Most people who struggle with addiction don’t look like what they imagine an “addict” is supposed to look like.
They work.
They show up.
They hold it together — until they don’t.
Often the concern isn’t total loss of control, but a quieter question:
| “Why can’t I stop once I start?”
| “Why do I keep going back to this?”
| “Why does this feel necessary, even when I hate it?”
I work with adults who are wrestling with alcohol, drugs, or compulsive behaviors — especially when those habits feel out of sync with who they believe themselves to be.
I provide addiction counseling in Orlando for adults struggling with alcohol, substances, or compulsive habits. My office is located in Baldwin Park, serving Winter Park and Downtown Orlando.
Addiction Therapy in Orlando for High-Functioning Adults
Who this is for
Most people who come to me for addiction counseling aren't sure they belong in addiction counseling.
They're functional. They're self-aware. They've probably already tried cutting back, setting rules, or quitting on their own. And they're tired of the cycle — not just of the substance, but of the shame that follows it.
You don't need a rock bottom. You don't need a label. You need a place to figure out what's actually going on.
What this is not
This is not:
a 12-step meeting
a lecture about consequences
forced abstinence
a one-size-fits-all program
Therapy is collaborative, confidential, and paced to your readiness.
The goal is not compliance — it’s clarity.
How I approach addiction counseling
My work is psychodynamic, which means we don’t focus only on stopping behavior.
We focus on what the substance is doing for you — the emotional conflicts it helps regulate, the role it plays in identity, control, or relief, and why change feels threatening even when you want it.
Substances often function as solutions before they become problems.
Therapy helps you understand what problem the addiction has been solving — and whether there are other ways forward.
This approach is especially helpful for people who:
are intellectually aware of the risks
feel frustrated with surface-level advice
have tried “willpower” and found it insufficient
Common themes in addiction work
Most people I work with recognize some version of the same pattern: control, then release, then regret. Underneath that cycle is usually something harder — difficulty tolerating certain emotions, a restlessness that won't sit still, or a quiet fear of who they'll be without the substance.
These aren't moral failures. They're patterns with a logic. And logic can be understood.
Addictions I Work With
People come to me with a range of substances and behaviors — some obvious, some that don't fit the usual picture of "addiction."
I work with adults navigating:
Alcohol — the most socially normalized, and often the last recognized
Cannabis — increasingly common, increasingly dismissed as harmless
Kratom — poorly understood, frequently used to self-manage pain or opioid withdrawal
Stimulants — Adderall, cocaine, and the line between productivity and dependency
Opioids — including prescription painkillers and post-treatment maintenance
Pornography & compulsive sexual behavior — patterns that operate the same way substances do
Nicotine / vaping — often underestimated as a stress regulation tool
Each of these carries its own culture, its own logic, its own shame. The underlying work is similar — what it's doing for you matters more than what it is.
Before you reach out
Location: In-person counseling in Orlando / Baldwin Park
Format: Individual therapy
Approach: Psychodynamic, depth-oriented
Payment: Private pay (sliding scale may be available)
Good fit for: early-recognition, post-treatment, or high-functioning individuals
If you've found yourself reading this far, that's probably answer enough.