How do you work with clients with addiction?
It honestly depends on the client and what they're wanting to do. I'm a firm believer in risk reduction - which can look different for different people. I do a lot of work with individuals who are justice involved as a result of substance-related challenges. I'm also a fan of medication assisted treatment when possible. I'm trained in 12-step work, but that program isn't for everyone, so we'll do some work on triggers, relapse prevention, developing and strengthening support systems. A lot of times we find that people actually have ADHD and have been self-medicating for years. Once that ADHD is diagnosed and treated, the addiction challenges become much more manageable. No matter what, we go at your pace. I don't judge, push one program over another, insist on total abstinence or anything like that. The first step is scheduling an appointment so you know you're not alone in this.
ADHD is my specialty! I've been an ADHD coach for over a decade and I'm a licensed master social worker and addiction counselor. I love helping adults discover ways of calming the chaos in their homes. More often than not, we find that they've had ADHD this entire time and no one recognized it....until now. Looking forward to meeting you!