Why This Specialty Exists

Addiction rarely affects only one person.

When someone struggles with substance use, family members often find themselves managing crises, worrying constantly, second-guessing decisions, and feeling responsible for outcomes they cannot control.

Many people spend years trying to help someone they love recover while gradually neglecting their own emotional health, relationships, finances, and sense of stability.

This specialty exists to help family members understand addiction, recognize unhealthy patterns, and develop practical ways to care about their loved one without being overwhelmed by the consequences of the addiction.

Whether your loved one is actively using substances, entering treatment, maintaining recovery, or experiencing relapse — your experience matters too.

Is This a Good Fit?

I help adult family members, partners, spouses, and parents of people struggling with substance use disorders learn how to support someone they love without sacrificing their own emotional well-being.

Many people come to therapy feeling trapped between two painful choices: continuing to rescue their loved one or walking away entirely. Therapy can help you develop healthier boundaries, reduce emotional exhaustion, and learn how to remain connected without becoming consumed by the effects of addiction.

✓ Strong Fit Contexts

  • You are the parent of an adult child struggling with addiction.

  • You are in a relationship with someone whose substance use is affecting the relationship.

  • You feel exhausted by repeated crises, broken promises, or relapses.

  • You struggle to know where support ends and enabling begins.

  • Your loved one is in recovery, but you continue to feel anxious, fearful, or hypervigilant.

  • You feel responsible for fixing problems that are not fully within your control.

  • Addiction has begun affecting your mental health, relationships, finances, or daily functioning.

  • You want to learn how to maintain boundaries without feeling guilty.

✗ Not the Right Fit

  • You are seeking treatment for your own active substance use disorder.

  • You require detoxification services.

  • You require residential or inpatient substance use treatment.

  • You need emergency psychiatric services or crisis stabilization.

  • You are seeking court-ordered evaluations.

  • You are seeking custody evaluations.

  • You are seeking medication management without therapy.

  • You are seeking legal advice regarding addiction-related concerns.
If your needs fall outside the scope of this service, I may be able to help you identify more appropriate resources.

You Might Relate If...

→You tell yourself this will be the last time you step in to help, but find yourself rescuing your loved one again.

→Your loved one only contacts you when they need money, transportation, or support.

→You spend more time managing someone else's life than focusing on your own.

→You feel constantly on alert waiting for the next crisis.

→Your loved one is sober, but you still struggle to trust the stability of the situation.

→You find yourself questioning whether your actions are helping or enabling.
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Credentials & Experience

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with experience working with individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders. My work in this area centers on the relational and emotional toll addiction takes on loved ones, not on treating the addiction itself.
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This page is specifically intended for adult family members seeking support. It is not intended to provide substance use treatment to the addicted person, including children or adolescents.

Therapeutic Approach & Style

How I Work

Clients often describe my approach as compassionate, practical, direct, and collaborative. I believe insight is most useful when it creates meaningful change outside of therapy sessions.
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Together, we work to understand patterns that developed over time while building concrete skills that support healthier decisions, stronger boundaries, and greater emotional stability. Rather than focusing exclusively on the person struggling with addiction, therapy helps shift attention toward what you can control: your choices, your responses, your relationships, and your well-being.

Evidence-based Tools

I use practical, evidence-based tools to help clients manage guilt and anxiety, set and maintain boundaries, and respond more intentionally to addiction-driven dynamics rather than react in crisis.
CBT
DBT
Gestalt
Mindfulness

Practical Details & Constraints

Format
100% virtual therapy
Payment
This is a private-pay focused service. Select insurance plans (Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Oscar) may be accepted for individual outpatient therapy. 
Session Length
50-60 minutes
Session Frequency
Typically weekly at the start, adjusted as clients build stability
Client Participation
Clients are expected to actively practice skills discussed in sessions
Location
Florida (primarily). ​South Carolina eligible when permitted — confirmed prior to scheduling

Strong Match Indicators

People who work well with me often:
✓    You take responsibility for other people's well-being.
✓    You have difficulty prioritizing your own needs.
✓    You feel guilty when setting limits.
✓    You want practical strategies rather than advice alone.
✓    You are motivated to apply skills between sessions.
✓    You value understanding patterns and root causes.
✓    You want support that balances compassion with accountability.

What Progress Looks Like

While every person's situation is different, clients often notice progress when they:
→   Feel less responsible for other people's decisions.
→   Set boundaries with greater confidence and less guilt.
→   Experience reduced anxiety and emotional overwhelm.
→   Spend less time managing crises.
→   Develop healthier communication patterns.
→   Feel more grounded regardless of whether their loved one chooses recovery.
→   Reconnect with their own goals, relationships, and personal values.

Summary

I help family members of people struggling with addiction learn how to care about someone they love without losing themselves in the process.

Together, we work on understanding addiction, setting healthier boundaries, reducing emotional exhaustion, and creating greater stability — regardless of where your loved one is in their recovery journey.
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Services are provided through secure telehealth for adults located in Florida.​

Next Step

If you are feeling overwhelmed by a loved one's addiction and want support learning how to navigate the situation in a healthier and more sustainable way, contact me to schedule a consultation and determine whether this approach feels like a good fit for your needs.