Alcohol & Cannabis Use Support
You don't need a label to take a closer look
Maybe you've started wondering whether you're drinking more than you'd like. Maybe cannabis has become your go-to way to unwind, fall asleep, or get through a stressful day.
You might not think of your use as a problem. You may still be managing work, relationships, and everyday responsibilities. But something about your relationship with alcohol or cannabis has started to feel different.
Perhaps you're reaching for it more often than you intended. Maybe the relief doesn't last as long as it used to, or you're noticing effects on your mood, energy, relationships, or sense of control.
You don't have to identify as having an addiction to talk about these concerns. You don't have to be ready to quit, either.
Therapy can offer a place to explore what's happening, understand what you're looking for when you reach for alcohol or cannabis, and decide what you want your relationship with it to look like.
When you start questioning your use
Sometimes the questions are quiet.
You might find yourself thinking:
- I'm drinking more often than I used to.
- I keep telling myself I'll cut back, but I haven't.
- Cannabis helps me relax, but I'm not sure I like how much I rely on it.
- I don't know how to unwind without having something.
- I sometimes drink or use cannabis when I'm anxious, overwhelmed, or upset.
- I feel uncomfortable with some of my choices afterward.
- I'm curious about sobriety, but I'm not sure I'm ready.
- I've already stopped using, but I'm finding the adjustment harder than I expected.
You may recognize only one of these experiences, or several.
You can take an honest look at your relationship with alcohol or cannabis without shame or judgment.
You don't need to wait until your use creates a crisis before deciding it's worth exploring. Even a small sense of discomfort or curiosity can be a meaningful place to begin.
Change can begin with understanding your patterns, recognizing their impact, and deciding what you want to do differently.
Understanding what alcohol or cannabis does for you
Alcohol and cannabis can serve different purposes in different people's lives.
You might use them to relax after a demanding day, feel more comfortable socially, quiet anxious thoughts, fall asleep, or create some distance from difficult emotions.
Sometimes, they become part of a routine without much conscious thought.
Rather than starting with the assumption that your use is the problem, we'll explore what role it plays in your life.
What are you hoping to feel when you reach for it? What does it help with in the moment? Are there ways it may also be making things harder?
For some people, substance use overlaps with anxiety, burnout, ADHD-related overwhelm, or difficulty managing emotions. Others may notice connections to relationship stress, loneliness, or experiences from earlier in life.
We don't have to assume there's a deeper explanation. We can explore your experiences together and see what feels relevant.
Understanding these patterns can help you make choices based on what you actually need rather than simply repeating what's familiar.
You don't have to decide on sobriety before starting therapy
One of the things that can make it difficult to talk about alcohol or cannabis is the fear that someone will immediately tell you that you need to stop.
You might be interested in drinking less, taking a break from cannabis, or exploring what sobriety could look like. You might already be sober and want support adjusting to life without substances.
Or you might not know what you want yet.
That's okay.
Our work can begin with understanding your concerns and identifying your own goals.
We can talk about what feels manageable, what changes you're considering, and what kind of support you may need along the way.
You don't have to make a lifelong commitment or arrive with a perfectly defined plan to have a useful conversation about your relationship with alcohol or cannabis.
When changing your use brings up other challenges
Sometimes, reducing or stopping alcohol or cannabis reveals how much you've been relying on it to get through certain moments.
You may notice that evenings feel longer, social situations feel more uncomfortable, or emotions you've been trying to avoid become harder to ignore.
You might also feel proud of a change you've made while missing the relief or familiarity that came with your previous routine.
These experiences can bring up conflicting feelings.
Therapy offers space to talk about those feelings honestly. We can explore what you're missing, what you're gaining, and what other ways of coping might help you navigate the moments when you would normally reach for a substance.
If you've made changes before and returned to old patterns, we can talk about that, too, without treating it as a personal failure.
The goal is to understand what happened and what support might be useful going forward.
How therapy can help...
My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in the belief that you deserve to talk openly about substance use without shame or assumptions.
Depending on your experiences and goals, our work might include:
- Understanding when, why, and how you use alcohol or cannabis.
- Exploring the role substances play in managing stress, emotions, sleep, or social situations.
- Identifying patterns that feel helpful and those that may be creating difficulties.
- Clarifying your goals around moderation, reduction, abstinence, or continued sobriety.
- Developing additional ways to cope with anxiety, overwhelm, and difficult emotions.
- Exploring connections between substance use, relationships, ADHD, or earlier experiences.
- Working through guilt, shame, or conflicting feelings about your use.
- Building confidence in making decisions that reflect your needs and values.
- Finding support for changes you want to make and adjusting your approach when needed.
Together, we'll look honestly at risks and concerns, identify what matters most to you, and find a way forward that supports your well-being.
Finding the right level of support
I work with adults across a range of experiences with alcohol and cannabis, from questioning their use to navigating a substance use disorder or maintaining sobriety.
Our work can include understanding the role substances play in your life, addressing the emotional challenges connected to your use, and supporting changes that align with your goals.
If your needs call for a more intensive level of care, such as an intensive outpatient program (IOP), we can discuss that together and explore appropriate treatment options.
A referral for additional care doesn't automatically mean our therapeutic relationship has to end. When clinically appropriate, we can discuss how continued therapy might fit alongside other services or resume after more intensive treatment.
The goal is to make sure you're receiving the level of support that fits your needs.
You can start with an honest conversation
You don't have to call yourself an alcoholic, identify as having a substance use disorder, or decide that alcohol or cannabis has no place in your life.
You can simply be curious about a habit, uncomfortable with a pattern, or ready to explore a change.
Therapy offers a place to have that conversation without needing to defend yourself or pretend you're more certain than you are.
Wherever you're starting, we can begin by understanding what's happening and figuring out what feels right for you going forward.
Change doesn't have to begin with certainty. It can begin with an honest look at where you are and where you want to go.
Session Fees
Free Consultation
A brief opportunity to talk about what brings you to therapy, what you're hoping for, and whether working together feels like a good fit.
Individual Therapy Session
Ongoing therapy with space to explore what you're experiencing, work toward your goals, and focus on what matters most to you.
Payment for therapy sessions is due at the end of each session. I am in network with multiple insurance providers.
Please refer to my terms and conditions for details about my pricing and cancellation policy.
Ready to take the next step?
If you're questioning your relationship with alcohol or cannabis, considering a change, or looking for support with sobriety, I invite you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. We can talk briefly about what brings you to therapy, what you're hoping for, and whether working together feels like a good fit.