Therapists in N1K
Frank Kakarelis
Registered Psychotherapist, MACP, RP, RKine
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Guelph, ON N1K
Trauma, much like a splinter, embeds itself into a person and affects all aspects of life. My primary objective is to create a safe and compassionate therapeutic alliance which facilitates healing and growth. With Trauma, I truly believe that the body holds a great deal of the emotional weight, without us knowing. I witnessed severe difficulties in my community, and as an adult I have grieved many friends who kept their suffering a secret, often until it was too late. I truly believe that every individual innately harbors the right set of tools to achieve their personal goals and find their way to a meaningful, fulfilling life.
Trauma, much like a splinter, embeds itself into a person and affects all aspects of life. My primary objective is to create a safe and compassionate therapeutic alliance which facilitates healing and growth. With Trauma, I truly believe that the body holds a great deal of the emotional weight, without us knowing. I witnessed severe difficulties in my community, and as an adult I have grieved many friends who kept their suffering a secret, often until it was too late. I truly believe that every individual innately harbors the right set of tools to achieve their personal goals and find their way to a meaningful, fulfilling life.
Substance Use Counsellors
How do substance and drug recovery or rehabilitation programs work?
In inpatient programs, individuals live in a facility with other clients in recovery; in outpatient programs, individuals reside at home. These facilities are staffed with healthcare professionals including physicians, nurses, psychologists, counsellors, and psychotherapists. Staff often also includes people who have recovered themselves, serving as mentors and guides. These programs may use abstinence, harm reduction, detoxification, psychotherapy, and other methods.
How do 12-step programs combined with psychotherapy work?
Members of 12-step programs help each other reach abstinence and work to maintain it. These programs promote complete change in the individual’s emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual perspectives. Some programs require that new members attend 90 meetings in 90 days. Many people do attend these programs in conjunction with their work in psychotherapy; the combination of therapy along with 12-step can be extremely effective.
How does harm reduction combined with psychotherapy work?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, harm reduction prevents death, injury, disease, overdose, and substance misuse. People who choose harm reduction for substance use reduce the amount of drugs they consume. It is not abstinence-based like a 12-step program, but combining harm reduction with psychotherapy proves to be effective for many people.
Are there specific medications for substance and drug use?
There are medications approved to treat substance use disorder—such as buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone, and acamprosate. These medications do help people cope with substance use as well as avoid the problem of relapse. Naltrexone can help reduce cravings, methadone is an opioid medication used to treat severe pain, and acamprosate may help ease symptoms like poor sleep and anxious feelings.