Addiction Support

Support for the person living with addiction and for the people who love them.

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There is a moment when you notice that substances, or a behaviour like gambling, have taken up more space in your life than you meant to give them.

Maybe it crept in slowly. Maybe you felt it was manageable. Until all of a sudden it wasn’t.

Or maybe you are here because someone you love is struggling, and you desperately want things to change. You may be ready for something to be different long before they are, leaving you trying to figure out how to help, how much to step in, and what to do when you cannot make someone else ready for change.

At Counselling & Co., you do not have to know what comes next before you reach out. You may be looking for direction, ready for something to change, unsure whether change is possible, or simply exhausted from trying to figure this out on your own. Addiction support is a process of understanding the patterns that have taken hold, how they are affecting you and the people you love, and what it might take for things to begin to shift. We work with the person using, and with the people who love them, because addiction rarely touches only one person in a family.

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You Don't Have to Face This Alone

Addiction can look different from one person, relationship, or family to the next. You might be here because:

  • You’re questioning your substance use or gambling

  • You want to stop or cut back, but keep getting pulled back in

  • You’re hiding how much you use or gamble

  • Cravings or urges feel hard to manage

  • You’re worried about relapse

  • Substance use or gambling is affecting your relationships, work, or finances

  • You’re carrying shame, guilt, secrecy, or regret

  • You desperately want someone you love to stop

  • You’re checking, rescuing, pleading, or trying to control what happens

  • You don’t know when to step in or step back

  • Trust has been broken

  • Your family feels organized around the addiction

  • You’re supporting someone in recovery while fearing what could happen next

  • You’re exhausted by the uncertainty

  • You know something needs to change, but you’re not sure what

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How We Work Through It Together

Addiction and problem gambling rarely start as the problem itself. Often, substances or gambling begin by offering something that feels helpful, even necessary.

  • Relief from emotional or physical pain.

  • A way to sleep.

  • A break from anxiety, loneliness, trauma flashbacks, or memories that will not quiet down.

  • A way to feel more comfortable, connected, confident, or simply different for a while.

Over time, what once helped can begin to create problems of its own. 

Our approach is grounded in Emotionally Focused Therapy, which helps us look beyond the substance use or gambling itself to understand the emotions, relationships, and patterns underneath it. For loved ones, that also means making sense of the fear, urgency, and need to help or take control that can develop when someone you care about is struggling.

We work with where you are, whether you are ready for change, unsure what you want, or wanting change for someone who may not be there yet.

You do not need to hit rock bottom, have a diagnosis, or know exactly what needs to change before reaching out. You might want to stop, cut back, better understand your relationship with substances or gambling, or figure out how to live alongside someone else’s addiction without losing yourself in it. Wherever you are starting from, we can begin there.

Support From Wherever You Are Standing

Substance Use and Gambling

If you are questioning your relationship with substances or gambling, you do not have to know whether you want to stop completely before coming to therapy. We can help you understand your patterns, recognize what pulls you toward using or gambling, work through cravings and setbacks, and explore what change could realistically look like for you. 

When Someone You Love Is Struggling

Loving someone who is struggling with substance use or gambling can pull you into trying harder and harder to help. You may find yourself checking, rescuing, pleading, setting limits, changing those limits, or trying to prevent the next crisis. Therapy can help you understand these patterns, decide what is and is not yours to carry, set boundaries you can actually hold, and find ways to stay connected without losing yourself in the process.

Addiction Support in Oakville and Across Ontario

Counselling & Co. offers in-person addiction support at our village hub, Therapeutic Collective Oakville, as well as virtual sessions across Ontario, including Mississauga, Burlington, Milton and the wider Halton Region. Our Oakville space was intentionally designed for connection, offering a comfortable and welcoming place to slow things down and have conversations that are not always easy to have.

Whether you prefer to meet with us in person or virtually from wherever you are in Ontario, you can choose the option that works best for you.

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When You Are Ready, We Are Here

If something on this page feels familiar, whether you are struggling yourself or worried about someone you love, you can start with a conversation.

Our complimentary 15-minute Meet & Greet gives you a chance to ask questions, meet one of our therapists, and see how it feels to talk with us. You do not have to know exactly what you need before you book. It takes a village to heal, and we would love to be a part of yours.

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Therapists Offering Addiction Support

Questions About Addiction Support

  • No. You can come to therapy whether you are ready to stop, thinking about cutting back, questioning whether there is a problem, or not sure what you want yet. We can start with where you are, rather than where you think you are supposed to be.

  • Addiction support is therapy for people struggling with substance use or gambling, as well as the people who love them. Therapy can help you better understand the patterns that have developed, work through what is keeping them in place, and figure out what change might look like for you.

  • Counselling & Co. is not a detox or residential treatment program. We provide ongoing therapy that can be a support on its own or work alongside other addiction and recovery services. If you need a level of care that we do not provide, we can talk openly about that and help you understand your options.

  • Our work is grounded in Emotionally Focused Therapy and informed by an understanding of trauma, attachment, and addiction. Rather than focusing only on stopping a behaviour, we want to understand the emotional and relational patterns surrounding it, what keeps pulling you back into it, and what you may need for change to last.

  • You can still come. It is common for family members and the person struggling with addiction to be on very different timelines. You may be ready for change long before they are. While you cannot make someone else ready, therapy can help you decide how you want to respond and how to care for yourself and your relationships in the meantime.

  • Yes. We support people struggling with gambling, as well as partners and family members affected by it. Gambling can impact trust, finances, relationships, and family life, even when there are no substances involved.

  • A slip or relapse does not mean therapy has failed or that you have to start over. We can look together at what happened, what was happening before the slip or relapse, and what you might need moving forward. A slip or relapse is something we can talk about, understand, and work through together.

  • We do not want finances to prevent someone from reaching out for help. Our Affordable Therapy Program offers lower-cost counselling with our intern therapists, and there is no limit on the number of sessions.

    If cost is getting in the way, connect with our Client Care team. We can talk with you about what is affordable and whether we currently have an Affordable Therapy Program therapist who is a good fit for what you are looking for support with.

    Learn More About Affordable Therapy

  • Yes. Addiction counselling is available in person at our village hub, Therapeutic Collective Oakville, and virtually across Ontario. You can also take a hybrid approach and move between in-person and virtual sessions depending on your schedule and what works best for you.

Unsure where to start with Addiction Support? We’re Here to Help

Choosing to reach out is a big first step, and you don’t have to figure out what comes next on your own. Our Client Care Coordinator is here to answer your questions and help you get connected with a therapist.

Please fill out this contact form to get started.