Addictions . . . A minefield of information, advice and opinions. If you’re suffering, you want help quickly and it can be difficult to wade through reams of information to get the help you need. The following is a brief overview of what Willow Tree Counselling has to offer.
I welcome clients with varying addictions issues to my downtown Vancouver counselling and psychotherapy office including those struggling with:
I see individuals and some couples affected by one or more of the above issues. I also provide counselling for family members and friends who are affected by someone else’s use.
I start where you are. Whether you want to cut back or are seeking total abstinence, I will support you. Together we will come up with a plan detailing your goals and ways of getting there and discuss reintegrating meaning in your life. Addictions can crowd out everything else that was once important to you; counselling can help you reclaim things you have lost or identify and pursue new avenues. We will also pursue practical strategies for maintaining your gains and things to do to get “back on the horse” when you slip.
Acceptance, kindness and collaboration are key features in my counselling style. I will never add judgement to the mix; chances are, you do enough of this already and it’s sabotaging your efforts to get better. I am consistently positive and hopeful with my clients and, if I have earned your therapeutic trust, I will challenge you and expect you to ultimately fulfil your potential, whatever the bumps along the way.
I don’t try to do it all. While the obvious point is made that you are the key factor in your success, I will also refer you to other helpers should you need or request additional assessment and treatment. This could include referrals to physicians, residential treatment facilities, support groups, detox, acupuncture or naturopathic medicine.
If you’re calling me, you may be at the end of your rope. You care deeply about your loved one with an addictions issue but you don’t know how to preserve yourself in the process. Maybe you’re so worried and panicked about their use and their safety that you can’t concentrate on daily living. Through counselling, you can learn strategies for self-care and tools to communicate with the relative you’re concerned about. Some family members struggle especially when their loved one won’t get help. Counselling can be a good first step.
I welcome individuals and concerned family members to call or email me directly for more information about my counselling approach and to discover whether I am the therapist who is right for you. Change is all around us; I have complete faith that my clients can realize it as well.
A classic in the field; introduced the concept of co-depenency and how to break free of it.
This book has survived the test of time. A slim volume chock-full of practical suggestions for adult children of alcoholics.
Problem gambling support and treatment services provided free of charge for BC residents.
Providing a range of services for those struggling with substance use or addiction, including detox, counselling and medication.
A resource list of lower-cost professional counselling options in Vancouver. Corrections and suggestions welcome.
Concerned about your drinking? Confidential and anonymous online assessment tool developed at the University of Victoria.
From the people at Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction (CARMHA).
A super-simple online resource with practical tips for “evolving your drinking” as well as links to other helpful online resources.
1-877-455-2233
24-7 telephone counselling and online support for quitting smoking.
This Canadian-based, 10-minute online survey allows you get information about your drinking from the privacy of your own computer. You can print off a report for yourself or choose to email it to a health care provider.
604-675-3700 – Joseph and Rosalie Segal Centre, Vancouver Hospital, Level 1, East Entrance
24/7 phone, walk-in and outreach support for urgent, non life-threatening mental health and addictions issues.
BC-based website offering comprehensive information on a wealth of mental health conditions and addictions concerns.
24-7 crisis service for anyone that is suicidal, thinking about suicide or for concerned friends/family. BC-wide service.
604-875-4794
Works to reduce suicide risk among those in crisis, to assist family & friends who care about them and promote healing for those bereaved by suicide.