Addiction Counseling

  1. Home
  2. Services
  3. Addictions

Addiction counseling meets you without judgment, wherever you are with it. Whether you are questioning a habit, trying to cut back, or rebuilding after a relapse, support here starts with understanding, not shame.

Our registered psychotherapists help with substance use and behavioral addictions, looking at what the addiction is doing for you so the change can actually hold. We work in person in Milton, Mississauga, and Burlington, or online across Ontario.

What Addiction Counseling Can Help With

We support people working through:

No Judgment, Real Support

You will not be lectured here. We work with where you are and what you actually want, and move at a pace you can sustain.

Treat the Whole Picture

Addiction rarely travels alone. We address the anxiety, trauma, or pain underneath it, so recovery has a foundation to stand on.

How Addiction Counseling Works

Therapy with us is collaborative and paced to you. Here is how it usually unfolds.

Start With a Free Consultation

We begin with a free consultation to understand your relationship with the substance or behavior, and what change would look like for you.

01

Understand the Pattern

Your therapist helps you see what the addiction is doing for you and what triggers it, then builds coping tools that fit your real life.

02

Build Recovery That Lasts

We strengthen relapse-prevention skills and address what sits underneath, working toward steadier ground at a pace you set.

03

Why Choose Serene Heart

Our psychotherapists bring trauma-informed, non-judgmental care to addiction, and several hold advanced training and supervise other clinicians. We can also coordinate with prescribers and medical supports when that helps. Caring for the Halton and Peel communities since 2010.

Your Care Team

A few of the clinicians who support addiction and recovery:

Dr. Ramiro Armas Austria

Psychoanalyst (TIP), PhD U of T

View profile →

Saima Zaheer, RP

Founder and Clinical Director, CTIC

View profile →

Varsha Ramkumar, RP

Registered Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor

View profile →

Farwa Abdi

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

View profile →

Frequently Asked Questions

No. You are welcome whether your goal is abstinence, cutting back, or simply understanding the habit. We meet you where you are.

It depends on the situation. Counseling helps many people directly, and we will be honest if a medical detox or higher level of care would serve you better.

Yes. Sessions are private and judgment-free, within the standard legal and safety limits your therapist will explain up front.

OHIP does not cover Registered Psychotherapists, but most extended health plans do. We provide receipts and offer direct billing.

Yes. Online sessions offer the same support with added privacy, which many people prefer for this work.