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Welcome!

I provide specialized, private, and custom substance abuse psychotherapy services to professionals, executives, first responders, medical professionals, and business owners in Katy, Houston, and Texas.

Are you struggling to understand why you can’t quit alcohol or other substances even though you’ve had significant success in other areas of your life? Would you describe yourself as a “functional alcoholic*”? Would your peers, coworkers, and even some family members be stunned to discover the lengths you’ve gone to secure pills, coke, or some other drug?

You’ve had success with your career, romantic relationships, material comfort, and financial stability. If intelligence, hard work, meaningful relationships, or strength “worked,” you wouldn’t have this substance abuse problem.

I work with professionals who want to understand the nature of their substance abuse problem and develop a discreet treatment plan. It’s common for people to worry that when they give up the drug, they will lose a benefit or effect that was desirable. You may be worried about stress relief, sleep, or productivity. Working together we’ll discover how the drug “works” for you and find ways to create the same benefits without the use.

It’s important to treat you; the whole person. While the suggestion that you attend Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) (also known as 12-Step settings) is one that has worked for millions, it is not “the” only nor the best answer for everyone. There are many reasons that developing a holistic care plan is needed.

I work with you to respond to your unique genetics, past, specific struggles, and to identify and utilize a skill set that is productive and positive and use this as the foundation of your treatment.

If you’d like, I can provide support, guidance, complementary and supplementary care to persons in the 12-Step community. I am careful, however, to ensure that professional treatment is empirically supported and not simply a regurgitation of cliché suggestions.

I work with professionals in Katy, Houston, and Texas who are seeking holistic care for their substance abuse problem, to help with relapse prevention, and assist the family members and loved ones of those persons.

*Person First language is becoming the expected industry standard. And for the right reasons. The main reason is to acknowledge people as people first, before any other words are used, rather than referring to them in terms of a diagnosis or condition. This is true on the medical side of things as well. “A person with diabetes” is being used rather than “a diabetic.” Using Person-First Language in regard to addiction means someone is a “person with a substance use disorder,” rather than the stigmatizing term, “addict.” It relates directly to dignity and respect. Moving away from terms such as addict or alcoholic, we lead with the person, identify the person, and honor the person – first.

Testimonials

Having followed Joanne’s career since our shared graduate school, I have seen her unrelenting advocacy for clients in multiple settings –psychiatric hospital, non-profit agency, family grief center, private practice – whatever the setting, I know her to be a compassionate and passionate professional.

Lee Walker, MA, LPC - Staff Therapist, The Montrose Center.

Joanne is one of my “go to” professionals as her non-shaming, positive approach to the process of recovery from a substance use disorder (SUD) is affirming and non-judgmental. I am confident in Joanne’s ability to work in any arena including individual, couples, and/or family care. When I send a client to Joanne, I know they are receiving top quality care from a caring, compassionate, and top quality professional.

Dan Caldwell, MA, LCDC-CCS, CCTP, NCIP, LPC Associate

Joanne is a gifted, compassionate, and skilled professional. I feel so grateful to have worked with her on a multidiplinary team as she applied her expertise. She is dedicated, committed, and passionate about each individual encounter she accepts. Not only is she one of the most thoughtful people towards her colleagues, but she also shares her encouragement, quick wit, and humor to lighten our journey as we care for others with complex challenges. She accepts diverse populations, acknowledges each situation, and embraces best clinical practice to guide an individual to a better place. She is gracious while providing awareness, knowledge, understanding, and insight to an individual. She makes life better for people she encounters.

Steven Christmas, MSN, RN-BC, MBA/HCA