Process & Behavioural Addiction
Addiction expands beyond drugs and alcohol. Many people find it difficult to control their patterns around certain activities, including gambling, gaming, shopping, food, social media, or work. While there is nothing inherently wrong with these behaviours, they can become problematic when they interfere with your health or overall quality of life.
Addiction can be complicated and insidious. For example, maybe you tell yourself you are going to stop or set limits. But you continue struggling with the same behaviours again. Or maybe you spend more time or money than you intended or conceal your habits due to shame. Over time, these cycles can feel exhausting, and they may lead to serious consequences.
At Boreal Therapy Collective, we provide compassionate, non-judgmental therapy for people experiencing process and behavioural addictions. Our therapists can help you unpack the underlying patterns and emotions contributing to compulsive behaviours while developing healthier ways to cope.
To begin therapy to treat process and behavioural addiction, book with:
Andrea Elliott
What Are Process and Behavioural Addictions?
Process and behavioural addictions involve repetitive behaviours that become increasingly difficult to manage despite negative consequences. Unlike drug or alcohol addiction, behavioural addictions do not necessarily involve consuming a substance, and they do not create physical dependence. However, these addictions can feel just as shameful or destructive. Behavioural addictions and compulsive behaviours come in many forms, but some common types include:
Gambling
Gaming
Internet or social media use
Shopping or spending
Exercise
The exact sequence and set of symptoms within a behavioural addiction varies from person to person. Some people quickly and fully recognize how a certain pattern is causing them distress. Others might downplay the concern or only become aware of its impact when a loved one expresses concern.
Patterns of Process and Behavioural Addiction
Behavioural addictions may develop either rapidly or gradually. What begins as an enjoyable activity or way to unwind may feel increasingly more necessary over time. As the pattern becomes more established, it feels harder to set limits, even if you recognize the consequences. Some of the common signs of behavioural addiction include:
Feeling unable to reduce or stop the behaviour
Spending increasing amounts of time thinking about or engaging in the activity
Using the behaviour to cope with difficult emotions
Becoming irritable, anxious, or distressed when unable to engage in the behaviour
Neglecting relationships, work, school, sleep, or other responsibilities
Spending more money than intended
Hiding or lying about the behaviour
Experiencing relationship conflict because of the behaviour
Feeling guilt, shame, anxiety, or regret afterward
If untreated, these patterns can become more disruptive over time and may contribute to significant emotional, physical, financial, and relational difficulties. The behaviour itself can also become part of a difficult and vicious cycle: negative consequences create additional stress or shame, and you may use the same behaviours to cope with those very feelings.
Furthermore, some people struggle with more than one addictive or compulsive behaviour at the same time. Understanding how these experiences interact can be an important part of treatment.
How Can Therapy Help With Process and Behavioural Addictions?
Addiction is far more complicated than exercising sheer willpower or “just stopping.” Therapy will be multifaceted, focusing on helping you understand the cycles underlying your addiction and exploring potential setbacks along the way.
Identifying emotional and situational triggers: This entails recognizing the emotions or situations that historically trigger you to engage in the addictive behaviour. Many people engage in addictive tendencies to manage other mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, or unresolved trauma. Having this insight offers you a greater capacity to learn new ways to respond instead of reacting automatically.
Practicing alternative coping strategies: All addictive behaviours are sophisticated solutions designed to provide relief, distraction, comfort, excitement, or a sense of connection. Letting go of these behaviours requires practicing increased distress tolerance and developing new strategies for honouring your well-being.
Addressing shame and secrecy: Shame and deceit often go hand-in-hand with addictive behaviours. Therapy provides a confidential and non-judgmental space to talk openly about your experiences, which can help you develop more self-compassion.
How Can Therapy Help With Process and Behavioural Addictions?
Improving communication and relationships: Compulsive behaviours can create conflict or withdrawal within relationships. Therapy offers strategies for strengthening communication and learning how to express your needs more effectively. It can also support the process of rebuilding trust through boundaries and accountability.
Creating relapse prevention plans: Full recovery is rarely a linear path, and urges and slips do not erase the progress you have made. However, therapy can support you in recognizing early warning signs and preparing you for potential high-risk situations.
Exploring identity and sense of self: Behavioural addictions often become closely connected to how you perceive yourself, particularly when they have been part of your life for a long time. Therapy provides space to explore your full set of values, strengths, relationships, and sense of identity beyond those specific patterns. This kind of identity work can strengthen your self-esteem and support you in reconnecting with what feels most meaningful to you as you move forward in your recovery.
Therapy for Process and Behavioural Addiction in Fort McMurray
How to Start Therapy for Process and Behavioural Addiction
Beginning therapy with Boreal Therapy Collective is easy and requires no referral. You can book your initial assessment here.
Understanding Length of Therapy and Treatment
Your first appointment will be 90-minutes long. For all future appointments, you can choose to book for 1 hour or 90-minutes. During your first appointment, your therapist will ask you questions to better understand you and your areas of struggle. This is known as an assessment. Depending on how much you share, the assessment phase can last anywhere from one to three appointments. The assessment is critical. It helps you and your therapist understand your goals, and it helps your therapist develop a treatment plan to support you in achieving these goals.
After the assessment is complete, treatment begins! In the treatment phase, you will be introduced to a variety of skills to practice and implement to better manage your symptoms. Most people will have a therapy session every two weeks, and we recommend this for optimal treatment. Effective therapy typically takes somewhere between six to twelve appointments (for some more, others less). Many choose to continue therapy once formal treatment is complete. This is referred to as maintenance. People who do this typically have an appointment once every six to eight weeks. This is not a requirement and is a matter of personal choice.
Therapy for Process and Behavioural Addiction at Boreal Therapy Collective
Where We Are Located
We’re located at 8530 Manning Avenue, Unit 104. You’ll find us in the Service Canada building (on the side of the building that faces the Clearwater River). To check out our space, click here.
Parking is located at the front and back of the building. The front parking lot is closer to us but tends to fill up quickly. If you park at the back (where Service Canada is located), you can walk around the building to reach our office. To learn more about parking, click here.
Importantly, you do not need to be in town for treatment. We offer in-person and virtual therapy and our therapists are happy to provide whatever option works best for you!
Rates & Benefit Coverage
Initial assessments are billed at a rate of $330.00 for a 90-minute appointment. Follow-up sessions are billed at a rate of $220.00/hour or $330.00/90-minutes (you can choose your preferred appointment length when booking).
Our social workers offer direct billing to 25+ benefit providers. Many benefit providers will cover a portion or the whole amount of your therapy session. With your consent, we will always direct bill your benefit provider first. Please note that our Registered Psychiatric Nurses are typically ineligible for direct billing.
If we are unable to direct bill, you can pay via email money transfer or credit card. You will be given a receipt once payment has been collected. For more information, click here.
