Substance Abuse Counselling
Nanaimo • Squamish • Online
Video Counselling | Telephone Counselling | In-Person Counselling
Sex Addiction Therapies
EMDR • Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Internal Family Systems • Attachment • DBT • CBT • Polyvagal
Now Accepting New Clients
Substance Abuse Help
At Stone Reef, we offer a comprehensive approach to treating addiction. We are trained to treat addiction through Dr. Patrick Carnes task model programming “Facing Addiction”, as well as other therapeutic modalities such as CBT, DBT, IFS and EMDR to assist in the recovery process by building skill. Our therapists have extensive experience treating addiction in some of Canada’s most premier addiction treatment centers prior to working in private practice. Our therapist also have their own recovery stories.
Are you concerned about your partner’s or family member’s drinking? We can help you navigate the seemingly impossible scenario of getting an addicted loved one the help they need. Most importantly, we will help you and your family empower yourselves with boundaries to achieve freedom from chaos codependency.
Sometimes individuals need more intensive care than weekly therapy to address addiction. Stone Reef has recovery coaching plans available to help you more intensively to provide insight and coaching when needed to keep you on the road to recovery and away from relapse.
Stone Reef therapists maintain some of the best addiction referral networks in the country. This means all of your questions will be answered, and a comprehensive treatment plan will be implemented. Whether it’s an interventionist, inpatient program, recovery coach, sober house, or or accountability programs, Stone Reef can help you chart the right course to recovery.
Am I Really Addicted
Signs of Addiction
- Loss of Control: One of the hallmarks of addiction is the inability to control substance use. If you find yourself repeatedly using more than you intended or unsuccessfully attempting to cut down, it may be a cause for concern.
- Prioritizing Substance Use: Addiction often leads to a shift in priorities, with individuals dedicating an increasing amount of time and resources to obtaining and using substances, even at the expense of relationships, work, or personal well-being.
- Cravings and Obsession: Persistent cravings and obsessive thoughts about using substances can be indicative of addiction. If the desire to use becomes overwhelming and difficult to resist, it may signal a deeper issue.
- Tolerance and Withdrawal: Developing a tolerance, where increasing amounts of a substance are needed to achieve the same effects, and experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not using are strong indicators of physical dependence, a common aspect of addiction.
- Continued Use Despite Consequences: Perhaps one of the most telling signs of addiction is the continuation of substance use despite experiencing negative consequences. This may include health issues, legal problems, damaged relationships, or financial troubles.
- Using to Manage Emotions/Stress: Another key aspect of addiction is the intolerance of negative emotion. Substances can be a powerful, but unhealthy, way to numb difficult emotions. This can lead to a reliance on substances to shift states instead of learning healthy emotional regulation skills.
- Do I use substances to cope with stress or difficult emotions?
- Have I unsuccessfully tried to cut down or quit using substances in the past?
- Do I find myself thinking about using substances?
- Have others expressed concern about my substance use?
- Do I use substances as a way to escape from problems or reality?
Looking Beyond the Behaviour: Our Approach to Addiction
At Stone Reef, our approach to treating addiction is to balance the “why” and the “how”. Our central philosophy is to inquire about the roots of addiction to gain awareness around the addictive process. In other words, it’s not about why the addiction, but why the pain. Stone Reef therapists will also help teach our clients the tools and strategies necessary to achieve and maintain sobriety. Often, therapists can get bogged down in the trauma story and achieve little progress in present day recovery, or rigidly focus on recovery behaviors without creating awareness around the origins of addiction. At Stone Reef, we balance these two very important approaches into a more holistic recovery process for our clients.