Substance Abuse & Addiction: Healing from the Inside Out

Discover a Compassionate, IFS-Informed Path to Recovery

At Denver Emotional Health, we understand that substance use often starts as a way to cope with difficult emotions, unresolved trauma, or a yearning for connection and joy. When this coping mechanism spirals into addiction, it’s not a sign of weakness or a moral failing. Rather, it’s a signal that certain parts of you are working tirelessly, albeit in an ultimately unhelpful way, to manage pain and find relief.

We move beyond the simplistic labels of “addict” or “alcoholic,” recognizing that these terms fail to capture the complex human being behind the addiction. Our approach, grounded in Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), helps you understand the “why” behind your substance use and empowers you to create a life of recovery that is both meaningful and sustainable.

Beyond Symptom Management: Addressing the Root Causes

Traditional approaches to addiction often focus on abstinence as the sole measure of success, without adequately exploring the underlying emotional drivers. While abstinence may be the desired outcome for many, we recognize that true healing requires a deeper understanding of the internal landscape.

IFS Therapy provides a powerful framework for this exploration. It helps you see that your addiction isn’t a character flaw, but rather a collection of “parts” trying to cope with difficult experiences. Some parts might be using substances to numb pain, escape overwhelming emotions, or silence a harsh inner critic. Others might be carrying deep wounds from past trauma or neglect.

Through IFS, you’ll learn to:

• Identify Your Parts: Recognize the different parts involved in your addiction, understanding their motivations and fears.
• Develop Self-Compassion: Approach these parts, even the ones driving addictive behaviors, with understanding and kindness, recognizing their protective intentions.
• Access Your Core Self: Connect with your true Self—a source of inherent wisdom, calm, and healing capacity. From this place of Self-leadership, you can guide your parts towards healthier ways of coping and relating.
• Heal Old Wounds: Address the underlying trauma and emotional pain that often fuel addiction, freeing your parts from their burdens.

Our Approach: Collaborative, Compassionate, and Effective

We believe that you are the expert on your own experience. Our role is to provide a safe, non-judgmental space where you can explore your inner world, understand the dynamics of your addiction, and discover your own path to recovery.

We begin with a thorough assessment, exploring not just your substance use patterns, but also the underlying emotional and psychological factors. We’ll work together to identify your triggers, understand the role your parts play, and develop strategies for making choices aligned with your values and goals, from a place of Self leadership.

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: A Powerful Tool for Transformation

For many individuals struggling with addiction, traditional therapies alone may not be enough to access and process the deeply held emotions and memories that contribute to their substance use. This is where psychedelic-assisted therapy can play a transformative role.

For appropriate clients, we offer legal psychedelic-assisted therapies, including ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. As discussed in [Your Book Title], psychedelic medicines, particularly when integrated with IFS, can:

• Facilitate Access to Subconscious Material: Psychedelics can help bring to the surface repressed emotions, memories, and parts that are often inaccessible in ordinary states of consciousness. This can be especially helpful when dealing with the trauma that often underlies addiction.
• Promote Emotional Processing: These medicines can create a safe container for processing difficult emotions, allowing for profound healing and integration. Ketamine, in particular, is known for its ability to quiet the Default Mode Network of the brain, where many of our “parts” are most active. This quieting can allow for deeper access to Self and other parts that may need our attention.
• Enhance the IFS Process: By increasing access to Self energy and fostering a sense of interconnectedness, psychedelics can accelerate the healing work done in IFS. They can help you connect with your parts from a place of deep compassion and understanding, leading to more profound and lasting change. It is important to note that psychedelic-assisted therapy is most effective with lower, psycholytic doses of medicine, rather than larger, overwhelming doses that do not allow for active participation in therapy.

A Path Tailored to Your Needs

Whether your goal is abstinence, harm reduction, or simply gaining a deeper understanding of your relationship with substances, you’ll find compassionate support at Denver Emotional Health. We offer both in-person and online/remote counseling, and we’ll collaborate with you to create a treatment plan that fits your unique needs and aspirations.

Our services include:

• Individualized Outpatient Treatment: Tailored to your specific goals and challenges.
• Assessment and Referral Services: Helping you navigate the complex treatment landscape and find the right resources.
• Support for Families: Guidance and support for loved ones affected by addiction.
• Insurance Billing: We work with most major insurance plans.

We’re Here to Help You Reclaim Your Life

If you’re ready to break free from the grip of addiction and create a life of meaning and purpose, we invite you to contact us. We offer free phone consultations to answer your questions and discuss how our unique, IFS-informed approach, combined with the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy, can help you on your path to recovery.

Contact us today to begin your journey towards healing.

Learn more about the legal psychedelic-assisted therapies we offer to aid in your healing journey.