HarmReductionTherapy.org

Mission Statement

The Harm Reduction Therapy Center exists to provide integrated mental health care and substance use treatment to people who, because their relationship with drugs is so intertwined with other emotional and social aspects of their lives, need more than simple “just say no” solutions and mainstream programs. We are committed to reaching everyone whose relationship with drugs is concerning – from people who live outwardly successful lives yet are suffering in perhaps unseen ways to people who have lost everything, including those whose world is dominated by the trauma of survival on the streets. Firmly rooted in the values of self-determination, we meet each person where they are, practice radical acceptance, and empower people to define their own problems and discover their own goals. We help people set gradual, realistic steps to achieve their goals, and we help families find alternatives to “tough love”.

As originators of Harm Reduction Therapy, our vision is a just healthcare system that excludes no one, regardless of how complex their problems or how ambivalent they are about change. To that end, we continually evolve and adapt harm reduction therapy to fit the needs of diverse communities, and we support programs that want to work with people who use drugs according to harm reduction values and practices.

Tailored Solutions to Achieve Personal Goals

The Center, founded by leaders in the Harm Reduction Therapy movement, is a certified drug and alcohol treatment program staffed by mental health professionals. Our program offers pragmatic, proven solutions to substance misuse, and has an impressive record of positive results.

Center for Harm Reduction

Harm Reduction Therapy is a revolutionary client-therapist collaboration that combines substance misuse treatment with psychotherapy, so clients can address both their substance use and the issues that are behind it.

Unlike traditional “quit now and forever” programs, we do not ask that clients stop all substance use, unless that is their goal, and we help families find alternatives to “tough love.” The therapist helps the client to lay out, clearly and honestly, the harm being done to themselves and to others. The client, or the client and family together, choose the most urgent issues on which to focus. Together, client and therapist then work to reduce the harm that is being done, establishing goals and implementing gradual, realistic steps to achieve them.

At the Center, we work with the whole person. Drug and alcohol problems are addressed alongside other social, emotional, health and occupational concerns.

Just Say Know

We help you to look at all aspects of your life so that you can decide what is and what isn’t working. The more you know about yourself, the better prepared you will be to make changes. The more you know about treatment options, the larger your range of solutions will be. Our program is insightful, humane and pragmatic.

“It’s humane because you have to meet people on their own terms rather than confronting them on yours… It’s pragmatic because harm reduction accepts substance use as a fact of life and recognizes its role as a way of coping with the consequences of social problems. It does not try to remove a person’s primary coping mechanisms until others are in place,” G. Alan Marlatt

Our Program