I am a national certified Master Addiction Counselor (MAC). In addition to that certification, I have provided substance abuse counseling, alcohol counseling, and drug counseling throughout over 20 years as a counselor. I understand that there is no "one-size fits all" approach to any issue, including substance abuse treatment. I work very hard to respectfully listen to what my client's needs are and together we develop a realistic and meaningful treatment plan. Too often, substance abuse counselors take an authoritarian and judgmental position with their clients and fail to take in to consideration their clients own expertise. I will not judge you.
I am passionate about helping you overcome addiction and improving skills that help you increase confidence that substances or alcohol won't be problematic in the future. I provide individual substance abuse treatment, not groups. Remember, addiction often times happens in isolation, recovery happens in community. I can help you navigate through the shame and vulnerability that often accompany addiction. We might also explore the patterns in your life that result in your problematic use. We can explore new ways of coping with difficult feelings and take steps toward your life in recovery. Remember, there is no cramming for sobriety like you would cram for a test. For some, this is a lifelong process. It can take small changes in your life to create big differences for you and those you love.
Overcoming addiction may take work and involve doing things differently. Sometimes people who are overcoming addiction relapse and feel like failures. You are not a failure. You are not a mistake. I can help you get refocused on how you want your life to be and to increase your skills to cope with problems without substances. Together, we can identify the tools you currently have, may have had in the past, or made need for the future. You get to decide what is right for you, 100% sobriety or moderation. If you feel that you simply need to cut back on alcohol consumption, the services I offer for my Denver, Colorado clients can help do that. I don’t assume that all people want to stop drinking completely, and can help your discover your motivation reduce or discontinue your use.
Individual Substance Abuse Treatment
Many of my clients have been apprehensive about getting counseling for alcohol, drugs, and substance abuse because this kind of counseling often occurs in a group setting. Instead, I work with each patient on a one-on-one basis, while helping them build a community of support for their changes. For the best alcohol, drug, and substance abuse counseling in Denver, Colorado, give me a call at 303-388-9749.
What is recovery?
According to The U.S. Department of Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA05-4129/SMA05-4129.pdf) the 10 Fundamental Components of Recovery:
• Self-Direction: Consumers lead, control, exercise choice over, and determine their own path of recovery by optimizing autonomy, independence, and control of resources to achieve a self-determined life. By definition, the recovery process must be self-directed by the individual, who defines his or her own life goals and designs a unique path towards those goals.
• Individualized and Person-Centered: There are multiple pathways to recovery based on an individual’s unique strengths and resiliencies as well as his or her needs, preferences, experiences (including past trauma), and cultural background in all of its diverse representations. Individuals also identify recovery as being an ongoing journey and an end result as well as an overall paradigm for achieving wellness and optimal mental health.
• Empowerment: Consumers have the authority to choose from a range of options and to participate in all decisions—including the allocation of resources—that will affect their lives, and are educated and supported in so doing. They have the ability to join with other consumers to collectively and effectively speak for themselves about their needs, wants, desires, and aspirations. Through empowerment, an individual gains control of his or her own destiny and influences the organizational and societal structures in his or her life.
• Holistic: Recovery encompasses an individual’s whole life, including mind, body, spirit, and community. Recovery embraces all aspects of life, including housing, employment, education, mental health and healthcare treatment and services, complementary and naturalistic services, addictions treatment, spirituality, creativity, social networks, community participation, and family supports as determined by the person. Families, providers, organizations, systems, communities, and society play crucial roles in creating and maintaining meaningful opportunities for consumer
access to these supports.
• Non-Linear: Recovery is not a step-by-step process but one based on continual growth, occasional setbacks, and learning from experience. Recovery begins with an initial stage of awareness in which a person recognizes that positive change is possible. This awareness enables the consumer to move on to fully engage in the work of recovery.
• Strengths-Based: Recovery focuses on valuing and building on the multiple capacities, resiliencies, talents, coping abilities, and inherent worth of individuals. By building on these strengths, consumers leave stymied life roles behind and engage in new life roles (e.g., partner, caregiver, friend, student, employee). Th e process of recovery moves forward through interaction with others in supportive, trust-based relationships.
• Peer Support: Mutual support—including the sharing of experiential knowledge and skills and social learning—plays an invaluable role in recovery. Consumers encourage and engage other consumersin recovery and provide each other with a sense of belonging, supportive relationships, valued roles, and community.
• Respect: Community, systems, and societal acceptance and appreciation of consumers—including protecting their rights and eliminating discrimination and stigma—are crucial in achieving recovery. Self-acceptance and regaining belief in one’s self are particularly vital. Respect ensures the inclusion and full participation of consumers in all aspects of their lives.
• Responsibility: Consumers have a personal responsibility for their own self-care and journeys of recovery. Taking steps towards their goals may require great courage. Consumers must strive to understand and give meaning to their experiences and identify coping strategies and healing processes to promote their own wellness.
• Hope: Recovery provides the essential and motivating message of a better future— that people can and do overcome the barriers and obstacles that confront them. Hope is internalized; but can be fostered by peers, families, friends, providers, and others. Hope is the catalyst of the recovery process. Mental health recovery not only benefits individuals with mental health disabilities by focusing on their abilities to live, work, learn, and fully participate in our society, but also enriches the texture of American community life. America reaps the benefi ts of the contributions individuals with mental disabilities can make, ultimately becoming a stronger and healthier Nation.
