This is a practice that helps me have a much more grounded, grateful, and fulfilling day. I stumbled on it, in the middle of a ritual that I do first thing in the morning. It is a mix of things that I have learned that just seemed to make sense, at a pivotal time. I […]

Charlene Lewis Sex Therapy Radio from joshlew on Vimeo.

Therapist Background Marcel San Pedro, MS, is a Registered Mental Health Counseling with the state of Florida. He is graduate of Nova Southeastern University with a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling. Marcel comes to the practice of psychotherapy and counseling after a successful career in the Media industry. He has 20 years of experience […]

There has been a lot of talk lately on what addiction is and how everything we thought as professionals about addiction is wrong. In the past one of the ways to treat addiction was with “tough love”. When I work with an addict, one of the first things I see is an individual who is […]

Can addiction be cured? Is there any way of reserving it? Charlene: No, addiction can’t be cured. ASAM, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, their definition for addiction is basically that it’s a primary chronic disease of the brain and it deals with brain rewards, motivation, memory and all the related circuitry. Basically, the disease […]

What’s the goal of addiction treatment? Charlene: The goal of treatment is to bring back healthy sexuality into the individual’s lifestyle. Unlike with the other substances where it’s totally eradicated and you don’t use a substance anymore, with sex it’s not so much about we’re not going to have sex. It’s we’re going to learn […]

What is addiction? Charlene: Addiction is described as a pathological relationship with a mood altering experience. Basically what that means is for the alcoholic, the first time they get drunk, that experience of ease and comfort that they feel. Or for the gambler, the first time that they win, the high that they get. It’s […]

When can I expect the cravings to go away? When would an addict start actually feeling relief or I guess when does it become less of a struggle and more about living life? How long does that take. Charlene: I think that’s different for every person. Unfortunately I would love to be able to wave […]

Charlene: Absolutely. About 80% of the clients that I see have trauma. This is always a really tricky subject because a lot of times when I bring up the word “trauma” in a session, people can get very defensive and say, “No, no, I haven’t had an trauma. My childhood was great. Everything was wonderful.” […]

What do you see in terms of treatment. You work at a treatment facility and you worked at a treatment facility for a while. What course of action is generally taken? Charlene: I think depending on how far the disease has progressed would be the level of care. There’s different types of treatment. There is […]

Stage Two: Lifestyle Change The behavior of the addict is the most visible part of [intlink id=”254″ type=”page”]addiction[/intlink]. The behavior generally occurs after the addictive personality develops. These behaviors are signs that the person is out of control internally. In Stage One an individual may experience some of the out of control behaviors but in Stage […]

Stage One: Internal Change The addicts’ personality is permanently altered. The basic illusion [intlink id=”254″ type=”page”]of addiction[/intlink] is based on finding relief through objects. The journey begins when the addict experiences the first high/mood change. In the mood change there is the illusion of control, comfort, and perfection. Examples: Compulsive gamblers = first win Compulsive spenders = purchase […]

In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and psychotherapist. No information from therapy sessions may be disclosed without prior written permission from the client. However, there are some exceptions required by law to this rule. Exceptions include:   Suspected child abuse or dependant adult or elder abuse. The therapist […]

Every [intlink id=”16″ type=”category”]therapy[/intlink] session is unique and caters to each individual and their specific goals. It is standard for therapists to discuss the primary issues and concerns in your life during therapy sessions. It is common to schedule a series of weekly sessions, where each session lasts around fifty minutes. Therapy can be short-term, focusing […]

A number of benefits are available from participating in [intlink id=”16″ type=”category”]psychotherapy[/intlink]. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues and creative blocks. Many people also find that counselors can be a tremendous asset to managing […]

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you’ve faced, there’s nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand, and that is something to be admired. […]

Seeking out therapy is an individual choice. There are many reasons why people come to therapy. Sometimes it is to deal with long-standing psychological issues, or problems with anxiety or depression. Other times it is in response to unexpected changes in one’s life such as a divorce or work transition. Many seek the advice of […]

Alcohol is legal and it is inevitable to be around. I f you have to be somewhere where there is alcohol the most important thing is having a plan of action and remembering that you are powerless over this substance. Taking your own car, brining someone with you, having phone numbers of people you can […]

If you have tried to stop multiple times with no avail, chances are you need help. Treatment is helpful because there is a level of accountability and because of the group nature the feelings of isolation slip away. Some individuals may need to be taken out of their environment for a certain period of time […]

If an individual is determined to get help for their addiction, I believe nothing can stop them. At the same time, they may have to make difficult choices. Recovery is something only you can do for yourself, but you cannot do it alone. Some people have partners who are social drinkers/users, if they are supportive […]

Addiction has nothing to do with will power. Just like with cancer or diabetes, you can’t “will” away theses diseases, you can’t keep yourself from having a heart attack or make your heart stop beating. It’s a humbling experiencing to recognize the powerlessness over the substance.  

In early recovery it is suggested that you stay away from old people, places and things. Because we have lost the choice to use or not to use and have recognized powerlessness, if we continue to be around the drugs and alcohol it will make it very difficult to say no to the drug or […]

Addiction may stem from 3 components: biological, social, and psychological. If you have a history of addiction in your family you may be genetically predisposed (just like if there is a history of diabetes, heart disease, cancer etc..). If you grow up in area where drugs are predominant and everyone uses chances are you will […]

Chances are if you are addicted to one substance, especially if it has become a psychological dependence, abstinence from all mood and mind altering substances are the only way to go. All mood/mind altering substances affect the same area in the brain and the brain can not distinguish between the substances. So what happens is […]

No problem. Spirituality and religion are not the same concept. If you are an addict and have lost the power to choose whether you drink or use, what you need is a power to help you regain choice. What is really needed is a Power greater than you and the substance you are using. Some […]

A sponsor is someone who like you tried to control their addiction, made empty promises, felt the shame and guilt as a result of their addiction, were either physically or emotionally addicted to a substance or activity and found a way out of the vicious cycle. They are individuals who follow spiritual principles to cope […]

Because this disease centers in the mind, which is where our thoughts, emotions, impulses, feelings, and processes stem from, it is difficult to recover ALONE. Meetings provide the help we need. At meetings you will find other individuals who struggled with the same problem and have found a solution. There only purpose is to stay […]

12 step recovery programs do not have a monopoly on the recovery process. This being said, millions of addicts and alcoholics have fully recovered using the 12 steps. No other plan of action has had anything like this success rate. This is how I see it: If you were diagnosed with another disease and the […]

If you are an alcoholic, you will not likely learn to control your drinking. Once the line has been crossed into alcoholism, an alcoholic may however become adamant about finding a way to manage their drinking. This is alcoholic thinking. There is a saying that “once a pickle, never again a cucumber”. This doesn’t mean […]

Addiction is the only disease that needs to be self-diagnosed. An addict is a person who experiences a loss of control, continues to use drugs, alcohol, or a specific activity despite adverse consequences. It is an individual who becomes psychologically and/or physically dependent on this specific activity or substance.