You’re Not Broken — You’re Coping: Therapy for Addictive or Compulsive Behaviors

If you’ve ever felt caught in a cycle with sex, drinking, drugs, or gambling, you’re not alone. Maybe part of you wants change, while another part isn’t sure it’s possible.

Sometimes the behavior brings temporary relief... until it brings regret, shame, or that gnawing sense of disconnection.

You may find yourself thinking:

“I know it’s not good for me, but I can’t seem to stop.”
“I feel like I’m living a double life.”
“Part of me doesn’t even want to let go of it.”

That kind of ambivalence makes total sense, and it’s exactly where our work begins.

I Help You Understand What’s Driving the Behavior, Not Just How to Stop It

I work with people who are navigating these complex behaviors using two evidence-based approaches: Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP). These both are effective treatments grounded in respect for your autonomy, agency, as well as attachment theory and affective neuroscience.

As a licensed psychotherapist with experience and training helping people break free from compulsive and addictive behaviors, I help you explore what’s happening without pressure or judgement. Whether it’s abstaining from patterns that don’t serve you or finding more balance in your life, I’m here to help you decide what your life can look like.

• With MI, we explore your ambivalence with compassion. We clarify what matters to you, what you're afraid of losing, and what might become possible if things shifted. There’s no judgment — just space to sort through what’s real for you. And, most importantly, you don’t need to have all of the answers right away.

  With AEDP, we go beneath the surface. We explore what the behavior might be protecting you from. For some individuals, there’s underlying grief, shame, loneliness, or trauma that still needs to be processed. Once you feel ready and we begin tending to those deeper wounds many people experience a felt shift.

Often, when the pain feels seen and met with care, the urgency to numb it begins to soften.

There’s Nothing Wrong With You. You’re Protecting Something Tender

Whether your relationship with gambling, sex, alcohol, or substances feels out of control or just quietly unsustainable, you don’t have to wait for things to get worse to ask for help. You don’t even have to be ready to quit entirely. You just have to be open to exploring your relationship with these behaviors with someone who will hold space for all the parts of you that are scared, stuck, or unsure.

If that sounds like what you’re needing right now, I’d be honored to work with you. You can reach out to book a consultation, and we’ll talk about whether this work feels like a good fit.