Adam Labuschagne

Hi, I am Adam. By profession, I am a social worker with a specialization in substance abuse. But I am also an average, empathic person, finding my way through life, figuring out the challenging parts as I go along, and trying not to forget to notice and appreciate the joy and smile-worthy moments.

I am told by my family that it was evident from an early age that I would be in the helping profession, specifically social work. I guess they were onto something, and I am very pleased that they are right.

I have an affinity for the field of addiction due to my own “lived experience” of about 18 years. This lived experience gifted me with a generous amount of empathy & understanding for what the individual and their support network experience. This would not have been possible without my journey of recovery which included lapses, relapses, and active substance use.

As a result, I am fortunate to have gained an enormous amount of gratitude for life’s lessons that are so generously being bestowed on us via our experiences of hurt and joy.

In the words of addiction expert and author, Dr Gabor Maté “Don't ask why the addiction, ask why the pain. To understand people's pain, you have to understand their lives” (https://drgabormate.com)

Life has further gifted me with fantastic experience in the NGO, private practice, and inpatient realms. I have been fortunate enough to manage an entire dual-diagnosis clinic and as such gained invaluable insight into treatment. I have found that my love for helping has been honed and evolved in said fields, but I feel my love is a great deal more tangible in individual sessions or on a face-to-face basis, whether it be online, in person, facilitating, and or training.

I have developed a career in both South Africa and more recently Namibia where I established an outpatient program in the coastal region. I, or rather my lived experience and recovery journey have been consulted by other highly regarded and qualified professionals and the insight contributed to the development of a world-class substance use disorder treatment program that is currently being used in a well-established and reputable clinic.

I believe that Mental Health is not a straight line and recovery therefore looks different from person to person and is ultimately as unique as the individual.

I have a desire to understand, support, help, and listen. If you are reading this, you possibly have identified that you too have a desire, whether it be for change, enlightenment, or understanding. Leap!