Addictions Counselling

Good addiction counsellors “meet the client where they are at” without any judgment.  Many of the best addiction counsellors have lived experience, in addition to professional training, and respect that there are different pathways to recovery from addiction.  What works for one person might not work for the next person.  For instance, some people resonate with alcoholics anonymous, narcotics anonymous, or another 12-step model.  For others, a different program, such as SmarRecovery or Lifering, is a better fit.  

Our addiction counsellors have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and understand the ‘landscape’ of addiction treatment.  We know that addiction is complicated, and deeply linked to an individual’s mental health, and often their history of trauma.  Because our team is interdisciplinary, we are able to assess and treat all of these aspects.  Rather than focusing narrowly on the behaviour, we try to provide fulsome support to the person.  

Our approach to addiction counselling includes motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy, which help our clients stay motivated and on-track, tolerate setbacks and relapses when they occur, and set tangible goals for their recovery.  

Whenever possible, we connect with the family to provide support, and if needed, we help guide the individual and family towards intensive resources such as residential treatment or Home Based Recovery.