Trainings

Substance Use & Addiction Training That Builds Real-World Skills

Practical, evidence-based training grounded in real clinical experience.

As a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) and LPC-Associate, I specialize in adolescent and young adult substance use treatment. I hold a Master's degree in Counseling from Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, with a focus on Addiction Counseling and Co-Occurring Disorders.

My trainings combine evidence-based practices, real-world experience, and practical tools that professionals can apply immediately when supporting young people.

Behavioral health professional leading an evidence-based training workshop for helping professionals

Why Substance Use Training Matters

Early Warning Signs
Learn how to recognize the early indicators of substance use before concerns become larger challenges.
Problematic Use
Understand when experimentation may be developing into patterns that require additional support or intervention.
Effective Conversations
Discover how to discuss substance use with teens and young adults without increasing resistance or shutting down communication.
Intervention Strategies
Explore practical intervention and referral strategies that can be applied in real-world settings.
Recovery Support
Learn how to support recovery while maintaining healthy boundaries and encouraging long-term success.
Co-Occurring Disorders
Understand how anxiety, depression, trauma, and substance use often interact.

Training Topics

Explore practical, evidence-based topics that help professionals confidently support teens, young adults, and families affected by substance use.
Group of professionals participating in a recovery support training workshop

Understanding Adolescent and Young Adult Substance Use

Substance use among teens and young adults is influenced by developmental, social, and environmental factors. This training explores current trends, risk factors, and the unique challenges facing young people today.

Participants will learn:

  • Current substance use trends among youth
  • Risk and protective factors
  • The impact of peer and social influences
  • Practical opportunities for early intervention

Screening and Assessment for
Substance Use

Learn practical approaches for identifying substance use concerns and determining when additional support or referral may be needed.

Participants will learn:

  • Evidence-based screening tools
  • Assessment best practices
  • Recognizing levels of risk
  • Documentation and referral considerations

Addiction and the Brain

Understand how substance use affects brain development, motivation, emotional regulation, and decision-making in adolescents and young adults.

Participants will learn:

  • The neuroscience of addiction
  • Brain development and vulnerability
  • Reward and motivation systems
  • Long-term impacts of substance use

Motivational Interviewing for
Substance Use

Develop practical communication skills that reduce resistance and encourage meaningful conversations about change.

Participants will learn:

  • Core principles of Motivational Interviewing
  • Reducing defensiveness and resistance
  • Building rapport and trust
  • Encouraging self-motivated change

Relapse Prevention Planning

Learn how to help individuals recognize challenges early and create realistic plans for maintaining progress.

Participants will learn:

  • Relapse warning signs
  • Prevention planning strategies
  • Risk management techniques
  • Building long-term resilience

Working with Young People in Recovery

Explore approaches that balance accountability, support, and encouragement throughout the recovery process.

Participants will learn:

  • Recovery support principles
  • Strength-based approaches
  • Healthy boundaries
  • Long-term recovery success factors

Supporting a Family Member Struggling with Substance Use

Families often need guidance and education alongside their loved ones. This training focuses on supporting caregivers and strengthening family systems.

Participants will learn:

  • Family dynamics and substance use
  • Healthy boundary setting
  • Effective communication strategies
  • Documentation and referral considerations

Treatment Program Options & Support

Gain a clearer understanding of treatment pathways and available resources for adolescents and young adults.

Participants will learn:

  • Levels of care and treatment settings
  • Referral best practices
  • Community and recovery resources
  • Documentation and referral considerations

Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

Mental health concerns and substance use frequently occur together. Learn how these conditions interact and influence treatment outcomes.

Participants will learn:

  • Anxiety and substance use
  • Depression and substance use
  • Trauma-informed considerations
  • Documentation and referral considerations

Need a training tailored to your audience?

Sessions can be customized for schools, healthcare teams,community organizations, counselors, and parents. Additional custom topics are available upon request.

Flexible Training Options for Your Audience

Whether you're looking for a brief educational presentation, an interactive workshop, or a multi-session training series, each program can be tailored to the needs of your organization, staff, caregivers, or community.
60-Minute Presentation
A focused introduction to key substance use topics designed to increase awareness, understanding, and confidence.
$250
Schools · Community Organizations · Staff Meetings · Educational events
90-Minute Workshop
A more interactive training experience that combines education, discussion, and practical strategies participants can immediately apply.
$300
Counselors · Therapists · Educators · Healthcare professionals
4-Week Workshop Series
A deeper learning experience that allows participants to build skills, explore complex topics, and apply new strategies over time.
$800
Professional development programs · School districts · Treatment teams
Available In

✓ Virtual

✓ In-Person

✓ At Your Location

✓ Conroe, TX

Optional Add-Ons
Animal-Assisted Therapy Exercise
+$150
30-minute interactive therapeutic experience with animals.
+$125
Meditation & Mindfulness Exercise
+$75
30-minute guided mindfulness and stress-reduction activity.
+$75

Frequently Asked Questions

Find clarity and reassurance in the questions that matter most to you.
Who are these trainings designed for?
Can trainings be customized?
Are virtual trainings available?
How many participants can attend?

Let's Create a Training That Fits Your Organization

Whether you're planning a professional development event, school presentation, caregiver workshop, or community training, I'd be happy to help create a program tailored to your needs.

Young Adult Therapy

Therapy for You. Because Your Story Matters, and So Do You

Finally, therapy that gets you, built around you and your life 

Take the first step toward real change. Claim your FREE consultation

You're at
a crossroads,
aren't you?

