived experience, because I know what’s it’s like to live in active addiction and what it’s like to live in active recovery.

I can teach you how to live a happy life in recovery because I’ve successfully done it myself.

You are not alone. I see what you are going through and I understand how you feel, because I went through it. I am here to guide you. This has been my speciality area since I earned my counseling degree in 2012.

I schedule appointments seven days a week, because addiction doesn’t take a holiday.

I will help you dissect the reasons behind your addiction. We will acknowledge the things you don’t like about your feelings and actions, and we will take steps to help you accept the past, forgive yourself, and move forward toward your dreams and goals. We will focus on solutions by identifying your strengths and building on them.

If you’re in a head space where you do not feel as though you have many strengths, I promise you right now that you do, and I will help you recognize and expand on them.

Reach out Today