Substance Use Care

Dr. Pat Mullen specializes in the treatment of co-occurring substance use and mental health concerns. His approach draws from Motivational Interviewing (MI), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and mindfulness-based interventions.

He has spent his career at the intersection of substance use and clinical care, and brings a direct, non-judgmental style that many clients have described as refreshing and effective.

What substance use care looks like

Our approach is grounded in the evidence base for outpatient substance use treatment. Depending on where you are, work may focus on:

• An honest, non-judgmental assessment of your use, its consequences, and what you are actually noticing
• Motivational Interviewing (MI) to explore the ambivalence that most people bring
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to address the thoughts and patterns that maintain use
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness-based work to build a different relationship with craving, discomfort, and avoidance
• Coordination with medical providers, MAT prescribers, or higher levels of care when needed
• Work with co-occurring anxiety, depression, trauma, or ADHD, which are frequently part of the picture

The goal is not to enforce a particular outcome. It is to help you get honest, get clear, and build a path forward that reflects what you actually want.

Why it works

Most people who struggle with substance use have already tried to change on their own. What they often have not had is a clinical relationship where they can be fully honest about their use without being pushed toward a predetermined answer, and where the co-occurring issues that drive use, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, depression, chronic stress, are treated at the same time.