Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of fatal drug overdoses has more than doubled since 1999.
Palm Beach County is ground zero for the skyrocketing heroin and opioid epidemic, claiming the most drug overdose deaths in all of Florida’s 67 counties in 2016.
Getting clean, and staying clean, are the greatest challenges an addict will face in his or her lifetime. The combination of my education and professional experience, coupled with having personally been in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction for 30 years, makes me uniquely qualified to counsel addicts and their families.
Drug and alcohol addiction are progressive, degenerative brain diseases, meaning they are chronic and as a result of the abuse can result in permanent changes in brain function. These structural changes in the brain alter an addict’s decision-making and can create heightened impulses and cravings for drugs and/or alcohol.
Behavioral therapy, in conjunction with medication, when appropriate, allows the addict to manage his or her disease in the same way a diabetic or asthmatic would manage a chronic illness.
Therapy lowers the chances of a relapse since rarely does relapse occur without warning signs.
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and a Certified Addiction Professional (CAP). My services include individual, group and family therapy for people struggling with alcohol and/or chemical dependency — to include methadone, suboxone, oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine and heroin.
Therapeutic counseling addresses pain management, trauma, dual diagnosis and an array of other mental health issues. To ensure a successful recovery, treatment should be customized to an individual’s addiction patterns and coexisting risk factors.
I also provide continuum of care therapy for post detox patients, those in residential treatment, intensive outpatient care or halfway house residents.