Charlie Shockley, LCSW

Glennon Doyle describes recovery as “one long remembering that I’m still here.” For many people affected by trauma and substance use, recovery is a process of reconnecting with the self that became hidden beneath pain, shame, and survival. In our work together, I will help you rediscover the parts of yourself that can feel safe, connected, and empowered—without relying on substances to escape or endure what you are feeling. There is a way through, and you do not have to find it alone.

What is distinctive about my approach is how I understand substance misuse. Rather than viewing it only as a stand-alone disease disconnected from a person’s experiences, I often understand it as a self-regulation system that developed to help someone cope with overwhelming pain, trauma, or chronic environmental stress. What begins as an effective means of escape or relief can become deeply conditioned through repetition. Over time, the body and brain learn to depend on that pathway, turning an attempt to survive into a biobehavioral disorder that can feel increasingly difficult to control.

Because of this, our work will not focus only on stopping a behavior. We will become curious about what the behavior has been doing for you, what pain it has helped you manage, and what happens inside you when that familiar means of regulation is taken away. Treatment involves developing safer and more sustainable ways to regulate your nervous system while also healing the trauma, attachment wounds, and emotional pain that may have been the original catalysts. The goal is not to shame you for the way you learned to survive, but to help you build a life in which those survival strategies are no longer necessary.

My approach is grounded in kindness, curiosity, and compassion rather than confrontation, control, or rigid ideas about what recovery must look like. We will work collaboratively to understand the patterns keeping you stuck and develop a path toward change that reflects your needs, values, and goals. You can expect therapy to be honest, supportive, and focused not only on reducing harmful behavior, but also on creating the safety, connection, and meaning necessary for lasting change.

I bring years of experience working in outpatient addiction treatment programs throughout Athens, along with mentorship from two of the area’s most experienced addiction counselors. This experience has given me a clear understanding of both what helps and what can cause further harm. Lasting recovery rarely grows from judgment or pressure. It is far more likely to emerge through safety, connection, self-understanding, and the opportunity to practice new ways of responding to pain.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a master’s degree from the University of Georgia. Depending on your needs, our work may incorporate Motivational Interviewing to help you work through uncertainty and strengthen your readiness for change; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help you remain connected to what matters while responding differently to difficult thoughts and emotions; and Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR to support your brain and body’s natural healing processes.

Together, we can address childhood wounds and traumatic experiences that continue to feel present in everyday life—often appearing as substance use, shame, anxiety, depression, disconnection, or a persistent sense of not being good enough. The goal is not simply to remove a substance. It is to understand what you have been trying to survive, heal the pain underneath it, and help you return to yourself - to remember you're still here.