RJ García & Associates
A professional addiction counseling service for individuals and their families who are ready to make a change.
- Professional Services
- Partnerships in the Austin Area
- Essence of an Addiction Therapist
- What Action to Take?
- Anonymous Services ~ Daily Meditations
- Contact
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Professional Services
- Some of the difficulties treated based around the twelve step facilitation model approach:
- Co-occurring disorders, such as alcohol and drug addiction combined other compulsive behaviors.
- Continual Group Counseling Services
- Depression
- Anxiety and stress-related conditions
- Post-traumatic stress
- Marital and intimacy issues
- Family and interpersonal relationship problems
- Vocational adjustment problems
SERVICES PROVIDE:- Individual Therapy
- Continual Care Group
- Recovery Coaching
INDIVIDUAL THERAPYDepending on the client and the situation, I do borrow perspectives and techniques from other well-established counseling theories. To name a few:
Solution-focused. People generally seek out counseling with an immediate need to alleviate some current, on-going stressor.
This therapy essentially:
assesses where you are
reviews your values and goals
develops an action plan for achieving a more satisfying life that reflects your true values.
This therapy is generally targeted, time-limited, and operates largely on a behavioral basis. i.e. What are you going to do about your problem?
Motivational interviewing is designed to identify a person's resources and motivation for change.
This theoretic style:
enhances innate motivation for change by exploring and resolving ambivalence (decision-making paralysis/inability to make a choice)
attempts to free clients from the ambivalence that entraps them in repetitive cycles of self-defeating or self-destructive behavior
helps clients to recognize the discrepancy between present behavior and important goals, values, and/or principles.
Cognitive-behavioral theory helps clients better understand the connection between how they monitor and instruct themselves and interpret events and how they feel and act.
This insight-focused therapy:
emphasizes challenging and changing mistaken notions, faulty assumptions, irrational thoughts, and maladaptive beliefs
suggests that a person's painful feelings and questionable behaviors are largely the result of his/her choice of thoughts
and further postulates that a change in how you think about a particular subject…results in a change of feelings and behaviors in response to that different outlook.
The Greek philosopher Plato theorized as far back as his lifetime (429-347 B.C.) that:
powerful emotional forces have the potential to overwhelm a person's everyday behavior
conflicts exist between different parts of the psyche, accounting for the dissonance that often arises between a person's rational side (desired) and the surge of emotional feelings
mental disorders do not result from simple ignorance, but from irrational superstitions, erroneous beliefs, and faulty cognitions.
Reality therapy is largely behavioral in its approach, challenging clients to evaluate what they are doing and whether their behavior is fulfilling their basic needs (belonging, power, freedom, fun, physical survival) without harming themselves or others.
This theory proposes that:
people have freedom to make choices, and then must contend with the subsequent responsibilities that result from those choices
behavior is in fact all-encompassing of the acts of doing, thinking, feeling, and physically being, meaning clients are responsible for choosing not only what they are doing but also what they are thinking, feeling, and experiencing physically
clients focus on what they are able and willing to do in the present to change their behavior.
Emphasized are the client's self-evaluation, a plan of action, and a commitment to change (following through).
Existential therapy is a process of searching for value and meaning in life.
This approach:
emphasizes our freedom to choose what to make of our circumstances
is grounded on the assumption that we are living in a free society and therefore responsible for our choices and actions
stands on the premise that we are not victims of circumstance, because to a large extent we are what we choose to be.
The therapist's task is to encourage clients to explore their options for creating a meaningful existence.
Family systems approach views the family from an interactive and systemic perspective, which sees an individual's dysfunctional behavior as a manifestation of dysfunctional behavior within the system or as affecting the system negatively.
This view stresses the importance of addressing all parts of a system if positive change is to take place and be maintained. Virginia Satir's rules and roles within a family are explored, as well as ineffective and/or non-existent communication patterns. Individuals are always seen as parts of a whole (family unit), rather than as identified patients, separate and distinct.
CONTINUAL CARE GROUPSMost relapses back to chemical use will occur in the first six months following treatment. The Continuing Care Program is a 25-session program that provides support, education, and coping skills during this critical period.
Experience has shown that simply stopping chemical use is not enough. Only the First Step is about chemical use. The rest of the Steps are about changing your life and building a spiritual nature. You will be returning home to a life where chemical use may have been a "normal" event. You may be faced with many of the problems you had when you left for treatment - legal, financial, emotional, family, relationships, or employment. Your Continuing Care group will help you with this adjustment.
