Addiction Counselling for Healing, Recovery, and Support
Addiction Counselling and Recovery Support Across Ontario
Is This You?
You’re not alone if you’re experiencing any of these struggles. Addiction affects people from all backgrounds, and recognizing these patterns is the first step toward healing.
You’ve tried to stop or cut back on your own, but keep returning to old patterns
You use substances or behaviours to cope with stress, pain, or difficult emotions
You hide the extent of your use from people who care about you
You feel shame, guilt, or hopelessness about your relationship with substances or behaviours
Your use is causing conflict in important relationships or affecting your work and responsibilities
You’ve experienced relapses and wonder if lasting change is possible
What is addiction counselling?
Addiction counselling is a collaborative, evidence-based approach to understanding and addressing the complex relationship between substances, behaviours, and emotional wellbeing. At its core, addiction is a chronic condition affecting brain circuits related to reward, motivation, and memory — not a moral failing or lack of willpower.
What counts as addiction
Addiction can involve substances (alcohol, cannabis, opioids, stimulants, prescription medications) or behaviours (gambling, gaming, shopping, pornography, eating patterns). Addiction is characterized by compulsive engagement despite harmful consequences, difficulty controlling use, and continued use even when wanting to stop.
Why therapy helps
Research shows that addiction involves changes in brain chemistry and neural pathways that make stopping through willpower alone extremely difficult. Therapy addresses the psychological, social, and biological factors that sustain addictive patterns. It provides tools for managing cravings, processing underlying emotions, building healthier coping mechanisms, and creating sustainable behaviour change.
Harm reduction vs abstinence - it’s your path.
There’s no single “right” approach. Harm reduction focuses on reducing negative consequences and improving quality of life, regardless of whether use continues. Abstinence aims for complete cessation. Both are valid, evidence-based approaches. Your goals may evolve, and therapy meets you wherever you are in your journey.
How trauma and coping often underlie addictive behaviours
Trauma experts consistently show that addiction often serves as a coping mechanism for unresolved trauma, chronic stress, emotional pain, or mental health challenges. Many people use substances or behaviours to manage anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, or overwhelming emotions. Effective addiction therapy addresses these root causes alongside the addictive patterns themselves.
Addiction counselling helps you understand and change your relationship with substances or behaviours through evidence-based support. Whether you are navigating alcohol, drugs, gambling, or other compulsive patterns, therapy addresses the brain chemistry, emotional pain, and trauma that often drive addiction. We support both harm reduction and abstinence approaches. Therapy goes beyond willpower, providing tools for lasting change while treating co-occurring mental health challenges. You deserve compassionate, judgment-free care that honours your unique journey.
What We Help With
Many of the people we work with started by reaching out for online addiction counselling — a low pressure way to access support without leaving home, navigating transportation, or risking being seen at a clinic. Virtual sessions are available across Ontario and select Canadian provinces, with the same evidence based care offered in person.
Emotional Triggers
Co-occurring Issues
Substance Use
Behavioural Addictions
Recovery support & relapse prevention
Addiction rarely shows up alone. Many of the people we work with are also navigating trauma, anxiety, or depression — and the substance use or compulsive behaviour is often a way of coping with pain that has not yet been addressed. Our integrated approach treats the whole picture, not just the use.
Therapeutic Approaches We Use
Addiction is not simply about substances or habits — it is about pain, disconnection, and the human need to feel safe. At CTT Wellness, we meet you where you are, with compassion and evidence-based care. Therapy helps you uncover what lies beneath the patterns of substance use or compulsive behaviour, gently replacing them with healthier ways to cope, connect, and heal. Together, we will help you manage cravings, calm your nervous system, and rebuild a life that feels grounded, purposeful, and your own.
Harm reduction is woven through every modality we offer. You will never be required to commit to abstinence to receive care, and your goals can evolve as you do.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Helps you identify and change thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to substance use. You will learn to recognize triggers, challenge unhelpful beliefs, develop coping strategies, and create behavioural plans for managing high-risk situations.
Available in person at our Ontario clinics, virtually across Ontario and select Canadian provinces, and in-home or community in select Ontario regions.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Powerful for addiction because it teaches mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills help you manage cravings, cope with difficult emotions without using, and navigate relationship challenges that often trigger use.
Available in person at our Ontario clinics, virtually across Ontario and select Canadian provinces, and in-home or community in select Ontario regions.
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
A collaborative, person-centred approach that helps you explore and resolve ambivalence about change. Rather than confrontation, MI uses empathy and guided questions to help you discover your own motivations for change. It is particularly effective when you are uncertain about whether or how to change your relationship with substances.