Maybe you're staring at your future, unsure if you're making the right choices. Or you're lying awake at 2 AM, replaying conversations and trying to make sense of why everything feels so... complicated.

You’re the friend everyone turns to for advice. But when it comes to your own life, you feel lost.

Here’s what I know about you:

You’re smart. You’re capable. And you’re exhausted from winging it through life. You want therapy that actually fits you. That’s exactly what I offer.

Therapy for You. Effective, Creative,
and Personalized.

Sometimes words aren’t enough. Sometimes you need movement, presence, connection. Something more embodied and experiential. That’s why my work goes beyond traditional talk therapy. Therapy for you should meet you where you are — emotionally, creatively, spiritually and offer options that feel
as unique as your story.

Trauma-Informed CBT

With a trauma-informed lens, We’ll gently explore the thought patterns that may be keeping you stuck and build new, self-supportive ones.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

When emotions feel intense or hard to regulate, DBT offers tools to stay present, set boundaries, and respond with more intention and compassion.

ACT Therapy

Acceptance Commitment Therapy helps you step out of painful thoughts and into your values, shifting from fixing yourself to fully living

Family Systems Counseling

We’ll explore how your family dynamics (past or present) shaped your inner world and help you move toward patterns that feel healthier and more whole.

Walk & Talk Therapy in
Magnolia, TX

If four walls feel limiting, let’s take therapy outside. In a peaceful park setting, many clients find it easier to relax, open up, and work through obstacles with more calm.

Creative Expression

Not everyone heals through words. With art, music, or writing, we can use creativity to ease tension, express what feels unspeakable, and heal through self-exploration.

Equine-Assisted Therapy in Magnolia, TX

Working with horses offers a unique and powerful connection. These gentle, intuitive animals respond to your energy in real time, helping you build trust, set boundaries,
and reconnect
with your inner strength. 

What Therapy for You Can Feel Like

You know that feeling when you finally meet someone who just gets it? That’s what we build together.No judgment. No “shoulds.” No cookie-cutter solutions. Just your story, and someone who’s completely
in your corner.

Finding the Right Fit So You Can Thrive

Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. Together, we’ll explore what approach works best for you—whether that’s structure, creativity, movement, or reflection. What matters most is that you feel safe, seen, and supported.

Let’s Talk About Your Needs

Therapy for you should never feel like a cold clinical process. 

It should feel like someone sitting beside you in the mess — offering curiosity, calm, and care. It should feel like coming home; to your truth, your voice, and your power.

We’ll create something that feels right for you. Soft when it needs to be.
Bold when you’re ready.

Always human. Always yours.

Let’s talk about what’s next for you. Schedule your FREE consultation today
Lish Montesa, MA, LPC-Associate, NCC

I'm Lish, and I Remember What It Was Like

I didn’t always feel grounded in who I was, either. In fact, part of why I became a therapist is because I know what it’s like to feel like everyone else has a secret manual for life except you. That’s why I specialize in working with youth and young adults (ages 10–25) navigating identity, stress, change, healing, and everything in between.

I believe therapy for you should feel personal. Authentic. Flexible. Like coming home to yourself. I bring compassion, curiosity, and a belief that healing is always possible — no matter where you’re starting from.

Credientials

  • Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate
  • Master’s in Counseling (Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School)
  • Supervised by Dr. Kendra McLaughlin, PhD, LPC-S
  • National Certified Counselor
  • Clinical experience in addiction recovery and private practice
  • Trained in equine-assisted therapy rooted in Natural Lifemanship principles
Learn more about me

FAQs. What You Might Be Wondering

“Can a therapist really help me?”

Yes — when it feels like therapy personalized for you. Not one-size-fits-all. Not robotic. Not dismissive. The right therapist helps you feel seen, challenged, and safe. That’s my goal every time we meet.

“How do I know if therapy isn’t working?”

If you’re feeling stuck, unheard, or like nothing’s changing after several sessions, it’s okay to speak up. Therapy for you should feel supportive and collaborative. We’ll check in often and adjust the approach if needed. Together.

“What happens after your first therapy intake session?”

In our first session or intake, we’ll explore what brought you here and start shaping goals that feel meaningful and aligned with who you are. It’s not just support. It’s the beginning of a real partnership: therapy for you, built around your story and what matters most to you.

“What can I expect from a therapy appointment?”

Expect a safe, welcoming space where you can be yourself. Whether we talk, create, reflect, or just breathe. Every session is shaped by what you need. Therapy for you is flexible, grounded, and personal.

“What to do when CBT doesn't work?”

We’ll try something else. I’ve got a whole toolkit beyond CBT, including expressive work, mindfulness, and animal-assisted support. We follow what resonates for you.

“Do you take insurance?”

I don’t bill insurance directly. I’m out-of-network and accept private payment via credit card or cash. Before your first session, you’ll get a Good Faith Estimate so you know the cost upfront. I can also provide a superbill if you want to explore insurance reimbursement.

“How much does a therapy session cost?”

Sessions are $125 for 50 minutes. I offer both online and in-person sessions in Lake Conroe, TX. Before your first appointment, I’ll provide a Good Faith Estimate so there are no surprises.

You Don’t Have to Do This
Alone Anymore

Something brought you here. A gut instinct. A quiet hope. A need to finally feel supported. Therapy for you should be about you. NOT about fixing you, but meeting you, exactly where you are. Let’s take the first step together. We’ll talk about what you (or your child) are carrying, and how I can help lighten the load.

Book your FREE consultation today

Lish Montesa, MA, LPC-Associate, NCC

Supervised by Dr. Kendra McLaughlin, PhD, LPC-S