Addiction Counseling
The aim of substance abuse counseling is to help make your life better, rather than just suppressing substance use. Through substance abuse counseling, you and your therapist can explore ways in which your life without substances can become better than your life with substances. You and your therapist will come up with mutually agreed-upon goals, and a plan to reach them. (It is understood in substance abuse counseling that when people get what they want out of treatment, they have better outcomes!) A substance abuse counselor believes in you and knows that you have within yourself everything you need to succeed, and that together you and your counselor will find it. The key elements in substance abuse counseling are safety, collaboration, empathy, respect, acceptance, hope, and cultural awareness. Substance abuse counseling recognizes a person’s innate strengths and abilities, and that people make the best possible choices they can at any given time. Change is not a straight line; ups and downs are part of the process! One major factor in substance abuse counseling is YOU! As in: how motivated are you to change? Through substance abuse counseling, we will explore your reasons for seeking change, your needs, your commitment, your ability, and your desire to change. We will look at obstacles and will problem-solve together. At the end of the day, the most important factor that has been shown to predict substance use abstinence is COMMITMENT – i.e. “I will go to that meeting today.”
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, we are here to help.
Stella Kimbrough, MSW, LSW
STELLA KIMBROUGH IS A LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER WHO SPECIALIZES IN PROVIDING SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING TO INDIVIDUALS WHO STRUGGLE WITH ADDICTION. SHE USES A STRENGTHS BASED PERSPECTIVE AND UTILIZES CONCEPTS FROM CBT, DBT MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING AND PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPY. IF YOU’RE READY TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT IN BRYN MAWR OR PHILADELPHIA, CONTACT HER NOW, CLICK HERE.