christopher h. gerhart, mac SAP/DOT (256) 885-5193

Hi, my name is Chris Gerhart and I live and work in North Alabama. I am a substance abuse counselor that has been working in this field for the past 25 years. I have several degrees, licenses and certifications. I have also been clean and sober since 1993. So, I have professional experience, academic education and personal experience.
After years of working for a number of really great people at some wonderful locations, I am happy and excited to be opening my own practice.
In thinking about what I wanted to do with this venture, I knew that I had a few key, underlying ideals that I want to live out. The first is that I do not believe that free services work well. If someone pays nothing for a service, then that service is worthless. To that end, I do not take money from any third-party sources such as insurance companies or government agencies. When third-party payers are involved, they become the client, which also puts a whole different spin on privacy and confidentiality.
In my way of doing business, because the only customer is the client being served, the treatment becomes entirely client-centered. Quite simply, if you don’t think that I am doing a good job, you will not come back. On the other hand, quality speaks for itself.
Addiction is not pretty. It tends to destroy peoples’ lives in many different ways. As we work through issues, sometimes the discussion will touch on some areas that we would rather leave alone such as family issues, death, grief and loss, PTSD and other forms of trauma. Because you, the client, determine the course, length and depth of treatment, we’ll cover these areas at your pace and discretion.
I believe in using several different tactics and strategies.
In general terms, this looks something like:
1. Immediate solutions
2. Establishing community supports
3. Examining underlying issues
4. Ongoing recovery and relapse prevention
If you think that using alcohol or other drugs has lost its charm for you, please give me a call. I have several different appointment times available at my new office, in Huntsville, AL. My office is located near 565 and 255, across the street from Bridge Street Shopping Center.