Alcohol Therapy in Denver
Alcohol therapy at My Denver Therapy is outpatient counseling for people who want to change their relationship with drinking without going to rehab.
We help people change their relationship with alcohol
You set the goal: cut back, take a break, or stop entirely. Our therapy team has over 100 years of collective experience and includes a psychiatric nurse practitioner who can prescribe medication that reduces cravings alongside therapy. Sessions are private pay and confidential, in person at four Denver-area offices or online anywhere in Colorado.
You are not the person in the rehab commercial. You have a job, a mortgage, maybe kids. Nobody would call you an alcoholic, including you. But the two glasses have become three or four most nights, you have started counting, you have made rules and broken them, and some part of you has been wondering for a while whether this is a problem or just Denver.
That question is enough of a reason to talk to someone. You do not have to hit a bottom, accept a label, or commit to never drinking again to start.
Who alcohol therapy is for?
Most of the people we see for drinking fall into one of these groups:
- Gray-area drinkers. You are not in crisis, but drinking takes up more space in your life than you want, and cutting back on your own keeps not sticking.
- High-functioning drinkers. Everything looks fine from the outside. You know what it costs on the inside: the 3 a.m. wake-ups, the hangxiety, the energy spent managing it.
- People using alcohol to manage something else. Anxiety, depression, trauma, or a job that only turns off with a drink. Alcohol is the solution that became the problem.
- People who have already decided to stop and want support that is more than a meeting.
- People stepping down from treatment. You finished an IOP or a program and need ongoing therapy to hold the ground you gained.
- Professionals who need confidentiality. Physicians, attorneys, pilots, executives, anyone whose license or reputation makes a treatment-center record a non-starter.
You choose the goal
Abstinence is the right goal for many people. It is not the only one, and requiring it up front keeps most problem drinkers from ever getting help. We work with both.
If your goal is to cut back, we use evidence-based approaches to moderation: tracking, limits, drink-free days, identifying the situations and feelings that drive overdrinking, and building other ways to meet those needs. We are honest with you about whether moderation is working, and if it becomes clear that stopping would serve you better, we say so.
If your goal is to stop, we support that with relapse prevention, nervous system regulation, work on the reasons you drank, and connection to peer support if you want it. We do not require AA or any particular program.
If you are not sure, that is where most people start. The first few sessions are about understanding what alcohol does for you, what it costs, and what you want, without pressure in either direction.
Therapy, not rehab
Rehab is for people who need medical detox or cannot stay safe without a structured environment. Most people who search for help with drinking do not need that. They need a therapist who takes drinking seriously, understands addiction clinically, and can work on the whole picture.
That is what we provide. Weekly or twice-weekly sessions with a therapist trained in addiction. No intake into a program, no insurance claim, no record at a treatment center. If an assessment shows you need medical detox or a higher level of care first, we will tell you and help you get there.
How we treat alcohol use
Motivational and cognitive approaches. Motivational interviewing, CBT, and ACT for understanding the drinking pattern and changing it.
The reasons underneath. Most problem drinking is doing a job. Internal Family Systems works with the part of you that reaches for a drink and what it is protecting you from. EMDR and Brainspotting resolve trauma that alcohol has been managing. Somatic therapy gives your nervous system other ways to come down.
Medication alongside therapy. Our psychiatric nurse practitioner, Shannon Keane, MSN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, provides medication management, including medications that reduce alcohol cravings, coordinated with your therapist. Few therapy practices in Denver offer this in-house.
For drinking that has not responded to anything else, we offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, a service featured on CBS Colorado. Research on ketamine for alcohol use disorder is early and the use is off-label; your therapist and our medical team will discuss whether it is appropriate.
Other Specialties
Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn’t you – all of the expectations, all of the beliefs – and becoming who you are.
Rachel Naomi Remen
Meet our therapists
As a therapist-owned practice, we care about helping you heal, grow, and thrive. We take a client-focused approach to counseling and approach each session with a commitment to your progress and growth.
Availability
We’re always accepting new clients at our conveniently located offices in Denver, Greenwood Village, Lone Tree, and Arvada. All of our therapists can meet with clients online.
We specialize in you
You are welcome here. Because we have a large team with a wide range of specialties and trainings, we work with clients of all ages, backgrounds, and life stages.
We can match you with a male or female therapist who matches your goals, location, and schedule. If you have a preference for gender, age, religious background, or a person with a specific type of training or life experience, we can match you with a therapist you feel comfortable with.
Trained in effective therapy modalities
To support your mental health journey, our team is trained in some of the most effective forms of therapy available today, including EMDR, Brainspotting, CBT, DBT, and IFS.
Whether you’re looking for help with anxiety, depression, trauma, or want to better understand your relationship and attachment styles, we can help.
Insurance information
We’re out of network with insurance and Tricare and are unable to take Medicaid or Medicare.
Unlike many Denver therapy practices, we don’t charge separate intake or administration fees or charge more for your first session or specialized therapy methods like EMDR.
Get matched with a therapist
Contact us today, and one of our therapists will reach out to you directly, usually the same day.