Substance Use & Addiction Therapy for Teens and Young Adults in Florida
Culturally responsive, trauma-informed substance use therapy for Asian American and BIPOC teens and young adults
*Online therapy throughout Florida. Based in Broward County
Addiction Does Not Discriminate
Substance use impacts people of all ages and all walks of life.
Especially when emotions, stress, or trauma have nowhere to go.
And when you come from a family or culture where mental health in general is stigmatized and not talked about, turning to substances to cope can feel like the only option, but it is something that can quickly make your life feel like it is no longer within your control.
And it’s that much harder when you need to ask for help.
A Different Approach for A Different Phase of Life
For teens and emerging adults, substance use looks different than in adulthood.
Your brain is still developing until we’re about 25 years old
Social influences are a huge of your life at this time
Understanding of dependence and withdrawal looks different
Stigma and cultural barriers show up in different ways
Justice system involvement impacts different areas of your life (e.g., school, family, relationships, jobs)
And you need a therapist that gets why these things matter and will help you work with them, not against them.
At the end of the day, substance use is a coping skill that you learned somewhere along the way that gave you instant relief from whatever it is that you’re coping with. That’s why it’s addicting…because it works.
But somewhere along the way, it started causing more harm than good.
My Approach
Substance use and addiction is often a symptom of a deeper pain going on underneath.
Therapy for substance use looks like:
Using neurosomatic techniques (Brainspotting, EMDR, and neurofeedback principles) to healing what’s underneath the substance use (whether it’s trauma, stress, or emotional pain)
Defusing and deprogramming beliefs that keep you stuck ("I can’t cope without this")
Building tolerance for the inevitable pains and pressures of life
Learning new coping skills for when life gets too lifey
Figuring out what actually matters to you
Taking actionable steps toward a life that feels like in your control again
For parents: Substance use in teens often shows up in ways that look like disrespect, defiance, or a lack of motivation. But underneath that is usually pain, overwhelm, or a nervous system in survival mode.
If you or your teen are struggling, you don’t have to do it alone.