Individual counseling, in person or by telehealth. It addresses what sits underneath substance use and mental health symptoms, not only the symptoms themselves, and works alongside medication rather than instead of it.
Counseling forms part of the comprehensive approach we take to medication-assisted treatment and to co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. It is delivered here by the same team that manages your medication, so the two are not working in isolation from each other.
Trauma-informed and judgment-free
Trauma-informed care means the questions we ask, the way appointments are structured, and the way staff respond are all designed not to re-injure someone who has been through something serious. In practice: you set the pace, you are told what will happen before it happens, and nothing is disclosed without your consent.
What counseling works on
- One-to-one sessions with a clinician who knows your treatment plan
- Relapse prevention and coping strategies you can actually use
- The mental health conditions that sit alongside substance use, treated in the same plan rather than separately
- Education about your diagnosis, your treatment, and recovery
- Progress against the goals in your treatment plan, reviewed and updated as things change
Where counseling happens
Individual counseling is available here. It is provided by our psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC), and by other clinicians such as a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor (LCADC) as the practice grows.
We do not currently run group counseling. If group work is what you need, we will refer you to a programme that provides it — see below. We may offer groups by telehealth in future.
Counseling can be in person at the Lexington clinic or by telehealth, whichever suits you.
If you need more than outpatient counseling
Some people need more intensive help than an outpatient appointment can give. If that is you, we will arrange a referral rather than keep you in a service that is not enough — group therapy, intensive outpatient treatment, partial hospitalization, residential treatment, or psychological testing. See Recovery Support for how referrals work.
Asking about counseling
Call (859) 303-5794 or request a callback and ask what is available. Raising it at any appointment works too — counseling can be added to your treatment plan as your needs change.