Addictions can take many forms I specialise in treating:

Alcohol/Drug Addiction

• Does your substance use worry you?
• Have you had problems connected to your substance use?
• Are your friends or family members concerned about your drinking or drug use?

If you relate to any of the above questions you may have a substance abuse issue. In our society having an alcohol or drug addiction is sometimes seen as being a weakness or something you should be able to overcome on your own. Your suffering could be dismissed as a lack of will power or maybe you believe that you are somehow a faulty person.

I believe that the problem goes far deeper than this. I believe that chemical addictions are often a response to trauma Your substance is often the only tool you have to self-soothe or to escape your pain. What underlies addictions is often a deep sense of shame. You may have the belief that you are somehow faulty or damaged as a person. You may want to change but feel completely overwhelmed and powerless.

Sex and Love Addiction

• Do you feel empty and incomplete on your own?
• Do you stay in or return to destructive relationships?
• Or are you constantly involved in one relationship after another, or have multiple partners?
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While sex and love addiction have different symptoms, they are two sides of the same coin. At its heart you might have an intense fear of being intimate with someone or maybe a terror of being alone. If you are suffering from sex addiction, sexual encounters might have become a replacement for real emotional intimacy yet the cost of this keeps you deeply alone and emotionally numb. If you are a love addict relationships might have become your way to feel needed or complete yet the relationships you might be in are often destructive and unfulfilling.

Like many you may have grown up in a dysfunctional family system where you had to disconnect from your real self in order to survive. The effects in adulthood can cause self esteem issues, problems with intimacy, difficulty setting boundaries in relationships and an inability to express our own needs and wants.

Issues with Eating

Including- anorexia, bulimia, compulsive and binge eating

• Do you lie about how much you eat or hide your eating habits from others?
• Do you base your self-worth on your weight or body size?
• Does food and dieting dominate your life?
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You are not alone. The experience of living with an eating disorder can leave your self-esteem shattered and have you feeling completely alone. I can help you to recover from what can be a devastating disorder. I will help you to re-connect with yourself and access what is underneath the food and weight issues. At its core eating disorders are about distracting yourself from painful emotions. The eating disorder is a symptom of a deeper problem such as self-esteem issues, depression, loneliness, the pressure to be perfect, feeling out of control and often a history of childhood trauma. I take a holistic approach to treating eating disorders and by addressing your whole self I can empower you to heal.

Borderline Personality Disorder

• Do you suffer from deep feelings of insecurity?
• Do you have a chronic fear of abandonment and a constant need for reassurance?
• Do you have intense outbursts of rage, anxiety and depression?
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You could be suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). You may have intense difficulty relating to those around you. You find that your intimate relationships are the most difficult because you are overwhelmed with insecurity and fear that your loved ones will become fed up and leave you. Often your behaviour pushes them away leaving you feeling more alone and empty than ever. This becomes a vicious cycle. What you are terrified of is being abandoned and yet your extreme outbursts and mood swings drive a wedge between you and those closest to you.

BPD is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed yet affects and impacts so many of us. At the heart of BDP lies a terrifying emptiness and often extreme pain. BPD is often born out of childhood experiences of abuse, neglect or trauma. As a child you are forced to abandon yourself to survive your childhood. As an adult the way back to yourself becomes too hard to find and you might not even know who you are outside what other people think of you. Relationships become difficult and triggering. Nobody seems to understand the turmoil you feel constantly. Difficult feelings become intolerable and you may turn to self-harm, self destructive behaviours or unfulfilling relationships in an attempt to escape from the pain.  

Take the first step towards your recovery contact me today for a free 15-min consultation- 0403 683 520

Recovery. Reconnection. Healing.

How can counselling help you?

• Help you make the choice to stop your addiction and live a better and more meaningful life
• Find a way out of your self-sabotaging behaviours
• Assist you to break free of the obsession and compulsion to engage in your addiction
• Discover what might have been driving your behavior
• Be given the chance to heal from past abuse, trauma or childhood pain
• Gain control of your life and live a life that you are in control of
• Reconnect with the you that has been lost

At its core any addiction is about distracting yourself from painful emotions. Whatever it is you are doing it’s a symptom of a deeper problem such as self-esteem issues, depression, loneliness, the pressure to be perfect, feeling out of control and often a history of childhood trauma. I take a holistic approach to treating addictions and by addressing your whole self I can empower you to heal.

Why Choose Me?

Choosing the right counsellor to help you through your Recovery is a very important step. You need to work with someone you feel understands what you are going through and that you can trust.

Recovery counselling is unique and it is my life work.

• I am experienced in treating addictions. I know the issues you are facing and I know what treatment works.
• I love what I do and this shows in my work as a counsellor. I am passionate about supporting you to change and I will walk beside you every step of the way.
• I can link you into a support network, such as 12 step fellowships or other support groups, this is often a key step in the Recovery process. This is a unique service that I offer as I believe the more support you can be given, the stronger your recovery will be.
• believe that addictions are often a family disease and I can work with your family members when required to give them education and support to move them into Recovery too.

Give me a call today to discuss what’s going on for you and I can answer any questions you might have. Should you wish to make an appointment we can work out a time that suits you.

0403 683 520

Addictions - Including Substances , Addictions - Pornography , Addictions - Sexual , Borderline Personality Disorder , Eating Disorders

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy , Gestalt Therapy , Process Work , Psychodynamic Therapy

Please visit my website at www.sydneyrecoverycounselling.com.au for further information.