Welcome to my online Substance Use Counseling services in Massachusetts. This blog focuses on substance use counseling services, providing insights, resources, and guidance tailored to individuals seeking support in managing their substance use challenges. I am committed to delivering effective online counseling services to help you navigate your journey towards recovery and well-being, conveniently accessible from the comfort of your own home

My Substance Abuse Counseling Services Include:

• Individual Counseling: I offer individual counseling services to those who are ready to take the first step towards sobriety. I will work closely with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that aligns with your unique needs and goals.

• Recovery Enrichment: For individuals in recovery who are seeking a deeper and more meaningful experience, I provide specialized therapy sessions designed to enhance your recovery journey.

• Support for Loved Ones: I understand that addiction affects not only the individual but also their loved ones. I am here to provide support families and friends who are navigating the challenges of addiction.

Substance Abuse Counseling

• Are you ready to stop drinking, or smoking marijuana?

• Are you in recovery, and seeking a deeper experience to work through some stuck points?

It can feel impossible to the person who is drinking or using drugs to imagine a life without alcohol or substances. For so long alcohol and drugs have been a way to relax, cope and deal with life stressors, but at some point the use of these substances stopped being fun and relaxing, and it can now feel like its out of control.

Once you've gotten to this point it's not as easy as making a decision to cut down or stop altogether because now you may be addicted and physically cannot go without the substance. Or maybe it has become such a routine habit that it's not as easy as replacing your drinking with something else. People begin to feel badly about themselves, and may experience depression and anxiety. Loved ones and significant others are bothered by their alcohol or drug use, and there may be significant consequences, but to the person who cannot stop drinking or using, those consequences are not enough to get them to stop.

People often believe that those who are addicted to substances or alcohol are making a choice to continue to drink or use drugs. This is not the case! The behavior of drinking and using substances becomes habituated, and there are biological changes that occur. Even if people know there are consequences to their drinking or drug use, they cannot make a simple choice to not drink. This often leads to frustration and conflict in relationships, which often only fuels one's drinking and drug use. This becomes a vicious cycle, and people who are using alcohol or substances feel isolated and hide their use of alcohol and substances, which only reinforces the dishonesty and conflict in their relationships.

There is Hope. Substance Abuse Counseling can help you create a new path forward

Recovery is possible! I provide online drug and alcohol counseling across the state of Massachusetts. As a Substance Abuse Counselor, I bring a unique perspective and treatment approach when working with individuals dealing with addictions. I understand that many people who use substances often feel isolated and overwhelmed by the magnitude of their challenges. These feelings are entirely normal. However, I want to assure you that you absolutely can achieve sobriety, mend relationships, boost self-esteem, and lead a substance-free life. I am here to support you every step of the way.

Often, people seek therapy for their alcohol or drug abuse after they tried many other things to cut down or stop all together. People may have tried to replace their alcohol or drug use with a healthy habit, tried AA, used their “willpower” to try to stop, tried exercising or joining a gym, tried eating healthy, tried switching to non-alcoholic beers, limited their drinking to weekends or social events, promised to never drink alone, and the list goes on and on. The use of alcohol and drugs are often due to underlying causes, and substances are used as a way often to cope and soothe from past traumas. Without getting to the root of the problem, the efforts above often don't have a lasting impact, and you remain stuck in the same cycle.

There are many new perspectives and new research on addiction, including alcohol abuse, marijuana abuse, and drug abuse. There are also more treatment options for people to get the help. I combine several different approaches when we work with people with substance abuse issues, including 12-step, mindfulness and psychodynamic concepts.

In your sessions for drug and alcohol counseling, I will provide psychoeducation regarding addiction, utilize 12-step and mindfulness concepts, and work with you around possible past traumas that you might have experienced. A focus on my treatment is to help people repair and improve their current relationships, and make new connections to the larger community as many people who use alcohol and substances are generally socially isolated.

