Evidence-Based Therapy
Addiction & Unhealthy Habits
Most people who struggle with addiction aren't lacking willpower. They're caught between two very real pulls: the reasons to change, and the reasons to stay the same. Both sides make sense. My job isn't to tell you what to do — it's to help you get clear on what you want, and support you in getting there.
What Can Become Problematic
Addiction doesn't always look like what we see in movies. Many substances and behaviors have the potential to become excessive and interfere with your life:
- Substances: alcohol, drugs, pain medication
- Behaviors: gambling, pornography, shopping, food
- Technology: social media, internet use, video games
When any of these start causing problems — in your relationships, your work, your health, or your sense of self — it may be time to take a closer look.
You're Probably Ambivalent — And That's Normal
If you feel torn about changing, you're not weak or in denial. Ambivalence is a completely natural part of the process. Even behaviors that cause real harm have real rewards — otherwise you wouldn't keep doing them. Acknowledging that is not an excuse; it's an honest starting point.
Understanding why you do what you do is far more useful than judging yourself for doing it.
How I Work: Motivational Interviewing (MI)
I use Motivational Interviewing (MI), an evidence-based approach specifically designed to help people explore ambivalence and strengthen their own motivation for change. MI is collaborative, non-judgmental, and deeply respectful of your autonomy — you are the expert on your own life.
Rather than telling you what to do, we explore three core questions together:
- Why does this change matter to you?
- How confident are you that you can make it happen?
- Is now the right time?
One of the most powerful exercises we use is an honest pros and cons exploration — looking not just at the costs of your current behavior, but also what it gives you. What might you lose if you change? What would you gain? As an objective outside perspective, I can help you see factors you may have overlooked, while also sharing relevant research and information to inform your thinking.
If You Decide to Make a Change
Once you're ready to move forward, we shift into action. Together we build a concrete plan with specific, measurable, and realistic steps. We draw on your past successes and personal strengths — because you've overcome hard things before, and those experiences matter. If you want to know what has worked for others in similar situations, I'll share that too.
Maintaining Change: The Hardest Part
Starting to change is one thing. Sustaining it is another. Long-term success often requires adjusting multiple areas of your life — your relationships, your coping strategies, your daily routines, and your environment. The people around you matter. Your lifestyle needs to align with your new choices. Without these supports in place, even the strongest motivation can erode over time.
This is why we plan for the hard parts before they arrive.
A Honest Word About Relapse
Relapse is extremely common — research shows that roughly 75% of people relapse within the first three months of quitting alcohol or drugs. This is not meant to discourage you. It's meant to prepare you.
Recovery is rarely a straight line. If you slip, it doesn't mean you've failed — it means we have information to work with. We look at what happened, identify the loopholes, strengthen your plan, and keep going. Urges, doubt, and difficult moments are predictable parts of the process. We prepare for them in advance.
How Long Does Treatment Take?
Treatment length varies depending on where you are and what you need:
- 1–4 sessions — if your primary goal is to boost motivation and clarify whether change is right for you
- 12–15 sessions — to solidify change, build new habits, and restructure areas of your life that support recovery
- Longer-term therapy — may be necessary if you have a history of trauma, significant mental health concerns alongside addiction, or a complex history with substances
- Detox services — if you are physically dependent on alcohol or drugs, medically supervised detox may be needed before therapy begins. I can help connect you with the right resources.