Addictions - Including Substances Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT)

Addictions - Including Substances

While some people can use prescription or recreational drugs with no negative effects, many others become addicted and face dramatic health and lifestyle problems as a result. Substance addictions negatively affect relationships, home, school or work, leaving the person feeling ashamed, helpless and isolated.

Physical symptoms of substance abuse and addiction are varied depending on the drug of choice, but the symptoms of the addiction itself are similar. People who are addicted to substances may neglect their responsibilities, take potentially dangerous risks and get into trouble with the law. As their drug use spirals out of control, they will lose interest in activities that used to be enjoyable and continue to take drugs despite knowing the harm it causes.

Substance addicts tend to build up a tolerance to their drug of choice, and get angry when they can't get more of it. Withdrawal symptoms are highly probable when an addict goes without it for too long. Depression, nausea, insomnia, sweating, restlessness, anxiety and shaking are all common withdrawal symptoms.

Psychotherapy can help you to overcome substance addiction by focusing on correcting maladaptive behaviors. Substance abuse is usually a coping mechanism against emotionally overwhelming past events or memories. Substances are often used to provide instant gratification instead of facing certain issues.

Therapists are equipped to help clients deal with addiction recovery through empowerment and helping them set simple short term targets. The first target is sobriety, followed by empowering the client with adaptive skills and finding new coping strategies that deal with the issues that caused the addiction. Substance addiction can be ended, allowing the person to live a healthy, productive life.

If you need a counsellor or psychologist to help you address the effects of substance addiction, you can search the directory below to find a professional with the approach best suited to your situation.

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), Emotionally Focused Therapy - Individuals, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, EMDR, Psychedelic Assisted Therapy

Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) has helped couples and family members to treat distressed relationships, depression and a range of other emotional difficulties. It is one of the most common treatments used in private counselling and psychologist practices, training centres and hospital clinics around the world.

The main goal of Emotionally focused therapy is to create a secure bond between romantic partners and to reorganize and expand critical emotional responses. It helps to improve communication between partners, which is more beneficial to the relationship. EFT is a practical therapy that has been used successfully in relationships and marriages for many years, due to the fact that it creates a spirit of respect and harmony.

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy generally only lasts between six to twenty sessions and has been shown effective in 90% of relationships.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, please browse our list of practitioners below..

Note:  Some practitioners practice Emotion Focused Therapy rather than Emotionally Focused therapy.  You will want to confirm that it is indeed Emotionally Focused Therapy that the counsellor/psychologist practices.

Note:  Some practitioners practice Emotion Focused Therapy rather than Emotionally Focused therapy.  You will want to confirm that it is indeed Emotionally Focused Therapy that the counsellor/psychologist practices. 

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy is helpful in helping clients who suffer from a wide range of mental health issues. It is most commonly used for people that are having problems managing their emotions. It typically includes individual and group sessions with focus on skill learning of attention, managing emotions and interpersonal skills.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy helps individuals to cope with stressful situations and distressing emotions to help improve their interpersonal relationships. During times of stress, a person usually acts automatically with no regard for consequences, and this often leads to self-destructive behaviours such as self-harm, manipulation and poor eating and sleeping habits. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy can help a client to make better decisions.

During sessions, the therapist will discuss different viewpoints, because they share the theory that opposites can, and do, co-exist. The therapist will teach the client helpful skills that will help the client to accept or change a situation.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, please browse our list of practitioners below..

EMDR, also known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy uses a range of processes to address the full clinical situation. Dual stimulation is one of the key elements and the therapist will use tools such as bilateral eye movements, taps or tones.

Reprocessing involves the client momentarily attending to triggers, past memories or anticipated future events, all the while focusing on the supplied external stimulus. Normally, the client will experience memory changes, new associations and insights. EMDR has been found to be incredibly useful for processing past and present trauma that can continue to impact an individual in many ways.

There are eight phases to EMDR treatment and the therapist will devise a treatment plan during the first phase, and equip the client with the necessary coping skills in the second phase. Phases 3-6 cover the actual EMDR treatment, described above. Phase 7 is about closure, while phase eight is all about re-evaluation of the process.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers EMDR Therapy, please browse our list of practitioners below..

Psychedelic Assisted Therapy is a new and powerful approach that combines the use of psychedelics such as psilocybin or MDMA with professional therapeutic support to address mental health issues. These guided sessions, under the supervision of trained professionals can so often enhance introspection, increased insight resulting in significant therapeutic breakthroughs.

 

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Psychedelic Assisted Therapy, please browse our list of practitioners below..

 

Note: You may narrow your search by selecting more than one filter below.

Vijay Mann

MCP, RCC
    • Online booking
People are unique individuals with unique experiences. We all bring distinct histories and concerns to therapy. I respect your story and your concerns, and will provide support in a way that will work for you. ... Read more

Rissa Neufeld

M.Sc., RCC
    • Online booking
Hello! I'm a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) in BC and a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) across Canada where those credentials are accepted. I have 10 years of experience offering individual and... Read more