Addiction & Substance Use Therapy in Ontario

Addiction can leave you feeling disconnected from yourself, your relationships, and the life you want to live. Whether you're struggling with alcohol, drugs, gambling, or another addiction, therapy offers a space to understand what lies beneath the behaviour rather than judging it.

Together, we'll gently explore the pain, experiences, and unmet needs that may be driving the addiction while building healthier ways to cope, heal, and reconnect with yourself. My goal is not simply to help you stop using, but to support lasting change by understanding what the addiction has been helping you survive.

Healing from addiction is about more than changing a behaviour. It's about reconnecting with yourself in a way that feels safe, compassionate, and sustainable. As we begin to understand the pain beneath the addiction, new possibilities for healing can emerge.

You don't need to have all the answers before starting therapy. Whether you're taking your first step, returning after a setback, or continuing your recovery journey, we'll work together at a pace that honours where you are today.

Healing doesn't mean forgetting your past. It means building a different relationship with it, so it no longer has to shape your future.

Addiction & Substance Use Therapy offers a compassionate space to explore both the addiction itself and the experiences that may be contributing to it. Together, we work toward understanding your patterns, reducing shame, and creating meaningful change at a pace that feels right for you.

Therapy may help you:

• Understand the emotional pain beneath substance use or addictive behaviours 
• Build healthier ways to cope with stress, overwhelm, and difficult emotions 
• Reduce shame, self-criticism, and feelings of isolation 
• Strengthen emotional awareness and nervous system regulation 
• Navigate triggers, cravings, and relapse with greater self-compassion 
• Rebuild trust in yourself and your relationships 
• Support recovery whether you're actively using, reducing use, or living in sobriety 
• Develop a deeper sense of self, purpose, and resilience 

Healing isn't about becoming a different person. It's about reconnecting with the person you've always been beneath the pain.

As a Registered Psychotherapist, my approach is grounded in compassion, curiosity, and respect. Influenced by the work of Dr. Gabor Maté and Compassionate Inquiry®, I believe addiction is not the problem itself but a response to pain. Rather than asking, "Why the addiction?" we gently explore, "What pain has the addiction been helping you survive?"

Whether you're actively using, exploring change, maintaining recovery, or living in long-term sobriety, therapy meets you where you are. Together, we'll work to reduce shame, strengthen your connection with yourself, and support meaningful, lasting healing.

Healing from addiction is about more than changing a behaviour. It's about reconnecting with yourself in a way that feels safe, compassionate, and sustainable. 

Healing from addiction is about more than changing a behaviour. It's about reconnecting with yourself in a way that feels safe, compassionate, and sustainable. As we begin to understand the pain beneath the addiction, new possibilities for healing can emerge.

You don't need to have all the answers before starting therapy. Whether you're taking your first step, returning after a setback, or continuing your recovery journey, we'll work together at a pace that honours where you are today.

Healing doesn't mean forgetting your past. It means building a different relationship with it, so it no longer has to shape your future.

I work with adults across Ontario who are seeking support for substance use, addictive behaviours, and the emotional pain that often lies beneath them. Whether addiction has been part of your life for months or many years, therapy offers a compassionate space to better understand yourself and begin healing.

I support individuals who are:

• Struggling with alcohol or drug use 
• Living with behavioural addictions, including gambling, gaming, pornography, shopping, or other compulsive behaviours 
• Wanting to better understand their relationship with substances or addictive behaviours 
• Actively using and looking for support without judgment 
• Exploring change, reducing use, or considering recovery 
• Maintaining sobriety and wanting to strengthen long-term recovery 
• Living with the effects of trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, or chronic stress alongside addiction 
• Supporting lasting healing by addressing the pain beneath the addiction 

No matter where you are in your journey, you don't have to face it alone. Together, we'll create a space where healing is guided by curiosity, compassion, and respect rather than shame or judgment.

Healing from addiction looks different for everyone. For some, it means reducing or stopping substance use. For others, it means learning to cope with life's challenges in new ways, rebuilding relationships, or finding a sense of peace that no longer depends on a substance or behaviour.

As we work together, healing may look like:

• Understanding the emotional pain beneath the addiction 
• Feeling less controlled by cravings or compulsive behaviours 
• Responding to difficult emotions with greater self-compassion 
• Building healthier ways to cope with stress and overwhelm 
• Strengthening your relationship with yourself and others 
• Reconnecting with your values, purpose, and sense of self 
• Experiencing greater hope, confidence, and emotional freedom
• Creating lasting change that feels meaningful and sustainable 

Healing isn't about perfection, and setbacks don't mean you've failed. Recovery is often a gradual process of understanding yourself with greater compassion, one step at a time.

I don't believe addiction defines who you are. Instead, I see it as a response to something deeper. Whether addiction has become a way of coping with trauma, overwhelming emotions, chronic stress, or unmet needs, I believe lasting healing begins by understanding the pain beneath the behaviour rather than judging the behaviour itself. Because trauma and addiction are often closely connected, many people also benefit from exploring my Trauma Therapy approach as part of their healing journey. 

My work is influenced by the teachings of Dr. Gabor Maté and grounded in Compassionate Inquiry®, trauma-informed psychotherapy, somatic awareness, and mindfulness. Together, we'll gently explore your experiences with curiosity and compassion, helping you develop a deeper understanding of yourself while creating new ways to meet your needs without relying on addiction.

Healing isn't about fighting against yourself. It's about reconnecting with yourself, understanding your story, and creating lasting change from a place of compassion rather than shame.

 Addiction has touched my life in many ways, shaping both who I am and how I practice today. Through my own experiences, years of supporting others, and my ongoing studies with Dr. Gabor Maté and Compassionate Inquiry®, I've learned that healing doesn't happen through shame or judgment. It happens when we feel safe enough to understand what our addiction has been helping us survive. I believe people don't need more judgment—they need a compassionate space to understand the pain beneath the addiction. 

Through my own experiences, years of supporting others, and my ongoing studies with Dr. Gabor Maté and Compassionate Inquiry®, I've come to believe that people don't need more judgment. They need a safe space to understand what their addiction has been trying to protect them from.

Whether you're actively using, exploring change, maintaining recovery, or supporting someone you love, I want you to know that healing is possible. You don't have to carry shame or face this journey alone. Together, we'll create a space where you can be met with curiosity, compassion, and respect as you reconnect with yourself and move toward lasting healing.