Addiction and Unwanted Behaviors

In person and online therapy for teens and adults near Minneapolis and across MN

Do you feel stuck in a pattern of addictive or other unwanted behaviors and cannot move on?

So many of us experience difficulties with addiction leaving us feeling hopeless, frustrated, and alone. Addiction can take many forms including alcohol, drugs, sexual behaviors, and gaming/ social media use. You desire freedom from your addiction, and you have not been able to find it. Desires to stop behaviors can take many forms including being ready to change their behaviors, feeling ambivalent about making changes, or family and friends expecting them to making changes. You need someone to meet you where you are and work with you on the goals you have for yourself.

You have tried everything and are still stuck

You may find yourself in a pattern of trying to stop and falling short again leaving you feeling ashamed, guilty, or embarrassed about being in an endless cycle of unwanted behaviors. Maybe you have tried traditional counseling and it did not work. You just want to live your best life and have the best relationships with those around you but cannot do so because aspects of your addiction are holding you back.

You do not need to suffer in silence.

Allow yourself to be free from the unwanted behaviors.

Imagine what it will be like to be free from your addiction or unwanted behaviors. Freedom looks differently for everyone and understanding your path is important. Experiences throughout life can leave our body and nervous system out of balance leaving us to be in pain. Addiction and unwanted behaviors helps us sooth the pain we are experiencing and provides the (temporary) relief we are seeking.

Therapy using a brain and body approach can allow us to work through the burdens and challenges of life.  Humans are social beings and burdens and challenges are best worked through with the support of others.  Not on our own.  Some of what challenges us are a result of thought patterns that do not support our wellbeing and hold us back in life.  Other challenges are more deeply engrained in the emotional and memory centers of our brains.  We will work together to understand what is holding you back and develop an approach that will allow you be free from you addiction or other unwanted behaviors.

Therapy for addiction and unwanated behaviors can help you…

  • Release pent up emotions more effectively instead of being quick to anger, using substances to deal with your pain or engaging in behaviors that damage relationships with loved ones.

  • Understand how your brain works and how it is impacted by anger, anxiety, and trauma.

  • Address sources of strong emotions to help you be less reactive and more balanced.

  • Build confidence and strength to manage future challenges. 

  • Increase your self-empathy, self-acceptance, and self-forgiveness to address gain control of your self-criticisms.

 FAQs

  • After you reach out, we will make sure I am a good fit for what you would like to address. The first session is typically focused on background, information gathering, and goal definition. We will also discuss what cadence of appointments will be most helpful for you. From that point we work towards goals specific to what you want to focus on.

    My style is relational and laid back. I tend to incorporate brain science into sessions for a more robust and deeper healing process. I also like to layer in a little sarcasm and humor into sessions because it is important for me to be myself and for you to be at ease. Therapy can anxiety provoking so my goal is for you to be comfortable and feel like you can be honest and open in session.

  • In general, men have not been encouraged to seek support when dealing with difficult experiences or emotions due to social norms. We’ve been told to “suck it up”, “deal with it”, or “just move on”. There are countless examples that imply that men should “handle” it on their own that we learned from parents, friends, and society.

    This mindset has led men to several impacts such as men feeling more isolated than women, men being 3-4 times more likely to commit suicide than women, and men being 2x more likely to experience substance use challenges. If we were able to effectively to “suck it up and move on”, so many would not be suffering with their mental health in silence.

  • You find yourself on my page for a reason. If you find yourself feeling stuck, not yourself, and experiencing difficulties you cannot figure out, you will benefit from therapy. Most men wait too long to take care of their health and make their wellbeing a priority and those around us suffer because of it. If you are still uncertain, feel free to reach out for a free consultation to see if we would be a fit.

Reach out today

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