Substace Misuse/Addiction

Online Therapy for Substance MisUse and Mental Health

Are you suffering from negative consequences of your substance use and struggling to stop and regain control of your life? Is your substance use negatively impacting your relationships, health, finances, employment, or dignity?

Does your life often feel out of control and chaotic?

Or are you on your recovery journey and in need of support to maintain long term sobriety?

What we’ll work on:

Developing healthy coping and self-care skills

Exploring cognitive distortions that lead to misperception and suffering

Developing healthy communication skills to improve your relationship with yourself and others

Exploring underlying causes (abuse, trauma, unresolved childhood pain, low self-esteem, co-occurring mental health disorders, relationship problems, etc.)

Exploring your relationship with a Higher Power, spirituality, and Mindfulness practices to support a holistic healing approach

It’s time to live free and happy.

Whether you are still using substances and needing support to reclaim your Life, or if you are in recovery and wanting support to maintain it, I can help. Recovery is about recovering yourself which is often lost once drugs or alcohol take over. It is a journey of self-exploration, acceptance, forgiveness, and self-love. Integrating the body, mind, heart, and Spirit on this journey can help you feel fully alive and free.

I don’t believe drugs and alcohol (or other addictive substances and behaviors) are the real problem. The real problem is what drives people to misuse substances or engage in unhealthy behaviors to cope, numb, escape, distract, and/or avoid what’s truly the problem.

Let’s get to the heart of the matter, the root cause. Together we will explore the issues that have been covered up by substances. We will untangle the knots that led to you misusing substances in the first place. I will provide a variety of skills to support you to live life on life’s terms and realize you ARE strong enough, capable enough, and worthy enough to be loved, free, and happy.

Addiction is a Chronic, Progressive, and Fatal Disease when left untreated.

Therapy can help you break the hold

substances have on you

The first step is to assess your current condition to determine the appropriate level of care based on your needs. If you are misusing substances and are physically dependent, you may need to attend a residential treatment center to safely withdraw, detox, and stabilize your condition. Withdrawing from some substances like alcohol and benzodiazepines are life threatening. We will collaborate together to explore all your options so you can decide what is right for you based on your unique circumstances.

If you have recently discharged from a residential treatment facility, I will provide support as you return to your living environment and address whatever potential pitfalls could threaten your sobriety. Early recovery is as fragile as a newborn baby, and we will develop a plan to protect, nourish, and support this new life as you step into a new chapter. Many people mistakenly assume that self-help meetings (such as AA, NA, Smart Recovery, etc.) are enough to maintain their sobriety.

However the research is clear that at least 6 months of ongoing treatment offers the best chances to avoid relapse. The period of early recovery provides a golden opportunity to explore the underlying causes of substance misuse, getting to the root causes that do not disappear with the substance. Dr. Nicole Labor reports that personal development and spirituality are the two key elements that speed up the healing process and support long term recovery.

If you struggle with chronic relapse, we will dive as deep as you are willing to go to look at what is sabotaging your freedom from substances. There is a high correlation between addiction and trauma, as well as co-occurring mental health conditions. Our early childhood experiences form our subconscious belief system which drives our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. If we have experienced abuse (physical, verbal, mental, emotional, and/or sexual abuse), our nervous system carries these experiences and creates energetic blocks and distortions in our thinking and perception which leads to self-sabotage in many aspects of our lives.

I combine evidence-based therapeutic techniques along with holistic practices to untangle these distortions and blocks to reveal the real you that has been there all along, waiting to be seen and known. At our core, we all long to love and be loved. The inner work is to remove the blocks that prevent us from experiencing the love that we are and long to share. I will compassionately guide you through this process that can yield incredible transformation and inner peace.

Don't waste another day. Let's get started on the Road to Freedom

Schedule a Free Consultation

Mental Health

Online Therapy for Anxiety and Depression

Are you struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, or other mental health conditions that prevent you from living your best life?

If you have unresolved trauma and emotional pain, I offer you a safe and compassionate container to gently support and guide you through the healing process at your pace.

What we’ll work on:

Getting a complete picture of you and what you are struggling with

Determining what your goals are for treatment

Creating a plan that details step by step how we will help you reach your goals

Evaluating your progress frequently and determining whether we need to make changes along the way

Deciding when you have reached your goals and are ready to terminate treatment

Learn tools to heal and thrive.

If you are struggling with depression and/or anxiety, you may feel overwhelmed, hopeless, and alone. You may have panic attacks, social anxiety, or lack the energy to get out of bed. Medication can help reduce the symptoms, but it is not a long term solution on its own. Therapy can help you identify the underlying causes and learn coping skills and self-care practices for long term relief.

If you have unresolved trauma and emotional pain, I offer you a safe and compassionate container to gently support and guide you through the healing process at your pace. Childhood trauma can leave lasting scars which prevent us from loving ourselves and forming healthy relationships with others. It can lead to engaging in unhealthy or unsafe behaviors which sabotage us from getting our needs met and reaching our goals. The research shows that an empathic, therapeutic relationship to witness and acknowledge the deep pain can create new pathways in the brain, resulting in healing and change.