My treatment approach

Comprehensive Assessment

Whole Mind provides a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment which includes an assessment of an individual's developmental history, history of past and present relationships, connections to current social supports, assessment of work and education history, past and current traumatic experiences, current use of alcohol and/or other substances, assessment of mental health symptoms including generalized anxiety disorder and clinical depression, and a thorough assessment of the presenting issue that brings you to substance abuse counseling. The assessment generally takes anywhere from two to four appointments, with a focus on understanding your relationship with alcohol and/or other substances.

Psychoeducation

Initial treatment will focus on psychoeducation regarding alcohol and any other substance abuse, and its impact on relationships, social connections, and the effects that alcohol/substance abuse have on your mind and body. Habituated behaviors can be characterized by obsessions (thoughts) and compulsions (behaviors). For the heavy drinker and alcoholic, this is also the case. This knowledge is the foundation of gaining a better understanding of your drinking in terms of how it manifests from a mind-body perspective.

Working Through Ambivalence

It's common for people to feel conflicted about changing their use of alcohol or other substances. Commonly, people say they want to cut back or “drink socially.” Your counselor will help you work through any ambivalence. Alcoholism is a progressive illness, one that gets worse over time, not better, and generally the people we meet with realize that they cannot return to social drinking. This leads to new insight, and this is when the real work begins.

Supportive Therapy

Another major component of drug and alcohol counseling is providing supportive therapy as you walk through the conflict and experiences that arise on your path to recovery. The path to recovery is not linear, and different experiences, both positive and negative, may occur. Therapy helps you process these experiences to come to new truths, awareness, and insight.

12-Step Focused Therapy

Drawing on concepts and work from the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and integrating these concepts into therapy will be a major component of treatment, as well as therapeutic direction to uncover what might have been suppressed by your isolation, disconnection, and habituated use of substances.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

For those in recovery, I offer EMDR therapy. EMDR is a powerful and effective therapy focused on helping people alleviate symptoms and heal from disturbing memories and experiences in a safe and effective way. Sometimes difficult experiences get locked in our bodies and mind, and these unprocessed experiences can leave us feeling overwhelmed, distressed and stuck. EMDR therapy works with people to relieve psychological distress frozen in their body and brain. People are then able to adaptively change their emotional responses to past adverse experiences, present situations, and focus on their future with greater outlook and confidence.

Resource Coordination and Referrals

Therapy is a great start, but the path to recovery will require new social connections both inside and outside of the recovery community. Referral to AA meetings and other recovery connections is another major component of treatment.

I want to help my clients gain a better understanding of why they use substances or alcohol, while also creating a safe therapeutic space free of judgment for people to bring to therapy their concerns and worries.

For the family

It is often said that alcoholism and addiction is a family disease. The family experiences hopelessness, anger, guilt, shame, constant worry and a range of different emotions due to their loved ones alcoholism or substance use. Therapy and counseling is available for family members who have a loved one who are in active addiction, or who have a loved one who is now sober, but the family member continues to experience difficulties as a result of their loved ones past use. Healing and recovery is not just for the person who is using substances. The family can heal and recover too!

For those in short or long-term recovery

Whole Mind also provides therapy and counseling for someone who is recently sober or in long-term recovery. Life continues to happen, and being in recovery is a unique experience. I can help you process your experiences and support you in your continued recovery.

FAQs

“Yeah but, I’ve kept my addiction a secret for so long, I will feel judged talking about my drinking and drug use to a counselor.”

Many people who use alcohol or other substances carry around shame and guilt about their alcohol or drug use. It's not uncommon for people who use alcohol or substances to not want to talk about it with a therapist or counselor because they will feel judged.

“How am I supposed to pay for drug and alcohol counseling?”

I am in-network with several insurances plans. See my FAQs page for more information. For more confidentially, I also have private-pay rates, and can provide you a superbill for possible out-of-network reimbursement from your insurance provider.

“Can online Substance Abuse Counseling help me?”

Yes, online therapy has been proven to be as effective as in-person visits. I provide online counseling across the state of Massachusetts. Virtual therapy also offers increased flexibility around scheduling, and you do not need to spend time driving to and from your appointment.

Take the first step towards recovery today

If you're ready to begin your journey to recovery, please don't hesitate to contact me to learn more about my services.