Addiction and Substance Use Therapy Edmonton
Recovery Is Not Just Abstinence. It's Finding a Life You Want to Live.
Specialized psychotherapy for addictions and substance use disorders in Edmonton and online. CDMH addresses both the symptoms of addiction and the underlying emotional drivers, for more lasting recovery.
Understanding Addiction and Substance Use Disorder
What it is
Addiction, including Substance Use Disorder (e.g. alcohol, drugs, prescription medications) and process addictions (e.g. gambling, gaming, sex, food), is a complex condition involving compulsive use or behaviour despite negative consequences.
What it isn't
Addiction is not a moral failing or a lack of willpower.
It is a condition that has emotional, neurological, social, and often trauma-related roots.
How it's treated
Effective treatment addresses all of these layers, not just the substance or behaviour.
Signs That Addiction May Be Affecting You or a Loved One
Using substances or engaging in behaviours more frequently than intended
Wanting to cut down, but finding it difficult or impossible to do so
Spending significant time obtaining, using, or recovering from substance use
Strong cravings or urges to consume substance of addiction
Continuing to use despite negative consequences in relationships, work, or health
Withdrawal symptoms when stopping to use substances
Giving up activities or relationships that were once important
Using to cope with difficult emotions, stress, or trauma
Negative consequences in major life areas – including work, school, physical and mental health, relationships, finances, and legal matters
Tolerance: needing to use more of a substance, or engage more frequently in a behaviour, to achieve the same effect
Addiction Treatment Near Me Edmonton
Evidence-Based Treatment at CDMH
CDMH’s approach to addiction treatment focuses on understanding and addressing the emotional and relational roots of addictive patterns, not just behaviour change. We recognize that addictions often serve a function in managing emotional pain, stress, or trauma, and that lasting recovery requires addressing those underlying drivers alongside practical skills.
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Helps people strengthen motivation and commitment to change in areas such as addictions and health behaviours, by exploring ambivalence and supporting self-determined goals.
ISTDP
Broadly speaking, ISTDP is curious about addictive behaviours serving as a mechanism used to avoid complex feelings present in response to past and current life experiences. ISTDP focuses on assisting individuals in developing a greater capacity and more adaptive strategies to manage one’s emotional experiences. There is a focus on current coping, as well as processing through and making meaning out of past experiences. This often translates to a notable reduction or eradication of addictive behaviors and a greater sense of closeness and connectedness to oneself and others.
DBT
Allowing clients to recognize the maladaptive patterns they have been engaging in to deal with emotional discomfort, such as addictive behaviours.
Distress tolerance skills teach clients that there are other effective skills they can use to handle their distress. Emotion regulation provides the tools for clients to identify the emotions they are experiencing in the here and now, as well as skills to address the problems those emotions bring up.
Developing awareness of the chain of events which made an individual more vulnerable to engaging in addictive behaviour through mindfulness skills; an emphasis on distress tolerance skills to resist urges to engage in maladaptive coping, consideration of short- and long-term consequences of actions, and dialectical strategies for managing addictions as crisis behaviours; using emotion regulation skills to engage in wise mind decisions; and interpersonal effectiveness skills to set boundaries in relationships that enable unwanted behaviours.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Identifying and changing addiction-maintaining thought and behaviour patterns, while developing coping strategies for managing triggers, cravings, and difficult emotions.
Relapse prevention planning
Developing personalized strategies for maintaining recovery
Trauma-informed care
Addresses the relationship between trauma and addiction, and how working on both can be beneficial. Sometimes reducing trauma symptoms can lead to a meaningful reduction in substance use.
Coordinating with doctors and other healthcare providers when medication, detox, residential treatment, or other specialized care may be needed.
Why Patients in Edmonton Choose CDMH
Evidence-based care, focused on depth and resolution, not symptom management
Team of 9 skilled clinicians with diverse, specialized training
Flagship ISTDP approach with proven outcomes for complex conditions
Interdisciplinary collaboration: clinicians consult and communicate
In-person (Edmonton) and virtual options across Alberta
Founded by an Edmonton Top 40 Under 40 (2025) Registered Psychologist
Fees guided by the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta (PAA) schedule
Addiction Therapy Edmonton
CDMH Addresses the Root Causes of Addiction, Not Just the Symptoms
Book a free 15-minute phone consultation to speak with one of our helpful clinicians today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is addiction a mental health condition?
Yes. Addiction (e.g. Substance Use Disorder) is recognized as a mental health condition with neurological, psychological, and social dimensions. It frequently co-occurs with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and trauma. Effective treatment addresses the whole person, not just the addictive behaviour.
Does CDMH offer detox services?
No. CDMH provides psychological and psychotherapeutic support for addictions, not medical detox. If detox is medically necessary, clients are encouraged to consider reaching out to the Addiction Recovery Centre (ARC) at Alberta Hospital Edmonton — call 780-342-5900 or walk in between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM to check intake times. No referral is required. We recommend pursuing medical detox support before or alongside beginning psychological treatment.
Can therapy help with addiction without requiring complete abstinence?
CDMH clinicians work collaboratively with each client on their goals, which may include harm reduction, moderation, or abstinence depending on the client’s needs and values. We meet people where they are.
What is the connection between addiction and trauma?
Addiction and trauma are deeply connected. Research consistently shows that trauma, particularly childhood trauma, is a significant risk factor for substance use disorder. Many people use substances or addictive behaviours to manage the emotional pain associated with unprocessed trauma. CDMH’s trauma-informed approach addresses this connection directly.
Does DBT help with addictions?
Yes. DBT ( Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) was adapted specifically for substance use by Dr. Marsha Linehan (DBT-SUD). DBT helps people develop emotional regulation skills, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, all of which reduce the emotional drivers of substance use.
What if I have tried to stop before and failed?
Most people recovering from addiction experience multiple attempts before sustained recovery is achieved. This is not failure, it is how recovery typically unfolds. Effective, individualized psychological treatment increases the likelihood of lasting change, particularly when it addresses the emotional and relational factors driving addiction.