Some programs specializing in

treatment of alcoholism and addiction may be prone to seeing any problem relating to alcohol or drug use as an addiction that needs treatment. A person who has never tried to quit drinking may sometimes be referred to the highest possible level of treatment-- residential-- before less intense treatments have been tried. Some programs specializing in mental health problems may overlook substance related problems or wrongly see these problems as coming from unresolved mental health issues when they may be (and frequently are) separate problems that need to be addressed separately. 

My training and experience allows

me to make an objective assessment of each problem; neither minimizing nor exaggerating the roles that different issues may play in one’s life. The complexity-- and the controversial nature-- of these issues doesn’t lend itself to quick discussion. Please feel welcome to call me for consultation. If the result of an assessment is that either mental health or substance abuse treatment may be beneficial, I can help.