Addiction & recovery support/harm reduction
I am a good fit for people who have been shamed or judged by other providers who emphasized abstinence-focused models for your adaptive coping mechanisms. The goal isn’t always abstinence. Sometimes it is! But many folks will never want to stop their substance use or various coping behaviors in their life—which is totally fine! I approach my work from a harm-reduction framework. Harm reduction allows for autonomy and self-determination, while simultaneously inviting one to explore their choices from all angles.
I don’t believe that I am the arbiter of what someone should or should not be doing with their own body and life. But I do want safety and ease for others, and in my training I have found that harm reduction can be a beautiful practice for this. If it leads you to abstinence and that’s your goal, that’s beautiful! If you never want to stop and are engaging in harm reduction—you are in small ways embracing that you are worthy of tending to, and that’s equally gorgeous.