We will explore the traumatic events in your life and all the ways you have been impacted. When you are ready, we will seek opportunities for new perspectives which promote insights and new awarenesses that can make all the difference in the story you tell. Eventually you can author a new story that reveals a courageous warrior with the inner strength and confidence to conquer life’s difficulties and realize your authentic self is fully worthy of love and success.

Loss and pain are apparently part of the deal on this earth plane. If you are struggling with grief over the loss of a loved one, a separation or divorce, or other devastating loss, I will be honored to support you through the grieving and healing process. Sometimes our grief gets complicated and we get stuck in it, unable to process and accept it. Together we can find the knots that are keeping you stuck, and gently untangle them, freeing you to move forward with ease and grace.

If you are struggling with poor self-esteem, difficulty setting boundaries, codependency, over-giving and people pleasing, abandonment, mistrust, a challenging life transition, conflicts, resentments, or other challenges, there can be great opportunities during these times to self-reflect and do the inner work that yields transformational results. You can reclaim your inner power and step into the version of YOU that you were born to be.

Life is not easy, and there are times when we all need extra support to bolster our resilience, restore our equilibrium, and regain our clarity. Take the first step of the most exciting and rewarding journey of your life.

I’m here to support you through the process, one gentle step at a time.

I provide evidence-based treatment blended with a holistic approach that addresses your Body, Mind, Heart, and Spirit.

At Live Free Counseling, I take a holistic approach to address all aspects of the problem. Every person is completely unique and there is no one-size-fits-all treatment plan. We start with an assessment to understand you on many domains by learning about your physical health, your mental and emotional health, your faith, family history, social connections, living environment, employment history, legal history, and more. The process of learning and understanding continues throughout our journey together as we evaluate your progress and refine approaches when necessary to meet your needs.

Following the initial assessment, we will collaborate together to develop a customized treatment plan which includes your goals for treatment and the steps we will take to help you reach your goals.

Depending on your unique problems, goals, and needs, I may utilize various treatment modalities including Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems Therapy, Schema Therapy, Rational Emotive Therapy (RET), Solution Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Diaphragmatic Breathwork and tools to calm and support the nervous system. I utilize a trauma informed, person-centered approach.

For those who want to explore spirituality, deepen their connection to a Higher Power, and deepen connection to their Higher Self/Inner Wisdom, I am honored to support this sacred process which is often a key to inner peace, transformation, and deep healing.

Life is short and you are worthy of Love and Happiness

Schedule a Free Consultation

Online Relationship Counseling for
Connection, Compassion, and Harmony

Do you have a difficult time effectively expressing yourself and therefore avoid those “difficult conversations” for fear of making things worse or to avoid conflict altogether? Do you react with anger and say things you later regret?

Do you give the “silent treatment” to avoid dealing with the situation or to punish someone? Are you the recipient of the silent treatment, cut out of a loved one’s life?

What we’ll work on:

Explore your problem/situation/concerns to fully understand all aspects of it

Explore your family history and relational patterns to see how it may relate to the present situation

Learn the practice of self-empathy to explore and identify your thoughts, beliefs, perception, feelings, and unmet needs that are at the heart of your unfulfillment

Learn the practice of empathy to have a greater understanding of what others are experiencing

Improve communication skills to effectively express yourself and make requests in support of met needs

Learn tools to Increase your confidence navigating relationships as you move forward

Relationships are worth investing in

The health of our relationships are the key to a fulfilling life. The most important relationship is our relationship with ourself, the way we talk to ourself and treat ourself.

And then there are our relationships with everyone else — our family, partners, children, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. And the way we relate is to communicate. We are always communicating - whether it’s through speaking or silence, our tone, pitch, facial expressions, body language, and actions give away what we are thinking and feeling.

Sadly, most of us were not taught how to communicate effectively and therefore our relationships can become a source of deep frustration and unhappiness. They can also be a source of joy and happiness when we uncover and work to eliminate the ways we self-sabotage and practice conscious self-expression.

Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s process of Nonviolent Communication is incredible for changing the way we relate with ourselves and others and is a vital aspect of the work we will do together to resolve conflicts and restore harmony.

I also utilize Schema therapy to explore the underlying causes of self-sabotaging patterns (called Maladaptive Cognitive Schemas) which often keep us stuck. These patterns originate from childhood events and the unresolved emotional pain we carry through life — our baggage! By increasing awareness around these patterns, we can finally begin to heal, evolve, and enjoy greater intimacy and harmony.

I offer couple or family counseling, conflict resolution, mediation, and individual therapy to address your relationship needs. If you have a loved one struggling with substance misuse, I can support you to more effectively navigate this treacherous journey.

Reclaim your Joy

Whether you’re struggling in a current relationship, entering a new relationship, moving on from a past one, or simply wanting to feel more secure and connected to those close to you…I’m here to help.

You will have the opportunity to learn effective communication skills that empower you to express yourself honestly and authentically, set healthy boundaries, and teach people how to treat you.

If you struggle with negative self-talk or a ruthless “inner critic,” we will work to transform that critic into a loving voice for increased self-love and self-connection, a foundation for inner peace.

If you need support to resolve a conflict, increase trust and intimacy in your relationships, navigate your relationship with a loved one struggling with addiction and/or mental health, prepare to embark in a committed relationship, or navigate the conscious un-coupling to support the ending of a relationship, I can help.