Available in person at our Ontario clinics, virtually across Ontario and select Canadian provinces, and in-home or community in select Ontario regions.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Helps you understand different “parts” of yourself — the part that wants to use, the part that wants to stop, the part that is ashamed. By working with these internal systems compassionately, you can heal the wounded parts that drive addictive behaviours and develop internal harmony. This approach is especially powerful for addressing the trauma underlying addiction.
Available in person at our Ontario clinics, virtually across Ontario, and in-home or community in select Ontario regions.
Somatic Experiencing and Trauma Informed Therapy
Addiction often lives in the body, not just the mind. Somatic approaches help you process trauma stored in your nervous system, regulate your stress response, and reconnect with physical sensations in healthy ways. These therapies are crucial when addiction stems from unresolved trauma or PTSD.
Somatic Experiencing is available in person at our Grimsby and St. Catharines clinics and in-home or community in select Ontario regions.
Mindfulness and Self-Regulation Skills
Help you observe cravings and emotions without automatically reacting to them. You will learn techniques for grounding, emotional regulation, urge surfing, and staying present. These skills are fundamental to breaking automatic patterns and making conscious choices about use.
Available in person at our Ontario clinics, virtually across Ontario and select Canadian provinces, and in-home or community in select Ontario regions.
What We Treat
Depression Therapy
Grief & Loss
Trauma & PTSD
Eating Disorders
Neurodivergence (Autism, ADHD)
Gender Identity & LGBTQIA2+
Addictions & Substance Use
Chronic Pain & Concussion
New Client
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Returning Clients
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Call Us
289-547-5911
You Do Not Have to Be Ready to Quit
Addiction & Recovery Through Every Stage of Life
Your relationship with substances or compulsive behaviours can shift dramatically across your lifespan. We provide addiction counselling that honours where you are developmentally and what you are navigating right now.
Adolescence and Teen Years
Young Adulthood
Midlife
Later Life
What to Expect in Addiction Counselling
Step 1: Free consultation
We begin with a free 15-20-minute consultation, where you can share what’s bringing you to therapy and what you hope to achieve. There’s no judgment, no pressure to commit, and complete confidentiality.
Step 2: Personal history and
goal setting
Your therapist learns your history, explores goals, and creates a plan reflecting your values-whether harm reduction, abstinence, or self-understanding.
Step 3: Regular sessions in
the format that works for
your life
Choose in person at our Ontario clinics, virtually across Ontario and select Canadian provinces, or in-home or community in select Ontario regions.
Step 4: Reassessment &
recovery planning
Regular reassessments to ensure your treatment evolves with you. We celebrate progress and adjust approaches to support long-term wellness.
Why Choose CTT Wellness for Addiction Support
At CTT Wellness, addiction counselling is rooted in compassion, evidence, and respect for your autonomy. We offer trauma-informed addiction treatment without shame or stigma, meeting you wherever you are. Whether you are seeking harm reduction or recovery, our team provides personalized, judgment-free support.
No shame or stigma – just support
Addiction isn’t a moral failing-it’s a complex condition deserving of compassionate care. We create a judgment-free space where honesty is welcomed, and you’re treated with dignity and respect.
Multi-disciplinary team (therapy + wellness services)
Our team brings together registered psychotherapists, social workers, and wellness practitioners. Beyond talk therapy, you can access mindfulness, somatic work, and body-based approaches to support every dimension of recovery.
We support harm reduction or abstinence – your choice
Your goals are valid, whether that’s safer use, moderation, or complete abstinence. We provide evidence-based support for your chosen path without pressure or judgment about what recovery should look like.
Customized support for co-occurring challenges
Addiction rarely exists alone. We simultaneously treat trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and other mental health challenges, addressing root causes rather than just symptoms of substance use.
FAQs About Addiction Counselling
Seeking addiction support can bring up a lot of questions. We’ve answered some of the most common ones below, but if you have others, our team is here to help you take the next step at your pace.
Trauma-Informed Addiction Care
Harm Reduction Without Pressure
Support for the Whole Family System
Start Your Healing Process Today
You do not have to keep doing this alone, and you do not have to have it all figured out before reaching out. Whether you are questioning your use, ready to make changes, in early recovery, or working to maintain long-term wellness, CTT Wellness is here to walk alongside you.
Addiction counselling and recovery support are offered in person at our Ontario clinics, virtually across Ontario and select Canadian provinces, and in-home or community in select Ontario regions. Daytime, evening, and weekend appointments offered. Harm reduction or abstinence. Your path, your pace.
New Clients
New clients may request a consultation using the form below or may book an appointment immediately using Jane.
Returning Clients
Call Us
289-547-5911