Addictions Support (Substance Use, Gaming & Gambling
Addiction can carry layers of pain, shame, and misunderstanding. You might be using something — alcohol, substances, gaming, or gambling — to cope, to escape, or to quiet what feels too loud inside. Maybe it started as a way to manage stress, grief, or loneliness, and now it feels like the very thing that keeps you from feeling whole.
At Vel Psychotherapy, we understand that substance use and behavioural addictions don’t define you they are responses to pain, patterns of survival, and attempts to find control in chaos. Recovery is not linear, and you don’t have to be at a “rock bottom” to seek support. Whether you’re exploring your relationship with use, trying to reduce or quit, or navigating relapse prevention, we’ll meet you with compassion and honesty, never judgement.
We also support families and loved ones who are walking beside someone with addiction, offering tools and education to help you care without losing yourself in the process.
Therapy Can Support With
For Individuals
Exploring the role substances or behaviours play in coping and emotional regulation
Understanding the connection between trauma, stress, and substance use
Managing cravings, triggers, or relapse patterns
Building structure, purpose, and accountability in recovery
Developing self-compassion and releasing shame
Strengthening relationships and rebuilding trust
For Families & Loved Ones
Understanding addiction as a coping response rather than a moral failure
Learning to set healthy boundaries and support without enabling
Processing your own emotions — guilt, anger, or fear
Navigating communication and trust in recovery
Accessing psychoeducation and community resources for ongoing support
Our Approach
Our work together is rooted in trauma-informed and harm-reduction principles — honouring your autonomy, safety, and lived experience. We focus on building awareness, resilience, and balance rather than perfection.
Therapy may include mindfulness-based strategies, relapse prevention planning, emotional regulation tools, and motivational interviewing. For families, sessions often include psychoeducation and collaborative problem-solving to restore trust and emotional safety.
We understand that recovery is not a single choice but a series of moments — of reflection, of trying again, of rebuilding.
Healing is Possible
You are not broken and you are not beyond help. Whether you’re seeking recovery for yourself or trying to support someone you love, therapy can be a space to pause, reflect, and begin again with care and intention.
Change begins in the smallest of moments — and you don’t have to do it alone.