Addiction Counseling

Addictions (substances or behaviors) are all defenses based in physical and/or psychological pain reduction. If we can eliminate the cause of the pain, the need for the addiction can go as well. While this may sound simple, that doesn’t mean it’s easy or painless to do. We will address the pains that lead you to your addiction and work through the obstacles to abstinence and sobriety, if that is what you want, whether you choose to do so via a 12-step program or without it.

Working with addiction is about accepting who you are while also asking you to change. People with addictions are blamed, and yes you need to be held responsible, but you also need to find the part of yourself that knows that you didn't consciously choose this for yourself and they you want better...in spite of all of the evidence others have of you being selfish, uncaring, and irresponsible.

With years of experience in the field, I provide SUD assessments, referrals, and psychoeducation on addiction as a disease. I offer counseling to loved ones navigating a family member’s addiction and help individuals with addiction deepen their recovery journey. Whether you’re working your program or uncovering new insights for growth, I’m here to guide and support you every step of the way.

To some degree, we all use behaviors to escape reality and cope with suffering. You or your loved ones may be concerned that your relationship to substances or repetitive behaviors has become a barrier to your healthy functioning. Let's explore this relationship further and gather insight into how you might learn to meet your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in ways that do not limit your potential.

Since 2012, I have worked in residential treatment centers, intensive outpatient treatment centers and was a manager of Kaiser Permanente's Addiction Medicine and Recovery Services clinic in Santa Clara. I have years of experience and training in many approaches to addiction treatment, including abstinence-based care, harm reduction, 12 step and non-12 step modalities, Relapse Prevention, Medication Assisted Treatment, Co-Occurring Disorders, and Family Codependency Treatment.

I am a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor in Texas and a Licensed Addiction Counselor in Colorado and have five years of experience working with clients struggle with substance abuse. Each of my license requires 40 hours of addiction classes/training on top of my Master's degree focused on understanding the experience and treatment of addiction. I am passionate about using my expertise to see and understand clients experience without increasing shame.

So called “experts” on “sexual addiction” erroneously take clients with paraphilic disorders into treatment. These paraphilic disorders, such as voyeuristic, exhibitionistic, frotteuristic , masochism, pedophilic, fetishistic, and nonconsensual behavior disorders are wrongly placed in “sexual addiction” treatment under the excuse that these behaviors often include sexual obsession. The “sex addiction” “expert” is then unable to adequately treat these, by definition, deviant behaviors.

I worked in a drug and alcohol rehab for over 5 years on and off. Addiction is just a symptom of trauma, an unhealthy living/society/environment, and lack of emotional regulation skills. My goal is to treat the whole human at a biopsychosocial level, meaning I look at all areas of the human, and the issues within those areas, to provide coping skills and education for those issues. Examples: physical health, social life, thoughts, feelings, genetics, upbringing, traumata, spirituality, etc.

My expertise in addictions counseling comes from extensive training in CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and mindfulness. I focus on integrating these approaches to support clients in overcoming chemical dependency and building community support. I emphasize effective relapse prevention strategies tailored to individual needs, fostering sustainable recovery and personal growth.

I have worked at every level of substance abuse and addiction treatment, from inpatient to outpatient to community education. I work with individuals coming in through self-referral and those with court involvement. Glad to help you work on your addictive compulsions in intensive or regular outpatient treatment.

I have 10 years of experience working with addictions of all types. The first thing to know is that there are many different paths and that we will focus on what path will be the best for you. While I cannot speak to every fellowship that exists, I know that there is a path, a place, and a people waiting to offer you hope and support. You deserve to know that you are no longer alone, so long as you can maintain honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness, along with maybe some humor too.

I have been working in the addiction field for over 10 years in inpatient and outpatient centers.

With a passion for helping those with addictions, I continually stay up to date with the best practices in addiction counseling. Oftentimes there is a reason for people's addiction, and so I not only work on helping clients change their current behaviors, but also on the underlying reasons and past trauma. As with other mental health challenges, I offer a compassionate and non-judgmental approach, helping clients to offer themselves compassion and acceptance that is needed for persistent change

Micheal has provided counseling in a treatment setting for drug and alcohol since 2002 as an individual therapist to a group counselor. Micheal has worked for drug court, some of his clients will go to 12 step meetings, and Micheal will write letters to the court for proper documentation. Micheal encourages his clients to get the help and support that they need from various entities so that his client’s don’t become dependent on him as the therapist. Treatment plans are individualized.

Addictions Counselor since 2017

I have worked with adolescents when I was in the Marines back in 2001 and started working with adults in 2003. I have led groups and I have worked with clients whom were in drug court. I believe in being honest with my clients and will hold them accountable and I am open to talking with them about everything that involves their addiction from trauma to their use, to the dysfunction that they grew up in as a child.

While working in an outpatient treatment center for substance use disorders I would provide counseling for relapse prevention, education around drugs/alcohol, family support, safety planning, and sobriety management

I have worked in the addictions field since 2019 and have gained an understanding on how substances can restructure an addicts brain.