Addictions - Including Substances Life Stress Reduction (LSR)

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.

Life Stress Reduction (LSR), Developmental Needs Meeting Therapy, AEDP

Life Stress Reduction (LSR) therapy is an effective, yet simple method that helps eliminate unwanted emotions and reduce stress. It has the potential to rapidly relief emotions, such as anger, anxiety, fear and depression.

A Life Stress Reduction therapist will deliver the sessions and offer exercises and practical techniques to help resolve the client's issues.

Life Stress Reduction offers clients a unique journey  of self-discovery which starts by addressing his or her concerns.  By releasing the emotional charges associated with these emotions, clients can experience significant emotional breakthroughs. Whether the source of stress is relationships, career, health, self-esteem or past traumas, LST can help to resolve the related emotions.

Life Stress Reduction typically leaves a client with a general sense of well-being, and renewed hope.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Life Stress Reduction, please browse our list of practitioners below..

DNMS therapists believe that when certain needs are not met during childhood, a client will maintain a childlike state specific to that inadequacy into adulthood.

Sexual, verbal or physical abuse, as well as traumatic experiences, attachment issues and rejection can all result in a range of issues which can be addressed through Developmental Needs Meeting Therapy.

In the earlier stages of therapy, therapists will help clients to connect to their own inner resources, including a protective, nurturing and spiritual self. When these resources are integrated, the client will discover how to heal the child states within them. As a result of this emotional healing, a client will experience more positive behaviours and emotions through healing the wounded child-egos within.

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

Accelerated experiential-dynamic psychotherapy focuses on techniques to bring about healing and helping clients to achieve behaviour transformation. The outcomes are facilitated through a exploring difficult experiences that have had a profound relational or emotional effect on the client's life experience.

Dr. Diana Fosha developed this innovative approach which is closely related to other disciplines, including body-focused approaches, affective neuroscience and attachment theory. The goal of Accelerated experiential-dynamic psychotherapy is to tap into the client's untapped inner resources for healing. The AEDP approach equips clients with the skills they require to confront and deal with emotional traumas, instead of resorting to defensive tactics, which is a common knee-jerk reaction. It allows the client to see their own internal coping skills that were hidden before, and to wake those inner strengths to become a natural response to life's circumstances.

If you are looking for a counsellor who offers AEDP therapy, please browse our list of practitioners below..

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

Staci Illsley

Ph.D., R.Psych
    • Online booking
For over 25 years, Dr. Illsley has continued to hone her therapy skills and weaves cognitive-behavioral, developmental, attachment-based, neurological, mindfulness and somatic approaches into her therapy. She prefers to... Read more