Clinical insights for treatment professionals from David Gulden, LMFT, LMHC The Challenge: Unregulated Field, Evidence-Based Needs When referring clients to intervention services, treatment professionals need confidence that methodologies are grounded in clinical research rather than anecdotal approaches. The challenge: Intervention remains unregulated—anyone can practice without training or oversight. The solution: Licensed mental health professionals who […]
Why Family Systems Matter: The Holistic Approach to Intervention
Understanding addiction as a family disease with David Gulden, LMFT, LMHC Addiction: A Family Disease When addiction enters a family, it never affects just one person. Like a stone dropped in water, its ripples touch everyone, changing relationships, roles, and the very structure of family life. This is why a family systems approach to intervention […]
5 Signs Your Loved One May Need a Professional Intervention
Compassionate guidance for families from David Gulden, LMFT, LMHC When You’ve Tried Everything As a family member watching someone you love struggle with addiction or mental health issues, you’ve likely experienced a roller coaster of emotions—hope when things seem better, despair when they deteriorate, and constant worry about what might happen next. You’ve probably tried […]
The Dual Approach: How Licensed Mental Health Professionals Bring Added Value to Interventions
Clinical insights for referring professionals from David Gulden, LMFT, LMHC The Unregulated Field Challenge In the complex landscape of addiction intervention, professional credentials and training significantly impact outcomes. Here’s a critical fact many treatment professionals don’t realize: intervention is an unregulated field where anyone can practice. While anyone can call themselves an “interventionist” without training, […]
What Does a Professional Interventionist Actually Do?
When a loved one is struggling with addiction, families often reach a breaking point – you’ve tried conversations, arguments, ultimatums, and nothing seems to work. The person you care about continues spiraling downward, unable or unwilling to seek help. This is where a professional interventionist comes in, but what exactly do we do? Beyond What […]
Do You Suspect a Loved One of Having an Addiction?
It can be confusing if you suspect your loved one has an addiction. People with addictions become masters at hiding them. However, this takes energy and guile. Eventually, their efforts erode, and their caution begins to slip. The family wonders what is happening to their loved one. Soon, their excuses and your excuses for them […]
Enabling Addictive Behaviors Changes Family Dynamics
A family member struggling with substance use disorder (SUD) or behavioral addiction unwittingly changes the family dynamic. It’s an insidious splinter in the family system. Their behavior can be scary, frustrating, sad, aggravating, bewildering, and intrusive. This volatile situation can be highly emotionally charged for everyone. The family soon lives within a dysfunctional matrix due […]
Don’t Lose Hope: Addiction Is Treatable
A person can become addicted to just about anything. This is because the physiological cause and effect are the same regardless of the stimulus. Addiction is a physical, chemical, psychological, and medical condition. It hijacks the brain and controls the person’s life. It’s not a weakness of character; it is a disease. Fortunately, like many […]
Uncovering the Root Cause of Your Loved One’s Co-occurring Mental Health Issues
When someone has a substance use disorder (SUD), it is not uncommon for them to have a co-occurring mental health disorder. They might even have more than one. These may include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or bipolar disorder. Having SUD and another mental health disorder is like trying to unwind a never-ending […]
Finding a Therapist Who Advocates for You
A New Hope Recovery prides itself on how it advocates for you and your loved ones. First and foremost, a therapist should always have your and your loved one’s best interest at heart. If your loved one is lost in the throes of addiction, coupled with depression or other mental health issues, they may not […]