Addiction Counselling in Dublin 9
Understanding addiction, exploring the reasons behind it, and finding support to move forward.
Addiction can affect many areas of life, including relationships, family, work, finances, physical health and emotional wellbeing. It can also affect the people closest to us.
Whether you are concerned about your own relationship with alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography or another behaviour, or you are worried about someone you care about, reaching out for support can be an important first step.
At D9 Therapy & Wellness in Santry, Dublin 9, we offer a range of counselling and psychotherapy services. Our therapists provide a supportive, confidential space to explore personal difficulties without judgement.
Understanding addiction
Addiction is not simply a lack of willpower or a failure to make better choices. It can involve complex patterns of behaviour, emotional distress, physical dependence and difficulties with regulating feelings or coping with life's challenges.
For some people, a particular substance or behaviour may become a way of managing stress, loneliness, trauma, anxiety or painful experiences. Over time, something that initially offered relief can begin to feel difficult to control, even when it is having negative consequences.
Everyone's experience is different. Understanding the individual circumstances behind a person's difficulties can be an important part of therapeutic work.
Different forms of addiction and compulsive behaviour
Addiction can take different forms. Some commonly discussed concerns include:
- Alcohol: finding it difficult to reduce drinking, repeated attempts to stop, or experiencing negative effects on daily life and relationships.
- Substance use: difficulties involving drugs or other substances, including patterns that feel increasingly difficult to manage.
- Gambling: feeling unable to control gambling despite financial, emotional or relationship consequences.
- Compulsive sexual behaviour: feeling distressed or out of control around certain sexual behaviours.
- Problematic pornography use: when pornography use feels difficult to manage or begins to affect relationships, wellbeing or everyday life.
- Other repetitive behaviours: some people experience patterns around shopping, gaming or other activities that they find difficult to change.
Not every repeated or frequent behaviour is an addiction. The impact on the person's life, their sense of control and the distress involved are important parts of understanding what is happening.
How can counselling help?
Counselling can provide an opportunity to look beyond the behaviour itself and explore what may be contributing to it. Depending on your circumstances and the therapist's approach, sessions may involve:
- Exploring emotional triggers and patterns.
- Understanding the role a behaviour or substance has come to play in your life.
- Developing healthier ways to manage difficult feelings and situations.
- Exploring the impact of addiction on relationships and family life.
- Building self-awareness, confidence and motivation for change.
- Working through shame, guilt, isolation or difficult past experiences.
- Supporting you as you consider the changes you would like to make.
Therapy is not about judging or labelling someone. It is about creating space to understand your experiences and consider what might help you move forward.
Meet some of our therapists in Santry
Our therapists have different backgrounds, training and therapeutic approaches. The profiles below highlight some of the people at D9 Therapy who may be relevant when seeking support around addiction, recovery or related difficulties.
Dave Lynam
Dave's profile specifically lists support for addiction and recovery, alongside grief, anxiety, low self-esteem and difficult emotions.
His humanistic and integrative approach aims to offer a welcoming, non-judgemental space to explore what may be difficult to face alone.
Virginia Pop
Virginia supports adults experiencing addiction-related concerns, as well as anxiety, low mood, stress, trauma, grief and relationship difficulties.
She is a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist and also offers sessions in English and Romanian.
Sinéad Ní Fhionnachta
Sinéad's work includes supporting people with addiction experiences. As a Systemic Family Psychotherapist, she works with individuals, couples, young people and families.
Her approach considers the wider relationships and experiences that can shape a person's difficulties, including the impact on family life.
Ciaran Doherty
Ciaran's profile lists addiction among the issues he works with, alongside stress, anxiety, grief, loss and relationship difficulties.
His approach draws on client-centred therapy, existential ideas, psychodynamic psychology and integrative psychotherapy.
Seán Wright
Seán is an accredited psychotherapist whose work includes support for compulsive sexual behaviour and problematic pornography use.
His approach is sex-positive, trauma-informed and non-pathologising. He also works with concerns involving sexuality, intimacy, identity and relationships.
Bronagh Stewart
Bronagh's profile includes rebuilding life in recovery among the areas she supports, alongside grief, relationship difficulties, family conflict and life transitions.
She works integratively, drawing on humanistic therapy, CBT and ACT, and adapts her approach to each person.
Marina Lopez
Marina offers integrative counselling for adults, supporting people experiencing emotional overwhelm, low mood, self-esteem difficulties, relationship challenges and life transitions.
Her approach draws on humanistic, narrative and creative methods. You can explore with her whether this approach is a good fit for the difficulties you are experiencing.
Sessions are available in English and Spanish.
Ingrid O'Sullivan
Ingrid is a psychologist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist. Her listed areas of work include trauma, shame, guilt, repetitive patterns, relationship difficulties and emotional distress.
Her approach offers space to explore thoughts, feelings and experiences in greater depth. You can view her profile through the 307a Swords Road therapist directory.
Not every therapist works with every form of addiction, and experience can differ depending on the concern. When you contact us, let us know a little about what kind of support you are looking for so we can help identify a suitable therapist.
What if addiction is affecting someone close to you?
Addiction can have a significant impact on partners, parents, children, friends and other family members. You may find yourself feeling worried, frustrated, exhausted or unsure how to help.
You do not have to be the person experiencing addiction to benefit from counselling. Individual therapy can give you space to explore your own feelings, understand relationship patterns and consider how to look after your wellbeing while navigating a difficult situation.
Taking the first step
It is common to feel uncertain about contacting a therapist. You might not know exactly what to say, whether your situation is serious enough, or what you want to change.
You do not need to have all the answers before starting counselling. You can begin by talking about what has been happening and what has brought you to consider support.
Counselling can be part of a wider support plan, but it does not replace medical assessment or supervised treatment where these are needed. Alcohol or certain drug withdrawals can be medically dangerous. If you may be physically dependent on alcohol or medication, speak with a GP or appropriate medical service before stopping suddenly. If you are experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms or an immediate medical emergency, seek urgent medical help.
Looking for addiction counselling in Dublin 9?
D9 Therapy & Wellness offers counselling and psychotherapy in Santry, with a range of therapists and approaches. Get in touch and we can help you explore who may be the right fit.
Enquire About a SessionD9 Therapy & Wellness
Santry, Dublin 9