Our relationships with substances (and with behaviors that bring comfort, pleasure, or relief) are complex. From coffee and social media to alcohol or cannabis, we are wired to seek what soothes us. Sometimes, however, the very things that once helped us cope begin to cause harm, leaving us feeling trapped, ashamed, or disconnected from ourselves and others.

At Resilience, we understand that substance use does not happen in isolation. It often develops as a creative survival strategy: a way to manage pain, trauma, or systemic stressors such as racism, poverty, ableism, or transphobia. Substance use can help people endure unbearable emotions, regulate their nervous systems, or stay connected to community in the only ways available at the time. We approach these patterns through a lens that centers compassion, autonomy, and dignity, not punishment, coercion, or moral judgment.

How We Can Help

We recognize that recovery is not one-size-fits-all. Our therapists honor your right to define what healing looks like for you; whether that means reducing use, maintaining safer use, or pursuing abstinence. Our goal is not to “fix” you, but to support you in making informed choices, cultivating self-awareness, and building sustainable change at your own pace.

Therapy can help you:

• Understand the roots of your relationship with substances: what needs, histories, and emotions are being met

• Identify and manage triggers without shame or avoidance

• Strengthen coping skills and emotional regulation tools

• Reconnect with your values, community, and sense of purpose

• Build accountability and self-compassion instead of fear or guilt

Many people who use substances are also navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, or systemic oppression. Rather than pathologizing these intersections, we see them as context for healing. In therapy, we explore the connections between your substance use, emotional well-being, and environment.

Common Signs

• Carrying guilt or shame around your substance use

• Feeling anxious, irritable, or physically unwell when you try to stop

• Feeling stuck in a cycle of craving, use, and regret

• Struggling to meet responsibilities or maintain relationships

• Using more than you intend or needing more to feel the same effect

• Wanting to make a change, but unsure where to start

At Resilience, we provide a non-judgmental, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive space to explore your relationship with substances and the conditions that shape it. Whether your goal is safer use, moderation, or abstinence, we’ll move at your pace and in alignment with your values. 

You don’t have to wait until things get “bad enough” to reach out. Therapy can meet you wherever you are. We invite you to contact us for a free consultation.

Therapists