What are your life goals? Moderation? Abstinence?
Or something in between? I work with clients who sincerely want to get more control of their drinking problem but don't like the traditional, 12-step treatment approach. I do not believe that a single, inflexible treatment method can work for everyone. I help each of my clients choose his/her own, unique path to a better life. I have found that abstinence from alcohol is the right treatment goal for some clients, while moderate drinking is a realistic goal for other clients. All that matters is what works for you. "Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man but coaxed downstairs a step at a time." Mark Twain Giving up a destructive habit can be accomplished successfully in two ways: One way is by substituting an alternative dependency. The second way is by learning how to rely on one's own inner skills. Only by having the skills within yourself can you have true self-confidence. Depending on something outside of you, even if it is a non-destructive dependency, can only lead to a lifetime of fears, self-doubt and insecurities. My Unique Approach
At the core of my treatment philosophy is a psychological phenomenon called "Harm Reduction."
This is what it means: Harm Reduction is a ground-breaking and innovative treatment approach for people who have problems with alcohol especially in the United States where abstinence and 12-step programs are generally seen as the only way to deal with addictions. It's based on the belief that since people develop bad habits gradually over time, it will take an equally gradual process to safely and successfully break those habits. Equally important, Harm Reduction addresses the difficulty of achieving total abstinence.
Harm Reduction is based on the belief that each person develops a substance abuse problem due to a unique interplay of biological, psychological and social factors. This is the most innovative and sophisticated development in drug and alcohol treatment in the United States in many decades. Ironically, it is a common practice in European countries and Australia where clinics offer Harm Reduction as a first choice for substance abuse clients for the simple reason that the approach works so well.
My Harm Reduction Coaching sessions are designed to help you use and choose the varied harm reduction techniques and tools that appeal to you most to deliberately and methodically reduce your usage of alcohol gradually, step-by-step, over time -- not overnight. This is a highly customized treatment approach that is molded to fit your situation, lifestyle, personality, and goals. Lasting changes in their lives by an evidence-based sequence of changes in the way they think and act. When my clients are shown how to make changes following this proven sequence, it is easier for them to make lasting changes in their lives. Armed with a step-by-step Action Plan, you will have the highest possible chance of succeeding. You will begin to manage your bad habits and improve your personal relationships with the people you love. Learn proven life-management skills. For the past 30 years, I have worked one-on-one, by phone or in person, with clients in my private practice in Los Angeles who are struggling with alcohol. I know what is working, not only in my own private practice, but in cutting-edge practices and treatment facilities across the country and around the world. Knowledge first, Treatment second...
Addiction Recovery Planning Session
My first session with you is not a therapy session. It is a strategic planning and information session. Before you found my website, you probably thought that the AA treatment approach was the only way. Now that you know other treatment methods exist, it is my job to first educate you about your new options without confusing you. In the process, you and I will collaboratively design an Action Plan for your changing your behavior(s) with specific actions for you to take -- step 1, step 2, step 3, and so forth. If you don't want to do it, if it doesn't appeal to you, it won't be in the Action Plan. By the end of this intense hour, most of my clients have the confidence and knowledge to begin decreasing or eliminating their destructive habits without further help from me. Thirty years as an addiction alternatives psychologist has shown me that you can learn to have confidence in your own abilities, to trust your own judgment, and to trust that you will consistently act in your own best interests. I look forward to helping you get out of your destructive situation and begin to gradually create a life that makes you feel better about yourself, happier and more self-confident.
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Harm Reduction
