Discover how starting substance abuse & addiction counseling can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
7 therapists available in Portage
As your therapist, I will provide a safe place to explore your story and create the change you deserve....
About
As your therapist, I will provide a safe place to explore your story and create the change you deserve.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 25 years of experience in the behavioral health field. I bring a compassionate, practical, and collaborative approach to therapy, specializing in helping adults navigate life transitions, relationship challenges, anxiety, and the lasting effects of trauma. My style is warm, down-to-earth, and focused on helping clients feel seen, supported, and empowered to make meaningful change.
I earned my Master’s in Counseling from Oakland University. I draw from evidence-based approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and strengths-based therapy, while tailoring each session to the unique goals and pace of my clients.
Whether you’re working toward greater self-confidence, healthier boundaries, or clarity in a new season of life, I’ll meet you where you are and help you move forward with purpose and hope. Together, we’ll focus on growth that feels authentic, achievable, and meaningful to you.
Education and training
View more therapists in Portage
Who you are is beautifully and uniquely crafted by your experiences in life and I am here to help you discover ways to improve you...
Who you are is beautifully and uniquely crafted by your experiences in life and I am here to help you discover ways to improve your quality of life and relationships.
Brandi Belcher is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 5 years of experience working in the mental health field. She is passionate about helping adults and couples navigate struggles within their daily lives/relationships in order to face unique challenges with strength, resiliency, and purpose. Brandi specializes in depression, anxiety, coping skills, family conflict, life transitions, mental stress, relationships, self-esteem, stress, substance use, women's issues, parenting, and pregnancy/postpartum-related concerns. She completed her Master of Social Work (MSW) at Western Michigan University.
Brandi’s knowledge of resources in the mental health community and her experience working with a wide variety of populations help her support and serve clients. She utilizes an integrative treatment approach that utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the Gottman method, motivation interviewing, person-centered planning, and solution-focused therapy.
In life, we are faced with challenges beyond our control that shape our outlook on life as well as our experience in it. Brandi can help you navigate that journey to discover ways to build resiliency, cope, and thrive. If you are ready to discover the best version of yourself, schedule an appointment with her today!
Cassie Watts is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Michigan. She has a passion for helping teens, adults, and...
Cassie Watts is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Michigan. She has a passion for helping teens, adults, and seniors to navigate the complications that arise from depression, grief, parenting, self-esteem difficulties, and life transitional issues.
Cassie received her Master's degree in Counselor Education from Western Michigan University. As a mental health professional, Cassie knows that assisting others with their mental health concerns and conditions requires a collaborative, personalized approach. That's why she's an exceptional choice for individuals who are looking to transition from one stage of life to another.
With Cassie's assistance, you can create an individualized treatment plan that addresses your concerns and helps you grow as an individual. Start moving forward—book a session with Cassie today.
I am a dedicated Nurse Practitioner with over 18 years of nursing experience, providing comprehensive care in psychiatric and fami...
I am a dedicated Nurse Practitioner with over 18 years of nursing experience, providing comprehensive care in psychiatric and family practice settings.
Marvelyn Thompson is a dedicated Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over 18 years of experience in psychiatric and family practice settings. She is passionate about providing personalized, compassionate care for clients managing anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and life transitions. She creates a supportive, judgment-free space where clients feel heard, empowered, and equipped with practical tools to manage their mental health and improve daily functioning.
Marvelyn earned a Master’s in Nursing Practice from Liberty University. She uses a compassionate, client-centered approach to help clients manage anxiety, depression, and mood disorders, combining clinical expertise with empathy to support each individual’s path to healing and stability.
Marvelyn understands that seeking help takes courage and believes in creating a safe, supportive space where clients feel comfortable being heard without judgment. She is here to guide clients through life’s challenges, offering encouragement, compassion, and personalized care to support their journey toward improved mental health and wellness.
Sometimes we all have difficulties in life, there is nothing wrong with reaching out for help....
Sometimes we all have difficulties in life, there is nothing wrong with reaching out for help.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with a passion for helping people through difficult times.
I completed my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Southern New Hampshire University. With a lived experience with depression and anxiety, I use my passion and experience to help others cope, utilizing multiple treatment approaches including mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and motivational interviewing.
When faced with challenges in life, we sometimes need support. I am able to provide a listening ear, a different perspective, and help you learn coping skills. Schedule an appointment today!
I am a caring and supportive individual that will help guide children and adults to learn the skills they need, while supporting t...
I am a caring and supportive individual that will help guide children and adults to learn the skills they need, while supporting them through their therapeutic journey.
I'm a Licensed Social Worker (LMSW-C) with over 5 years of experience. I enjoy helping children, adolescents, and adults through their challenges and stressors in life. I specialize in depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, PTSD, and trauma. I completed my Master's degree in Social Work at the University of Michigan. Throughout my career, I've worked with a wide range of individuals. This experience has equipped me with a profound understanding of the challenges and barriers faced by individuals.
I utilize an array of treatment approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and motivational interviewing.
Everyone has their own unique challenges in life. I look forward to walking alongside you on your therapeutic journey, providing guidance, support, and a listening ear every step of the way. Together, we can navigate the challenges that arise in life. Schedule an appointment with me today.
I graduated from Western Michigan University with a Masters in Couples, Marriage, and family Therapy. I am a Licensed Professional...
