Virtual Counselling in Addiction Recovery:
It Works!

As we are all aware, the Holiday Season is coming fast upon us and, for many people, this time of year has shifted from a season of peace and joy to a period of misery and confusion. This year, unfortunately, addiction will be an unwanted guest for more families than you might imagine.

If you feel like you need someone to talk to who can guide you and your family through these often treacherous waters—but you’re also aware that accessing in-person counselling could be difficult for you—help is on the way!

Is Virtual Counselling the Best Option for You?

When most people think about getting counselling, they imagine going to see the therapist in person and having appointments in an office environment. However, there are many reasons why these kinds of in-person therapy sessions don’t work for everyone. For example, some people need to travel for work and are therefore often not home or available to meet in person. Others may live in small communities where seeking counselling might be problematic, either for privacy issues or because there may be no qualified therapists in the area. As well, some people may have health issues that keep them from being able to attend sessions in person, while others may live a long distance away from the professional they would ideally like to work with.

If you’ve been thinking about reaching out for help but have been putting it off because attending sessions in person would be challenging for you, you might want to consider telephone or Skype counselling as an alternative.

As an Addictions Therapist in private practice, I have been providing clients all over the world with telephone and Skype counselling for a number of years. These clients receive the same benefits as those I see in person. In fact, many people prefer the advantages of virtual support for a variety of reasons.

Benefits of Virtual Counselling

• Virtual Counselling allows you to receive professional assistance from the comfort of your own home or office.
• It provides you with an added degree of anonymity.
• You can have therapy sessions while travelling.
• You can receive counselling sessions regardless of what part of the world you live in.
• You can still benefit from therapy even if it is difficult for you to get to a therapist’s office.

In addition, when a client travels (either for work or as part of a vacation) or has been seeing me in person but moves away from the Metro Vancouver area, sessions can still continue. This means that my clients do not have to begin their therapeutic process all over again with a different therapist.

How Does Telephone or Skype Counselling Work?

Having sessions with clients by phone or Skype has proven to work remarkably well. We can still address the same issues that we would deal with during in-person sessions—including any difficulties stemming from addictive behaviours—which could include:

• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Eating disorders
• Sex addiction
• Gambling
• Internet addiction
• Compulsive overspending
• Codependency in relationships

Loved Ones Struggle Too

For every addicted person, there is at least one other person suffering right along with them—and usually several more. If you are a loved one of someone struggling with addiction, you probably know that trying to deal with this chaotic situation on your own can feel hopeless. And the chances are that you have seen little in the way of positive results, because you just don’t know what to do to truly help the addict you so deeply love. You may have also realized that as the cycle of enabling the addict has continued, the addiction has invariably become progressively worse over time.

Recovery from addiction is not possible in isolation. Everyone who loves the addict is affected, and everyone needs to heal. That’s why my work focuses on healing the entire family system, rather than only working with the person who is addicted. Once loved ones become aware of how their behaviours may unwittingly be contributing to the addiction continuing—a result that nobody, including the addict, wants—strategies can be put into place that actually help instead of enable, and a lasting recovery can then begin, both for the addict and for everyone else who has been affected by this situation.

Wherever you are in the world, if you are struggling with addiction—either your own or in someone you love—please feel free connect with me for telephone or Skype support. Transformation and healing are possible, and signing up for virtual therapy sessions may be the easiest way to begin that journey.

To schedule a free 60-minute telephone consultation with me to find out more about my phone and Skype counselling services, or addiction counselling in general, please follow the link below and complete the form you will find there. Once I receive your completed questionnaire and ascertain that we could be a fit to work together, I will be in touch with you to set up an appropriate time for us to talk.

If you are currently in active addiction, you can follow this link for my questionnaire—but please be aware that it may be necessary for loved ones to join you in the therapy process. 

If you’re the loved one of someone with addictive behaviours, please follow this link.

As that awesome saying goes: If nothing changes, then nothing changes.

Now is the time to take action, rather than waiting until the situation becomes progressively worse. Because the reverse of that saying is also true: If something changes—then something changes.