Alcohol & Substance Use Therapy for Iowa Professionals
You are disciplined in every other area of your life. Why is this the one thing you can’t "manage" away?
Why Willpower Has Stopped Working
You run teams, manage budgets, and solve complex problems. It is frustrating when you can’t just "decide" to stop drinking or using. But this isn't a failure of character. It is a physiological trade-off that has stopped working in your favor.
The Law of Diminishing Returns
The Baseline Has Moved: Alcohol or substances used to be a reward. Now, they are a requirement just to feel "normal." You aren't chasing a high anymore; you are just trying to stop the noise.
The "Interest Rate": When you drink to relieve anxiety tonight, you are borrowing relief from tomorrow. The alcohol wears off, but the anxiety returns with interest, creating a chemical spike that makes you feel more stressed than before you started.
The "High-Functioning" Blind Spot: Because you haven’t lost your job or your license, your brain classifies the behavior as "safe." This allows the habit to deepen until the consequences become unavoidable.
We stop treating this as a moral failing. We treat it as a system that needs to be recalibrated.
The "Gray Area" Strategy
You likely don't fit the stereotype of an "addict," but you also know you aren't a "social drinker." You live in the Gray Area: functional, but trapped. My approach is designed specifically for this space.
1. Harm Reduction vs. Abstinence
We do not start with a demand for sobriety. We start with data.
The Experiment: We may test a period of controlled moderation. We track the data: Can you stop at one? Does the noise in your head scream at you when you do?
The Verdict: We let the results dictate the treatment plan. If moderation is exhausting, abstinence becomes a strategic choice for freedom, not a punishment.
2. Deconstructing the "Reward"
You use alcohol or marijuana because it solves a problem (sleep, silencing the inner critic, numbing burnout). If we take the substance away without solving the problem, you will relapse.
The Work: We build the neurological architecture to downshift your nervous system without chemical assistance.
3. Reputation Management
Privacy is Clinical: I utilize 42 CFR Part 2 protections. This means your attendance here is federally protected at a higher level than standard medical records.
The Narrative: We help you script how to navigate networking events, client dinners, and social pressure without drawing attention to your choice not to drink.
What You Are Actually Buying
You aren't paying for "sobriety." You are paying for Capacity.
Cognitive Speed: No more morning brain fog. Your processing speed and decision-making capability return to elite levels.
Emotional Availability: You stop "performing" for your family and start actually connecting with them. The wall between you and your spouse comes down.
Freedom from the math: You get your mental bandwidth back. No more counting drinks, calculating drive times, or checking your sent folder.
The Framework for Change
We don't "wait and see." We follow a structured clinical process to move you from management to mastery.
The Clinical Audit (Intake): We map the history of your use, the specific triggers (time of day, stressors), and the physiological role the substance plays in your nervous system.
The Strategy Selection: We decide on the immediate protocol: Harm Reduction (controlled moderation) or Strategic Abstinence based on your history and goals.
Neurological Repatterning: We build the skills to handle the "3 PM Urge" or the "8 PM Decompression" without chemical assistance.
Future-Proofing (Relapse Prevention): We script how to handle high-stress deadlines and social events so you can navigate professional environments without compromising your progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. While I support 12-step programs for those who find community in them, they are not a requirement of my practice. My approach is clinical and neurological. We focus on skill-building and trigger management in a one-on-one setting.
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No. Per Iowa regulations, I do not conduct OWI/DUI evaluations for the Department of Transportation. If you need a specific DOT-mandated evaluation to regain your driver's license, I can refer you to the appropriate agency.
My evaluations are clinical assessments for court cases, HR requirements, or personal knowledge.
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Seeking voluntary treatment is usually the best way to protect your license. Licensing boards typically take punitive action when a professional is caught impaired on the job or incurs legal charges (DUI). By engaging in private, proactive treatment before an incident occurs, you are demonstrating professional responsibility.
Note: Because I am private pay, I do not report to insurance databases.
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We can try. This is the core of Harm Reduction. We will set up a "controlled use" experiment. If you can stick to the limits we set, great. If you find yourself consistently breaking your own rules despite your best intentions, we will have data-driven proof that abstinence might be the necessary path. We find out together.
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Intake & Clinical Strategy (90 Mins): $300.
Individual Session (50 Mins): $200.
SUD Evaluation (Court reports are separate fees): $300.
Strictly Private Pay.
Important Clinical Boundary Medical Detox is a Pre-Requisite:
I provide outpatient counseling, not acute medical care. If you are experiencing physical withdrawal symptoms (shakes, seizures) when you stop, you must complete a medical detox before we begin.
Stop Negotiating With Yourself
The mental energy you spend calculating ounces, hours, and hangovers is energy you are stealing from your career and your family.
Your Next Step You value efficiency, and so do I.
Option A: Schedule your Clinical Intake immediately. We skip the sales pitch and get straight to work.
Option B: Book a 15-minute consultation if you have specific questions about privacy or licensure.