I graduated from Western Michigan University with a Masters in Couples, Marriage, and family Therapy. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Limited Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LLMFT). Life is full of transitions and challenges and counseling is way to help navigate your way through these difficult times in order to bring healing and growth. I have worked with a diversity of men and women, couples, and families in various settings. My specialties include but are not limited to working with people in recovery, with relationship problems, pre-marital, anxiety, and depression. I believe in a collaborative approach to therapy and that therapy is a process. I use and integrative approach to therapy that includes techniques and theories based on individual needs and desired outcomes. My desire is to provide a non-judgmental, empathetic, and warm environment that gives hope, and empowerment to reach your goals. I have been married for 20 years and have four children and two grandchildren.
You deserve dedicated time with a mental health professional — it can be life-changing.
Not ready to book? Contact me
Look for a confirmation email in your inbox shortly. We'll help find you a provider and guide you through everything you should know about starting care at Thriveworks.
No membership fees or subscriptions
Evening and weekend sessions
Award-winning therapy & psychiatry
What support are you seeking?
You acknowledge that by submitting this form, you are providing what may be considered “sensitive data” and consent to Thriveworks Privacy Policy & Terms. By submitting this information, you consent to receive communication from Thriveworks about our services via automatic calls, artificial or pre-recorded messages, or texts at the phone number provided, or by email at the address provided. You have the option to opt out of communications.
We will contact you with availability updates based on the preferences you provided for up to six months.
Substance abuse & addiction counseling can help people manage their urges to use the substance or engage in the activity they’re addicted to. In addition, it can help people manage the challenges that stem from their addiction from relationship issues to problems at work as well as those that their addiction may stem from like trauma.
Thriveworks substance abuse & addiction counseling in Portage, MI works by helping one understand the underlying causes of their addiction, teaching them coping strategies, and recognizing their specific triggers. Long-term or ongoing substance abuse & addiction counseling can also help to prevent relapse.
Thriveworks addiction counseling in Portage, MI is conducted both in person and virtually through online therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
The length of substance abuse & addiction counseling depends on the individual’s needs, the extent and severity of their addiction, and the problems that might stem from it. That said, people can make meaningful progress in substance abuse & addiction counseling in the first weeks to months.
Addiction is one of the most difficult things a person can deal with. It can cause feelings of shame, and the person struggling often hides their addiction from friends and family, resulting in feelings of isolation. The addiction may result in the loss of a job or even loss of access to one’s children if the situation spirals. And the difficulty of dealing with those losses can make it even harder to fight your substance abuse problem. A therapist can help.
Since most substance abuse is a coping mechanism for the sometimes harsh realities of life or to avoid underlying mental or emotional issues, it is crucial to get to the root of why the addiction occurred. Therapy can help resolve those factors in order to work toward staying away from problematic substances. Therapy can also be used to treat the specific mental health conditions that often contribute to drug or alcohol use.
Counseling is a useful part of treatment for both alcohol and drug addiction. While the specific treatment will be tailored to your individual situation, much of the core methodology is shared between the two types of counseling. Reach out to Thriveworks Portage for alcohol and substance abuse counseling.
Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by a compulsion to use harmful substances or substances that are harmful when overdone. An addicted person usually decides on their own to imbibe addictive substances, most often using it as a coping mechanism.
In other words, having a few beers after a stressful day is relatively normal, but if alcohol is often used to cope with a tough day, it can lead to increased alcohol use that becomes addictive. This is partly due to changes in the brain’s chemistry that challenge the person’s self-control over urges to drink—and partly due to the person repressing whatever issues they are facing instead of coping with them in a healthy way.
An addicted person’s compulsion tends to compound itself and become more and more destructive as the addiction increases in severity. These brain changes can be difficult to rewire, which is why drug addiction is considered a “relapsing” disease. People in recovery from drug use issues are at increased risk for returning to drug use even after years of sobriety.
Substance abuse disorders change everything about a person’s life, including their desires, goals, ambitions, and priorities. Addiction changes behaviors that are normal for the individual and attempts to rewrite them, making it harder to work or get an education, and it can inhibit the ability to maintain healthy, positive relationships with family and friends.
Even after detox, when physical dependence has been mostly negated and a path to recovery formed, addicts are at high risk for relapse. Relapse is most common in stressful situations, but it also comes from being around others who are using the substances used by the individual prior to their independence from addiction.
Therapy can give individuals the ability to handle stressful situations and environmental issues that may prompt a new cycle of impulsive tendencies. The goal is to redirect how the patient manages their life in order to live in a healthy way and avoid relapse. Cognitive-behavioral strategies are based on the idea that learning processes play a critical role in reshaping how a person approaches their life—and helps them do so in a way that does not require drugs in order to cope with their environments. Individuals in therapy can learn to recognize problem behaviors and rectify them by using new coping techniques. Their new skills can be used to stop drug abuse and to address the deeper issues causing the suffering that led to the addictive behavior to begin with.
Substance abuse is a difficult journey. But with the proper strategies and coping techniques learned with the help of a therapist, you can begin to build the life you want—without the substances—and work toward a future of your choice.
Contact Thriveworks Portage Counseling. We’re located near Kalamazoo and Western Michigan University and are able to see patients of all ages. Our therapists know the area, know the people, and are ready to compassionately help them become the best version of themselves. In addition, we offer convenient evening and weekend appointments, accept most major insurances, provide in-person and online care, and offer additional benefits. Reach out to Thriveworks Portage today to get started.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
Shown in ET
4 photos
Call us to book
Our team is happy to help you schedule your first session.
Book online
Find the right provider for you. Book your session online yourself in just a few easy steps.