The Treatment Process

In order to treat addiction, it helps to understand what causes it. Substance use disorders (addictions) are multifaceted, so they need a multifaceted conceptualization. We find it in the bio-psycho-social model of addiction. Rather than believing that it is one thing that causes a substance use disorder, we now understand that a group of factors contributes to a person being more or less at risk for addiction. There are three factors: "bio", "psycho" and "social".

The first one, "bio" , refers to biology and genetics. We have learned over the last few decades that genetics are a part of the picture—but definitely not the entire picture.

"Psycho" refers to psychology and is as broad as it sounds. It includes personality traits (like sensation-seeking and impulsivity), mental health issues (such as anxiety and depression), psychological constructs (like self-esteem and self-worth), and the psychological impact of an individual’s life experiences (such as trauma).

The last factor, "social", refers to societal norms, accessibility, legality, modeling, expectancies, societal approval, visibility, targeting practices, and cultural beliefs. During treatment we will look at each factor, with particular emphasis on the psychological and social, and see what changes can be made to shore up any possible vulnerabilities.

  • L.J.

    John has counciled me for years. Very attentive to all my problems. When I've listened to and followed his council it always has worked out. Thanks John for helping me through all my issues.

  • D.R.

    My Son was heavy into drugs when he found out he had cancer. During his treatments John gave my Son the support he needed and helped to turn his life around. I can truly say that GOD used John to save my Son's life!

  • S.W.

    You always get it. Thanks for being so approachable and understanding. I felt lucky to be around you.

Getting Started

The process is easy. There is no pressure involved and it is completely confidential

  1. Email me or text/call me at (206) 915-7628 to set up our first meeting

  2. That first meeting can be face to face or over Zoom. Face to face meetings can be masked or unmasked - It's entirely up to you

  3. You will be asked to sign some disclosures about the nature of treatment/counseling

  4. The meeting will last about an hour. The first part of the meeting we spend a little time confirming that you meet diagnostic criteria for a substance use disorder

  5. We then discuss your motivation to seek help

  6. From there we will discuss the problem and talk about some possible solutions

  7. Together we will work out a "treatment plan". In this plan we

    1. Set some goals related to the process

    2. Have a discussion of how often we might meet to work on those goals.

All Treatment plans are customized to your specific needs. Just as we are all individuals, we can not expect our recovery plans to be a one size fits all. If you are ready to begin the healing process, simply click the button that says "Get Started"