Get help making decisions about your substance use
Have you been asking yourself:
- Would quitting enhance my athletic, academic, or work performance?
- Do the people who question my pattern of using have a point?
- What would it be like to be ‘sober’?
- Why do I keep picking up even when I know it’s going to cause problems?
- I quit, now what?
If so, substance use counseling might be right for you.
Explore the pros and cons
Even if you’re not ready to quit, you may be ready to explore the reasons you use. Whether you’ve noticed that using substances has started to interfere with things that are important to you, or someone you care about has expressed their concern about your relationship with substances, I can help you explore whether or not you want to make changes.
Make sense of what you discover when you quit
Maybe you already decided to make a change and it hasn’t gone the way you expected. Sometimes things feel harder in the weeks and months after stopping substance use – and this can be surprising, disappointing, and discouraging. You may experience irritability, difficulty thinking, trouble sleeping, dreams about using, anxiety, or depression (Read More about post-acute withdrawal). With the right support, you can get through the tough times of early recovery. If you’d like to explore the changes in your moods, thinking, or physical health in your recovery journey, substance use counseling is a great place to start.
Maintain course on the wellness path
The wellness journey is a continual process, and sometimes we run into challenges along the way. If you’ve already been on your recovery or wellness journey for a year or more, you may be looking for additional support to pursue optimal health, happiness, recovery, and a full and satisfying life in the community. Therapy can help you deepen your wellness experience, recover from a return to use, and better understand your self experience.
My approach
I take an integrated approach to substance use counseling, combining psychodynamic, neuroscience, and developmental theories. This approach helps me meet you where you’re at in your decision-making process. I understand that substance use is a complex issue that can come from trauma, prescription medication use or other situational factors, or be related to other risk-taking behaviors. I know that “the problem” is not always the problem. Overall my goal is to help you understand your substance use, help you reduce the negative consequences you experience as a result, and reach the goals you define for yourself.
About your therapist:
Mindy Duncan is a provisionally licensed professional counselor. She has a masters degree in clinical counseling, certifications in substance use and problem gambling counseling, and is an analyst-in-training at the Greater Kansas City Psychoanalytic Institute. Mindy has worked in residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment programs. She also completed the Couple Recovery training program offered by the Gottman Institute. Based on her training and experience, Mindy specializes in cognitive behavioral, cultural, and psychodynamic approaches to counseling and therapy with people who use, want to quit using, or have already quit using substances. She also works with people who struggle with behaviors such as gambling, eating, shopping, or exercising to cope with anxiety, depression, or trauma.
Mindy Duncan is a provider with Fortitude Counseling, supervised by Jessica Almond, MO License #2015040562.