Alphabet Soup of Therapy
Let’s be real: the world of therapy can feel like alphabet soup. LICSW, LPC, LMFT, LADC… it’s enough to make your head spin before you’ve even booked a consult.
So why does being a dual-licensed clinician matter? Because healing doesn’t happen in tidy boxes. And neither do you.
As someone licensed in both mental health and addiction counseling, I’ve learned that people don’t show up with one simple “issue.” They show up as whole humans—gritty, gorgeous, complicated—and they deserve a therapist who can hold all of it without flinching or farming it out.
What Dual Licensure Actually Means (No Boring Lecture, Promise)
It means I’ve trained (and un-trained) my brain in two different disciplines so that I can:
Treat anxiety that’s tangled up with substance use
Address rage that’s really rooted in trauma
Talk somatics and science
Understand relapse without ignoring grief
It means I get to show up for my clients in all the messy in-betweens: the shame spirals, the identity crashes, the “I’m fine” that’s clearly a lie. It means we can talk addiction and emotional regulation. Family systems and nervous systems.
My Approach: Straight-Up Human
If you’re looking for therapy that’s sterile, stiff, and full of jargon—this is not that.
What you’ll get with me is:
Humor (because sometimes you have to laugh to survive)
Honesty (with a soft edge)
Somatic practices that get you out of your head
Emotional flexibility work (because “coping” isn’t just deep breathing and hoping)
You’ll also get space to swear, cry, celebrate, fall apart, and rebuild—without feeling like you have to clean it up.
Why It Matters for You
Because you’re not a checkbox. Because you’ve tried therapy that felt too clinical—or too fluffy. Because you want someone who can sit in the fire with you and still hand you tools.
Dual licensure lets me meet you where you are, not where a single system says you should be.
The Science to Back It Up
According to a 2018 report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), nearly 9.2 million adults in the U.S. experience both a mental illness and a substance use disorder each year. That’s nearly 40% of people who are often sent to two separate providers—or fall through the cracks altogether.
Integrated care matters. When we treat co-occurring issues together—not in silos—we see better outcomes in emotional regulation, relapse prevention, treatment retention, and overall well-being. Dual licensure isn't just a flex—it's a response to a very real need for whole-person, whole-system care.
Final Word
Dual licensure isn’t about having extra letters after my name. It’s about honoring the complexity of healing —without needing to fit you into a narrow treatment plan.
Because you’re not one-dimensional, and your care shouldn’t be either.
If you’re ready to work with someone who gets it—and who can hold space for all of it—reach out. Let’s do the work, together.