Resources
www.samhsa.gov
National Mental Health Information Center
1-800-789-2647, 1-866-889-2647 (TDD)
Smoking Cessation Support:
https://quitza.com/forum
I am passionate about helping you overcome addiction and improving skills that help you increase confidence that substances or alcohol won't be problematic in the future. I provide individual substance abuse treatment, not groups. Remember, addiction often times happens in isolation, recovery happens in community. I can help you navigate through the shame and vulnerability that often accompany addiction. We might also explore the patterns in your life that result in your problematic use. We can explore new ways of coping with difficult feelings and take steps toward your life in recovery. Remember, there is no cramming for sobriety like you would cram for a test. For some, this is a lifelong process. It can take small changes in your life to create big differences for you and those you love.
Overcoming addiction may take work and involve doing things differently. Sometimes people who are overcoming addiction relapse and feel like failures. You are not a failure. You are not a mistake. I can help you get refocused on how you want your life to be and to increase your skills to cope with problems without substances. Together, we can identify the tools you currently have, may have had in the past, or made need for the future. You get to decide what is right for you, 100% sobriety or moderation. If you feel that you simply need to cut back on alcohol consumption, the services I offer for my Denver, Colorado clients can help do that. I don’t assume that all people want to stop drinking completely, and can help your discover your motivation reduce or discontinue your use.
Individual Substance Abuse Treatment
Many of my clients have been apprehensive about getting counseling for alcohol, drugs, and substance abuse because this kind of counseling often occurs in a group setting. Instead, I work with each patient on a one-on-one basis, while helping them build a community of support for their changes. For the best alcohol, drug, and substance abuse counseling in Denver, Colorado, give me a call at 303-388-9749.
What is recovery?
According to The U.S. Department of Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA05-4129/SMA05-4129.pdf) the 10 Fundamental Components of Recovery:
• Self-Direction: Consumers lead, control, exercise choice over, and determine their own path of recovery by optimizing autonomy, independence, and control of resources to achieve a self-determined life. By definition, the recovery process must be self-directed by the individual, who defines his or her own life goals and designs a unique path towards those goals.
• Individualized and Person-Centered: There are multiple pathways to recovery based on an individual’s unique strengths and resiliencies as well as his or her needs, preferences, experiences (including past trauma), and cultural background in all of its diverse representations. Individuals also identify recovery as being an ongoing journey and an end result as well as an overall paradigm for achieving wellness and optimal mental health.
• Empowerment: Consumers have the authority to choose from a range of options and to participate in all decisions—including the allocation of resources—that will affect their lives, and are educated and supported in so doing. They have the ability to join with other consumers to collectively and effectively speak for themselves about their needs, wants, desires, and aspirations. Through empowerment, an individual gains control of his or her own destiny and influences the organizational and societal structures in his or her life.
• Holistic: Recovery encompasses an individual’s whole life, including mind, body, spirit, and community. Recovery embraces all aspects of life, including housing, employment, education, mental health and healthcare treatment and services, complementary and naturalistic services, addictions treatment, spirituality, creativity, social networks, community participation, and family supports as determined by the person. Families, providers, organizations, systems, communities, and society play crucial roles in creating and maintaining meaningful opportunities for consumer
access to these supports.
• Non-Linear: Recovery is not a step-by-step process but one based on continual growth, occasional setbacks, and learning from experience. Recovery begins with an initial stage of awareness in which a person recognizes that positive change is possible. This awareness enables the consumer to move on to fully engage in the work of recovery.
• Strengths-Based: Recovery focuses on valuing and building on the multiple capacities, resiliencies, talents, coping abilities, and inherent worth of individuals. By building on these strengths, consumers leave stymied life roles behind and engage in new life roles (e.g., partner, caregiver, friend, student, employee). Th e process of recovery moves forward through interaction with others in supportive, trust-based relationships.
• Peer Support: Mutual support—including the sharing of experiential knowledge and skills and social learning—plays an invaluable role in recovery. Consumers encourage and engage other consumersin recovery and provide each other with a sense of belonging, supportive relationships, valued roles, and community.
• Respect: Community, systems, and societal acceptance and appreciation of consumers—including protecting their rights and eliminating discrimination and stigma—are crucial in achieving recovery. Self-acceptance and regaining belief in one’s self are particularly vital. Respect ensures the inclusion and full participation of consumers in all aspects of their lives.
• Responsibility: Consumers have a personal responsibility for their own self-care and journeys of recovery. Taking steps towards their goals may require great courage. Consumers must strive to understand and give meaning to their experiences and identify coping strategies and healing processes to promote their own wellness.
• Hope: Recovery provides the essential and motivating message of a better future— that people can and do overcome the barriers and obstacles that confront them. Hope is internalized; but can be fostered by peers, families, friends, providers, and others. Hope is the catalyst of the recovery process. Mental health recovery not only benefits individuals with mental health disabilities by focusing on their abilities to live, work, learn, and fully participate in our society, but also enriches the texture of American community life. America reaps the benefi ts of the contributions individuals with mental disabilities can make, ultimately becoming a stronger and healthier Nation.
Resources
www.samhsa.gov
National Mental Health Information Center
1-800-789-2647, 1-866-889-2647 (TDD)
Smoking Cessation Support:
https://quitza.com/forum
303-388-9749