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Addiction Counselling
Get help managing the effects of addiction (and concerning or addictive behaviours) in the home before they become a bigger problem. Kids and parents will learn how to better manage triggers, express their feelings and rebuild self-esteem in these Addiction Counselling sessions.
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"How do I know if Addiction is an issue for my child?"
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It is not uncommon for your child to turn to substance use to escape their feelings due to anxiety, stress, or untreated mental health issues. However; when drugs or other forms of addictive behaviour are used as coping mechanisms, harmful cycles can develop.
If left untreated, addiction in teens can result in a range of negative outcomes, including mental health issues, legal problems, strained relationships, academic problems, financial difficulties and higher risk of suicide. Seeking treatment early is crucial. The good news is self-esteem and building resilience can be boosted by learning how to understand and deal with emotions in a healthier way. By receiving counselling on a short-term or regular basis, they can learn how to become more self-fulfilled and make choices to live a healthier lifestyle.
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These sessions are BEST SUITED for:
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Parents and adolescents who are being affected by addiction in the home. Remember, addiction, and addictive behaviours comes in many forms but our services are especially helpful for:
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Adolescents experimenting with drugs and alcohol
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Moderate or regular users, who want healthier options
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Self-harm reduction (destructive behaviours)
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Compulsive use of social media or internet
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Promiscuity at a young age
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Chronic Gamers
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Overeating or binge eaters
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Stealing and shoplifters
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Excessive exercising or dieting
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Excessive shopping or spending
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FAQS
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​"What is Addiction?"
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Addiction is a ‘chronic and relapsing brain disease’ caused by changes in brain structure and function that cause compulsive behaviour such as drugs, alcohol, video games, and gambling despite their harmful effects. It can be heavily influenced by environmental, psychological and social factors, as well as genetics, trauma, and mental health concerns. At Healthy Routes we take all factors into consideration, to help your family move through and minimize the effects of addiction in the home.
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"What do these counselling sessions consist of?"
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Solution-focused therapy shifts the focus away from "what's wrong" towards "what can be better". We use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help ease the effects of stress and trauma. We teach how to re-route difficult feelings towards healthier habits and outlets. One tiny step at a time we can make big, long lasting progress that changes 'my Addiction' into "a better understanding myself".
As with all our sessions, we also incorporate Life Skill Development and Self Esteem building, making up for a lack of confidence and self-awareness in many cases. At some point during Addiction Counselling we may also employ a "harm reduction" approach, which focuses on reducing the amount of behaviour/substances in cases where complete abstinence is not realistic, or effective (yet).
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"Where do these sessions take place?"
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Our sessions are available in a variety of formats best suited for you or your child's needs.
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"What results can I expect to see?"
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Addiction requires that someone wants to change, so results will vary based on situation and circumstance. We cannot speed up someone's journey, but we can offer all of the tools and support they need to help shorten the journey when they are ready to accept help. In most cases, we see progress within a 6-12 week period (when an individual is open to receiving help and is willing to keep "doing the work"). This means less outbursts, less "hiding" and more honest, open forms of communication again.
If you have a child, teen or parent in the home who is exhibiting addictive behaviours we encourage you to Book a Complimentary Call and discuss what our options are...