Your Continuing Care group is a support group for you. Group is typically two hours in length, and meets once each week. It is not a self-help group like AA or NA. It is a group where you, your continuing care LCDC counselor, and other group members will work on:
- Processing your immediate issues
- Relapse prevention education
- Developing an understanding of the Twelve Steps and The Big Book of Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous
- Starting to develop a spiritual nature and acceptance of life on life's terms
- Further work with cognitive therapy techniques
- Identifying self-defeating behaviors that cause stress in your life
- Your specific concerns or character defects/short-comings
- Questions and Answers on Sponsorship
- Establishing AA and/or NA involvement and good sponsorship
RECOVERY COACHING:Is for clients whom have completed individual therapy and/or continual therapy and want to continue to have an accountability professional services.
Recovery Coaching is an ongoing professional relationship that helps folks who are in or who are considering recovery from addiction to produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers, businesses, or organizations—while advancing their recovery from addiction.
Recovery Coaches affirm that there is innate health and wellness in each of our clients. We hold our clients creative and resourceful. We do not promote or endorse any single or particular way of achieving or maintaining sobriety, abstinence, or serenity or of reducing suffering from addiction. Our focus is on coaching our clients to create and sustain great and meaningful lives.
Through the process of Recovery Coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance, and enhance their quality of life. In each meeting, the client chooses the focus of conversation, while the coach listens and contributes observations and questions. This interaction creates clarity and moves the client toward action. Recovery Coaching accelerates the client's progress in recovery by providing greater focus and awareness of choices, actions, and responsibility. Coaching concentrates on where clients are now and what they are willing to do to enjoy a better tomorrow.
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Partnerships in the Austin Area
- Medical Doctors, Psychiatrist and Addictionologist
Dr. Punjabi in Northwest Austin, Texas
- Punjabi Medical Clinic - Narendra Punjabi MD 11615 Angus Rd. Suite 106, Austin, Texas 78759. 512.346.8652
- http://www.pmcaustin.com/
Dr. Cantu in Central Austin, Texas- Psychiatrist Practice - Roberto Cantu MD 2911 Medical Arts St. Suite 13 Austin, Texas 78705
- Addiction Medicine - William Nemeth MD 4534 Westgate Blvd Suite Austin, Texas 78745
- Addiction Medicine - William Nemeth MD 4534 Westgate Blvd Suite Austin, Texas 78745
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Essence of an Addiction Therapist
- RJ García
RJ García is a Central Texan with over twenty years of serving the recovery community. RJ earned a Master of Arts in Addiction Counseling from the world-renowned Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies at the Center City, Minnesota alcohol and drug addiction treatment center. HGSAS offered a unique curriculum that integrates theory, science and clinical practice. RJ is a current member of the American Counseling Association. And a 2010 winner of the ACA Foundation's Graduate Student Essay Competition. RJ is bilingual speaks both English and Spanish.
RJ has a special blend of experience in addiction services, education and development, business development and public health expertise. RJ has a unique ability to work with a variety of life experiences and work closely with you to define a collaborative treatment approach. RJ is familiar with several in-patient and outpatient services to assist you with issues that are beyond services offered.
RJ will work with you as an addiction therapist along with a physician/psychiatrist and/or counselor so that services are designed for you to assure continuity of care.
RJ is a practitioner who strives daily to help to people who have recently completed primary treatment and are transitioning back into everyday home and work life. Some of the difficulties treated include:
- Addiction
- Co-occurring disorders, such as alcohol and drug addiction combined other compulsive behaviors.
- Depression
- Anxiety and stress-related conditions
- Post-traumatic stress
- Marital and intimacy issues
- Family and interpersonal relationship problems
- Vocational adjustment problems
RJ has been blessed to be married to Mary Kay García since March 2000. They have lived both in Georgetown and the Austin area. They share a wonderful loving home with their two toy poodles Gracie and Diego.
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What Action to Take?
- What do I do now?There are as many reasons to seek help for addiction counseling as there are people. To find out how we can help you, just call 512.614.1299 or send an e-mail by clicking on CONTACT at the bottom on the left corner of web-page.Our staff will set-up an appointment to meet with you to assess your needs and determine the most appropriate way for you to begin receiving the care you require.
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Anonymous Services ~ Daily Meditations
- Suggested OnlyADDICTION RECOVERY SITESAlcoholics Anonymous
Narcotics AnonymousOvereaters AnonymousAll Addicts AnonymousFAMILY - RECOVERY SITESAlanon and AlateenNar-Anon Family GroupsDAILY MEDITATION SITESHAZELDEN
Daily Meditations for Women
Food for Thought
Daily Meditations for OvereatersLanguage of Letting Go
Daily Meditations on CodependencyToday's Gift
Daily Meditations for FamiliesTouchstones
Daily Meditations for MenTwenty-Four Hours a Day
The Little Black Book
