FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS ADDICTION COUNSELLING, AND IS IT COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL?
Yes, my addiction counselling is completely confidential.
The counselling therapy is based on a program known as the 12 step program. This program is used by addiction support groups all over the world, AA, NA, GA, OEA, SA, and many more. The 12 step program is used as part of the rehabilitation program in rehabilitation centers globally.
My own personal remission from addiction has been credited to this program, which I use myself every day.
WHAT ARE YOUR FEES?
The fees for the addiction counselling sessions and aftercare support sessions are specified on the "packages and rates " page.
However, if you are unable to pay for treatment, please send me an email for consideration.
CAN I BOOK AN ADDICTION ASSESSMENT SESSION?
Yes you can. In fact it is a very important part of the therapy. In an assessment session we would be able, together, to understand and explore why you would like to start addiction counselling and whether or not you would like to continue.
There is no commitment or obligation to book another session unless you are ready to do so. From then we can book the next session or you can commit to a 12 session package for 6 weeks.
WHAT ARE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AS AN ADDICTION COUNSELLOR?
I am a registered addiction wellness counsellor with the ASCHP (WC20/794) and CPSC, helping anyone dealing with any form of addiction.
I myself am an addict in remission from my addiction. Using the 12-step program of recovery I have been free from active addiction for 38 years.
I am a qualified advanced lay-counsellor, and counsellor for addict communities with knowledge and 10 years experience (active and in remission).
WHAT IS ADDICTION?
In order to examine if addiction can be “treated” or “cured”, you need to understand addiction first.
Addiction is a complex, chronic illness characterised by engaging in a compulsive and rewarding behaviour despite negative consequences.
Certain addictions are psychological, others are physical, and some are both. An addiction can come in many forms, including drug, alcohol or behavioural.
Addiction is an illness that has many connected aspects that make it difficult to treat. Your likelihood of developing an addiction is affected by factors, including psychological, physical, biological, behavioural and environmental. In order to treat addiction, you should address them all.
IS THIS TYPE OF ADDICTION COUNSELLING SUCCESSFUL AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
The recovery rate from addiction is based on the client’s desire to change and acceptance of their disease. Without this, recovery has a slim chance of developing. The client is the only one who can acknowledge his or her personal definition and experience of “rock bottom” and from then accept the addiction and take personal responsibility and actions to remain in remission.
Once the client has accepted their powerlessness over their addiction the healing process can begin. My counselling is based on the 12 step program of addiction recovery, as well as my personal journey in recovery using the same steps every day. The success of such counselling has proven to have a good outcome, over many years and is used in rehabilitation centers and individual counselling throughout the world. The success rate of any addiction counselling comes from a full understanding of the disease of addiction, identifying triggers, and genuine empathy in the sessions. Once the client has completed the first five steps within the counselling environment, the outcome is then their responsibility. A support system for the addict on the road to recovery, is the 12 step support groups of AA, NA, GA, and many others. I recommend 90 meetings in 90 days to kickstart their journey into recovery and to find a sponsor within a 12 step support group as a good foundation.
I offer aftercare counselling sessions (see packages and rates).
The 12 step program has a 70 % success rate worldwide if the addict in remission stays in remission for a year, and can live a normal productive life within the boundaries of disease.
CAN ADDICTION BE CURED?
Addiction: Cured vs. Treated
Before asking if addiction can be cured, ask yourself if you are using the right word. A disease can be “cured” or a disease can be “treated”. Some people use the two words interchangeably, but cure and treatment do not mean the same thing.
To cure means to “eliminate a disease or condition with medical treatment”. A cure refers to a permanent change.
To treat means to “give medical care or attention to” or “try to heal or cure”.
In the case of addiction, the illness is a lifelong one. While it is possible to be successfully treated for addiction and live normally, ultimately there is no cure. Treatment does not produce permanent results. You are in recovery when the symptoms of addiction are low. When you are using, or relapsing, your symptoms are high. There is no third option, when the symptoms are nonexistent. Even if you remain in recovery for the rest of your life, you will always be prone to relapse.
It is common for some in recovery to use the term “cured” after they’ve been sober for a while. However, if they are referring to their addiction, they are using it wrongly. Like other chronic illnesses, such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, addiction cannot be cured. But it can be treated.
IF THERE IS NO CURE, HOW DO YOU RECOVER?
Because addiction is a complex illness, the treatment for it is complex too. Treatment, however, is not a cure. Instead, the treatment allows a person to enter recovery. Recovery is a life-long process during which you abstain from alcohol, drugs, or other addictions and resume a healthy lifestyle. It's similar to diabetes for example, where the diabetic learns to understand how to live with this disease and within its boundaries. Addiction is the same, you learn how to accept it and live a very productive and happy life within the boundaries of that disease, if you choose to. The addiction support groups become a very important part of that new way of life. I've lived this way of life for many years, and I have learned to love myself and my life.