Asking for help with substance use is one of the hardest things a person can do. Not because the struggle isn’t real. It absolutely is. But because our culture has spent decades attaching shame to it, as if needing support is a moral failure rather than a human one.
It isn’t. And the research has been clear on that for a long time.
At The Family Center of Maine, substance use treatment is one of our core focus areas. Jason Adamo, our Founder and CEO, has a strong personal connection and commitment to the recovery community, and that informs everything about how we approach this work. We are not neutral observers. We care about this.
Our offices in South Portland, Dunstan Crossing, and Saco serve individuals across southern Maine who are at different stages: questioning their use, actively working toward change, or rebuilding after a period of significant struggle. Wherever you are, there is a place for you here.
What Substance Use Therapy Actually Involves
Let’s clear something up. Substance use therapy is not a lecture. It’s not a list of rules or a system of rewards and punishments. It’s a clinical relationship built around understanding what’s driving the behavior and helping you develop real tools to change it.
The modalities our team uses include Motivational Interviewing, which is one of the most well-researched approaches for substance use. It works by exploring a person’s own reasons for change rather than imposing reasons from the outside. Studies consistently show that people are far more likely to make lasting changes when they’re the ones articulating why those changes matter.
We also draw on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify the thought patterns and triggers that contribute to use. And for clients where trauma is part of the picture, which is more common than people often realize, Trauma-Focused CBT and EMDR are available as part of a broader treatment approach.
Substance use rarely shows up alone. It’s often tangled with anxiety, depression, grief, work stress, or relationship strain. Our whole-person approach means we look at everything, not just the presenting issue.
Why the Recovery Community Matters Here
Maine has a complicated relationship with substance use. The opioid crisis hit this state hard. According to the Maine Center for Disease Control, Maine has experienced significant overdose mortality rates that have persisted well above the national average in recent years. That is not a statistic from somewhere else. That is our neighbors, our community members, our families.
Jason’s commitment to the recovery community is not a talking point. It is the reason this practice focuses on substance use treatment with the same clinical seriousness as any other mental health issue. We don’t treat it as a secondary concern or an add-on service. It is central to what we do.
Recovery looks different for every person. Some people are working toward full abstinence. Others are navigating harm reduction. Some are in the early stages of recognizing that their use has become a problem. We meet people where they are, without an agenda about where they should be.
What Families Need to Know
Substance use doesn’t only affect the person using. It reshapes every relationship in a household. And it puts an enormous weight on the people who love someone in the middle of it.
We work with families, too. Sometimes a family comes in together. Sometimes a spouse or parent comes in on their own, needing support for the impact of living with someone else’s recovery. Both are valid. Both are necessary.
Family therapy can be a powerful part of the recovery process, helping to rebuild trust, improve communication, and create a home environment that supports long-term change. It can also help family members process their own feelings: the fear, the anger, the grief, the hope. All of that is real and all of it deserves space.
For children in households where substance use has been present, the impact can be significant. We offer child counseling as part of our family support approach, using age-appropriate therapeutic techniques to help kids process what they’ve experienced.
Getting Started Without Making It a Big Production
One thing I’ve noticed is that people often put off reaching out because they imagine the process will be overwhelming. They think they need to have a crisis moment, or have hit some particular low, before they’re allowed to ask for help. That’s not true.
You can call or message us at any stage. If you’re just starting to think seriously about your relationship with alcohol or substances, that’s a valid reason to reach out. You don’t need a dramatic backstory. Curiosity about change is enough.
Our practice is by appointment, and our team is trained to make the intake process feel as low-pressure as possible. We will ask questions to understand your situation. You will not be judged. You will be heard.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also maintains a national helpline for anyone who needs immediate support or a referral while they’re waiting: 1-800-662-4357, free and confidential, 24 hours a day.
Finding Substance Use Support in Southern Maine
Substance use therapy in Maine is available at The Family Center of Maine across our three southern Maine locations. We offer outpatient mental health care in a setting that is warm, confidential, and built around your goals, not a one-size approach that ignores who you actually are.
If you or someone you love is ready to take a step, we’re here. Use our contact page to reach out and we’ll connect you with the right member of our team. Recovery is not a destination with a single fixed address. It’s a direction. And sometimes the most important thing is just having someone walk that direction alongside you.