Seth Kemfort, Counselor
Many of the clients I work with struggle with the guilt and shame that comes from hiding their actions from their loved ones. Oftentimes, these behaviors arise from the struggles of life, pressures from society around them, or may have started as a result of trauma from their past. It’s not uncommon for men to begin experiencing addictive behaviors due to pressures or out of wanting more control. It’s also common to feel like you have no control over this anymore, but there is a way out and a way to freedom and recovery.
Pornography Addiction:
Are you struggling with the persistent use of pornography, feeling guilty and ashamed about hiding this habit from your spouse or loved ones? Many men struggle with the issue of pornography, and it can be easy to feel like you have no control over the issue. We can work together to help you overcome this addiction and regain control over your life.
One of my main specialties is helping those struggling with an addiction to pornography. This is an addiction that has become far more rampant in our society, especially with how the internet has made it so easy to access. Most men in their lives will encounter pornography in some way, shape, or form; however, you do not have to be shackled by the chains of addiction.
Gambling Addiction:
Are you finding yourself checking the betting odds more often, or do you find yourself watching sports more for your bets than to enjoy watching your favorite teams? Gambling addictions can progress quickly to forcing you to live paycheck to paycheck, and that’s what keeps you hooked. The hope of the “big win” keeps you trapped in a cycle that you may feel like you can’t escape from.
Gambling addictions are becoming more common in our society, especially with the push to bet on sports from the media. Another one of my areas of focus is helping people with addictions to gambling find freedom from their addiction. There is hope to be free from the cycle of addiction that gambling has you trapped in.
Recreational Drug Use:
Are you using drugs but want to quit, or do you think your habits may start to become a problem? Substance use is normalized by much of our society and can quickly lead to one falling into addiction. Many substances can be life-threatening or have long-term, lasting impacts on your health.
Many seek to curb these habits before they become a problem. One of my areas of focus is helping you to curb recreational use of substances like: alcohol, marijuana, and other similar substances. Whether the behavior started due to the pressures of life, or as a means of escape, we can work together to help curb these habits.
Student Athletes:
Are you or your child struggling with balancing the challenges of being a student-athlete, the anxiety around performance, or expectations on the field? Being a student-athlete, regardless of whether at the high school or college level, increases the level of stress you will experience daily. And many student-athletes struggle with managing this added stress.
As a former college football player at Erskine College, I am keenly aware of many of the struggles student-athletes face on a day-to-day basis. Helping student-athletes through their struggles was one of the primary motivators for me to enter into the counseling field. And I would love to be a part of your journey to recovery.
In our sessions, we’ll work together to:
Identify triggers and unhealthy coping patterns
Strengthen emotional awareness and resilience
Learn new ways to manage anxiety and depression
Build a foundation of hope, recovery, and faith
Seth is a counselor intern in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Columbia International University.