Addiction Recovery Counseling in Huntsville, AL
Shepherding Hope provides relationship-centered outpatient addiction recovery counseling with Billy R. Gilbert, M.S., Associate Licensed Counselor under the supervision of Erica Player, LPC-S, for adolescents and adults navigating alcohol or other substance-use concerns, recovery decisions, cravings, triggers, and major life changes.
Shepherding Hope supports people in Huntsville, Madison County, Marshall County, Owens Cross Roads, New Hope, and surrounding Alabama communities who are seeking steady outpatient recovery support through telehealth.
The 15-Minute Clarity Call is a brief consultation about fit and next steps with Billy R. Gilbert, M.S., Associate Licensed Counselor under the supervision of Erica Player, LPC-S. It is not a therapy session, diagnostic evaluation, or emergency service.
A Steady, Relational Approach to Outpatient Addiction Recovery
Addiction recovery can affect routines, relationships, emotions, coping patterns, and daily responsibilities. Counseling can provide a structured place to identify what is making recovery difficult, practice alternative responses, and build supports that fit real life.
Shepherding Hope’s approach is collaborative and practical. Sessions may address cravings, triggers, stress, emotional regulation, communication, routines, recovery supports, and responses to setbacks without reducing recovery to willpower alone.
The Shepherding Hope 5 C’s Framework
The 5 C’s are Shepherding Hope’s own practice framework for organizing practical recovery conversations. They are not presented as a universal clinical standard or a guarantee of any particular outcome.
Building supportive therapeutic and personal relationships while reducing isolation.
Clarifying personally meaningful reasons for change and identifying realistic next steps.
Practicing responses to cravings, stress, triggers, and difficult emotions.
Identifying healthy supports, resources, and relationships that can reinforce recovery.
Building repeatable routines and recovery behaviors over time.
Depending on the client’s goals, clinical needs, and fit, counseling may draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavior Therapy-informed skills, and grounding practices. Learn more about the broader approach on our Counseling Services page.
- Identifying triggers and high-risk situations
- Developing coping responses for cravings and stress
- Clarifying values, goals, and motivation
- Strengthening emotional regulation and distress-tolerance skills
- Building routines and supportive connections
- Creating relapse-prevention plans appropriate to outpatient care
The practice primarily serves adolescents and adults. Younger-child fit is considered individually, and referral to a play therapist or child-centered provider may be appropriate when that is a better match.
Specific services and interventions depend on the client’s needs, clinical scope, applicable law, availability, and safety considerations.
Outpatient Telehealth Support & Level of Care Limitations
Telehealth may make it possible to receive scheduled outpatient counseling without traveling to an office. Sessions are available only when the client is physically located in Alabama, and the client must accurately identify their location at each session.
Shepherding Hope provides scheduled outpatient counseling. Outpatient counseling is not medical detoxification, inpatient or residential treatment, ambulatory detoxification, medication management, or 24/7 crisis stabilization. A person experiencing severe withdrawal, immediate danger, or a need for urgent medical or psychiatric care should use emergency or higher-level-care resources.
For information about how the broader telehealth model works, visit Telehealth Counseling in Alabama.
A conversation with Billy R. Gilbert, M.S., Associate Licensed Counselor under the supervision of Erica Player, LPC-S, may be useful when substance use is affecting relationships, work, health, responsibilities, or personal goals; when cravings or triggers are difficult to manage; or when repeated attempts to change have not gone as hoped.
These signs do not determine a diagnosis. They may simply indicate that additional support or a more thorough evaluation could be helpful. Learn more by reviewing our Counseling FAQ.
Request a brief consultation to discuss your questions, goals, and possible fit.
Review whether outpatient telehealth counseling may be appropriate for your needs and circumstances.
If services appear appropriate, scheduling and intake information will be provided through the appropriate process.
Some people seeking addiction recovery counseling are also navigating anxiety, depression, trauma-related concerns, or other mental-health challenges. When these concerns occur together, clinical fit and appropriate services should be considered individually.
Learn more about the distinction between addiction recovery counseling and Dual-Diagnosis Counseling in North Alabama.
Addiction Recovery Counseling FAQs
Outpatient counseling may include conversations and skill-building related to cravings, triggers, coping, motivation, routines, relationships, recovery supports, and relapse-prevention planning.
No. Shepherding Hope provides scheduled outpatient counseling by telehealth. It does not provide medical detoxification, inpatient or residential treatment, or emergency crisis care.
Yes. Shepherding Hope is currently a 100% telehealth practice. Clients must be physically located in Alabama at the time of each session.
The 5 C’s are Shepherding Hope’s practice framework: Connection, Commitment, Coping, Community, and Consistency.
Grounding exercises may help some people pause and reconnect with the present moment. They are optional coping tools, not a treatment plan, diagnostic method, or substitute for professional or emergency support.
You can begin by booking a 15-Minute Clarity Call to discuss whether services may be an appropriate fit.
Book a brief consultation to discuss your questions and possible next steps. The 15-Minute Clarity Call is not a therapy session, diagnostic evaluation, or emergency service, and scheduling it does not create a counselor-client relationship.
Book Your 15-Minute Clarity CallPractice credentials and supervision: Shepherding Hope, LLC · Billy R. Gilbert, M.S., Associate Licensed Counselor under the supervision of Erica Player, LPC-S.
Shepherding Hope currently provides services by telehealth to clients physically located in Alabama during each session. Availability, clinical fit, and safety are considered individually.
Billy R. Gilbert is an Associate Licensed Counselor (ALC) under the supervision of Erica Player, LPC-S.