Harm Reduction Psychotherapy
HRP starts from a simple goal: keeping people who use alcohol and drugs alive, safe, and respected. Rather than demanding abstinence as a prerequisite for care, harm reduction meets people where they are—physically, emotionally, and behaviorally—while supporting any positive change they’re ready to make.
The approach recognizes the complexities of drug use, acknowledging that not everyone experiences negative consequences. For some, drug use can fit into a balanced lifestyle. By promoting realistic assessments, harm reduction helps users identify benefits while minimizing risks and fostering positive change. Overall, it offers a compassionate approach to drug use, prioritizing safety, dignity, and health over stigma and punishment.
How HRP Works
HRP supports safer use, reduced risk, and increased autonomy. Rather than imposing fixed goals or abstinence-only expectations, therapists and clients collaborate to: assess current use patterns; identify potential harms or risks; explore what supports health and well-being; and build skills, supports, or changes based on the client's own values and goals.
This model supports clients in developing realistic, individualized strategies for navigating drug use. These might include safer dosing, changing routes of administration, integrating drug testing practices, or addressing co-occurring mental health needs. The goal isn’t just reducing harm; it’s also increasing quality of life, self-respect, and connection.