Minnesota Alternatives is currently licensed as a Rule 31 substance abuse outpatient program that specializes in treating co-occurring disorders (substance use and mental health).
We also offer outpatient mental health therapy services provided by Jill Sweeny, LICSW. Jill specializes in EMDR, but can also provide other forms of therapy as needed.
We hope to hire a psychiatrist in the near future and we are actively seeking someone who fits our approach.
Our treatment program also provides "emotion based" interventions to help people learn to effectively cope with negative emotions, learn to let go of resentments, and build positive experiences using imagery and meditation. We believe that unresolved emotions are often the underlying reason for both substance use and mental health difficulties.
What is EMDR? Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a fairly new type of psychotherapy. It's growing in popularity, particularly for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD often occurs after experiences such as military combat, physical and/or sexual assault, and car accidents. EMDR uses your own rapid, rhythmic eye movements to dampen the power of emotionally charged memories of past traumatic events. Jill will move her fingers back and forth in front of your face and ask you to follow these hand motions with your eyes. At the same time, she will have you recall a disturbing event. This will include the emotions and body sensations that go along with it. Gradually, she will guide you to shift your thoughts to more pleasant ones. Before and after each EMDR treatment, Jill will ask you to rate your level of distress. The hope is that your disturbing memories will become less disabling.
If you are interested, please feel free to contact us to discuss the availability of mental health services.
Effective Addiction Treatment: The Minnesota Alternative is now available and can be purchased at Amazon.
Addiction Info brings together the most current and progressive thinking in the field of alternative drug, alcohol and other behavioral addictions.
addictioninfo.org
The Harm Reduction Coalition is a national advocacy and capacity-building organization that promotes the health and dignity of individuals and communities impacted by drug use.
harmreduction.org
NIDA's mission is to lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction.
nida.nih.gov
SMART Recovery® is the leading self-empowering addiction recovery support group.
samhsa.gov
Motivational Interviewing is a client-centered, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence.
motivationalinterview.org
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