Addiction and Substance Use Therapy: Addiction and Substance Use Support
Substance use is complex, personal, and deeply human. There’s no single path to change, and you don’t need to be “ready,” sober, or certain about what you want to reach out.
Addiction Counselling in Brockville, ON
Substance use rarely happens in a vacuum. It’s shaped by biology, stress, relationships, trauma, environment, and everything a person has lived through. So we look beyond the substance itself, to the whole person and the life around it.
Our Approach
We practice harm reduction informed psychotherapy. That means we work with whatever goal makes sense to you, whether that’s cutting back, staying safer, or stopping altogether.
No Abstinence Required
You don’t need to be sober to start.
No Certainty Needed
You don’t need to know whether you want to quit.
Met Where You Are
You’ll be met where you are, without judgment or pressure.
Together, we look at what substance use has been doing for you, what it’s been costing you, and what feels possible right now. For some people that means reducing harm or feeling more in control. For others it means working toward stopping. Readiness can change over time, and your care can change with it.
What We Support
People come to us at every stage, including:
- Curiosity or concern about their drinking or use
- Mixed feelings about cutting back or quitting
- Staying on track after making a change
- Anxiety, depression, trauma, or stress alongside substance use
- Shame, guilt, or secrecy
- Strain on relationships, work, or health
Without Judgment
Addiction isn’t a failure of willpower or character. It’s often a response to pain, stress, loss, or needs that went unmet for a long time.
Therapy is a place to understand your relationship with substances, rebuild trust with yourself, and move toward change at a pace that feels realistic.
“You deserve support at every point in your story, not only after a decision has been made.”
Addiction Therapy FAQs
Q. Do I need to be sober to start therapy?
No. You don’t need to be sober, and you don’t need to know whether you want to quit.
Q. What is harm reduction?
Harm reduction means working with the goals that make sense to you, rather than requiring abstinence first. For some people that includes stopping. For others it means using more safely or less often.
Q. What if I’m not sure I have a problem?
You don’t need a label to come in. Curiosity, concern, or a quiet sense that something has shifted is reason enough to talk.
Meet the Clinicians
Each of these clinicians works with this area. If you’re not sure who to choose, we’re happy to help you find a good match.
Meredith Armstrong, MSW, RSW
Owner, Social Worker, Psychotherapist
Meredith Armstrong is a Registered Social Worker and the owner of St. Lawrence Psychotherapy and Wellness. She has been doing this work since 2001, and it has never once felt like just a job to her.
Charlotte (Charlie) MacDonald, RP (Qualifying)
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Charlotte, also known as Charlie, is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) who recently graduated from Yorkville University and has joined the St. Lawrence Psychotherapy and Wellness Team.
Lia Forma, MSW, RSW
Social Worker, Psychotherapist
Lia is a Social Worker with over 15 years of experience across community and residential settings. She has walked alongside people through mental health struggles, addiction, trauma, intimate partner violence, and women’s health, and she brings that same steady presence to the men who come to her too. She’s especially attuned to the particular pressures and expectations that can shape how men cope, communicate, and carry what they’re going through, often quietly, and often for a long time before they ask for help.
Other Areas of Support
Most people come in with more than one thing on their mind.
Trauma
Some experiences stay with us long after they end. We work at a pace that feels safe, with care for how the past still shows up today.
Emotional Neglect
For people who grew up with their feelings overlooked, and learned to need very little.
Anger
Anger usually shows up for a reason. We’re curious about what yours has been trying to say.
Wherever you are with it
You deserve support at every point in your story.