If you are interested in exploring your substance use I am able to provide expertise and counseling around healthy vs unhealthy use, what is considered a substance use disorder, as well as ways to reduce or manage your use should this be a concern for you. I am also able to discuss self-medicating and how this may be different from a substance use disorder. I have experience in working with substance use in a variety of contexts including abstinence based recovery, harm reduction, 12-step recovery, and self-medicating to manage symptoms and trauma responses.
Harm reduction is a form or substance use treatment that focuses on managing attitudes and behaviors around substance use. It is the primary frame that I work with substance use. It is a way of exploring a person’s use and the impact it has on their life positive or negative without judgement or a goal from the counselor other than the person’s goal for their life and how they would like to manage their use or accept their use. In coming from this framework I focus on exploration, impacts, and motivational interviewing to understand what you want to accomplish in regard to your use. I also have information on resources for support or more intensive treatment options should that be appropriate for anyone’s situation.