Maybe drinking a beer with friends has always been a fun way to unwind. Or a glass of wine at the end of a long day of parenting was designated "you" time to recharge. Marijuana has helped you chill out at the end of the work day or school day. Smoking a cigarette or vaping has calmed you down when you feel anxious. Experimenting with other drugs has been something fun and adventurous to experience with friends at concerts or social events.
But lately... you've started to wonder if it's getting out of hand, if maybe you're relying on it too much. Maybe your occasional use has become more intense or frequent, or is causing you to slip up at work or feel disconnected from loved ones. Perhaps you notice negative health effects that concern you or you notice that lately, you've been feeling worse when you consume that substance rather than better. Maybe you're not sure that you're ready to give it up altogether, but you have questions about your use and you wonder if there may be a more helpful alternative. Therapy can be a safe place to explore your questions or concerns.
In addition to being a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I am also a Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC). If you have some of these questions (or others) about your relationship with alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, or another substance, I'm here to meet you where you're at. Together in therapy, we can explore your questions and concerns around your relationship with that substance, and how that aligns with your personal values, those things in life that matter to you most and give you a sense of direction.
We can also explore the role that using that substance has played in your life, the purpose it has served, and if appropriate, help you develop a toolkit of alternative skills so that you have options when you feel tired, overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, or depressed. I'm also happy to work in collaboration with medical professionals to utilize medication assisted treatment where helpful or needed. In therapy, we'll work at your pace and help empower you to decide what you want your relationship with substances to be, and create a roadmap to help you get there.
Please reach out to me for a free 15 minute phone consultation to explore if we might be a good fit to work together in therapy.