Addiction Therapists in Fountain Valley, CA.

Just about everybody knows someone who is struggling with the abuse of a substance. Alcoholism in particular is so widespread in our society that in the last fifteen years there are more treatment centers than ever before providing assistance to those who have lost control over their drinking. What about family members? Alcoholism is a relationship buster. It breaks down families and damages children. It leaves spouses feeling helpless, confused and frightened. Family members know there is a problem. Everybody walks on egg shells. Talking to a loved one doesn’t help and sometimes makes it worse. Living with addiction makes life unpredictable every day. There are fights and arguments and chaos, and then there is peace-until there isn’t again and the...(view profile to read more)

We see a variety of clients who struggle with addictive or compulsive behaviors and impulsivity. People who struggle with these symptoms may choose one or more repeating behaviors, actively engaging in pornography, alcohol, food, a belief, another person, gambling, gaming, or acquiring material possessions. Helping clients to understand the nature of addiction and the factors contributing to the behavior is the first step toward freedom. Tailoring treatment to the problem, we engage with the pattern using a multi-level approach. Not limiting therapy to only behavioral methods, we use CBT as well as Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.

Are you preoccupied with the addictive or dysfunctional behavior of a close friend or loved one? Do you worry about controlling his or her behavior? Do you feel compelled to solve his or her problems? Are you always anticipating his or her needs? I would like to help. Recovery from codependency is possible. When you place another person’s health, love and safety before your own, your own needs and desires can become hidden, lost and forgotten. I would like to help you re-connect to yourself and build healthy and intimate relationships.

Dr. Adams is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist and Psychoanalyst specializing in addiction counseling and psychotherapy. Addictive behaviors can be seen as a futile attempt to manage inner experience and painful feelings that have remained unprocessed. A psychoanalytic approach can help to explore on a deeper level, uncovering and addressing those forces inside where the symptoms are rooted. Contact Dr. Adams at (949) 244-1992 or www.SouthOCTherapist.com.

Addictions can come in many forms. Some struggle with alcohol and drug addictions, while others struggle with gambling. Still others may struggle with internet pornogrpahy or video games. The common reasons for getting hooked are either boredom, the desire to seek pleasure or simply to just have have fun. The hardest reason to admit an addiction is that it is a way to cope with life's difficult problems. Whatever your reason, if any of these addictions are affecting your work or relationships, it's probably time to seek professional help. Caring and quality professionals are non-judgemental, teach you to cope with difficult emotions, and find alternative outlets for spending your time.

Substance misuse is a common phenomenon in our culture. Sometimes we use substances to cope with physical, emotional and psychological pain and discomfort. We also may feel substances enhance happiness and create a party—until the party becomes a problem. Whether you are currently struggling with addiction or addiction has been part of your journey, we will work together to understand what role substance plays or has played in your life, as well as identifying your preferred relationship recovery. I practice motivational interviewing and and emphasize a recovery oriented care model, which recognizes the many facets to a person beyond their addiction.

I am a trained facilitator for Smart Recovery, a non-12 step alternative program which offers practical tools to help those suffering from the harmful habits called addictions. I work with clients to build and maintain motivation to overcome addictions, manage cravings and urges, and to control unhealthy thoughts, behaviors and feelings. Together, we can create a lifestyle that celebrates long term vs. short term satisfactions.

While most treatment approaches to addiction include 12 step programs, rehabs, and now sober living houses, Grey Matters International, Inc. provides a wildly successful alternative to traditional models of addiction treatment----that keeps the brain in mind. That is, talking to the conscious brain while the primal brain is deciding things even before you are consciously aware? Well, that is the problem to solve in addiction. We have the solution utilizing a new cutting edge neuroscience-centered brain rebalancing system. Contact kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or call 877-606-6161.

Most often, nothing becomes an issue until it starts to interfere with your own level of functioning. Depending on the level of addiction, may depend on your level of treatment. Outpatient therapy is focused on those who are more stable within their addiction, and are wanting continued accountability and personal growth as their focus. Treatment may be more collaborative at this level (psychiatrist, physician, sponsor) to ensure that progress is continuing. Types of addiction treated in my practice: drug/alcohol use, food/exercise, shopping and co-dependency issues.

Often the quickest and easiest way to stuff away negative thoughts and emotions or to just shut down and go numb is to self-medicate. Whether your substance of choice is drugs, alcohol, food, prescriptions, porn, or video games, you have fallen into the habit of dealing with life by turning to your substance. Breaking this cycle takes work and dedication but it is possible! Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Seeking Safety will help you identify your triggers, create a plan to cope with those triggers in a healthy way, and begin to create a support network. Addiction is one of the struggles where support is vital to one's recovery! You're not supposed to do it alone!

In the initial stages of addiction, many addicts need to get involved in rehab. programs, support groups and many other important interventions. While I do get involved at any stage in the addiction process, frequently I am not as involved in the early stages. By this I mean simply that I do not involve myself in the "wrestling the addict to the ground" to convince them they need to quit. I get involved when the addict, who wants to learn to live successfully in terms of accepting life, addressing the complicated world of emotions, relationships and the living of a healthy, but fulfilling lifestyle.

For many people, addictions can be a private pain that they keep hidden away from others. Often times, people feel powerless to overcome these temptations that may eventually impact their relationships and life functioning. In the safety of therapy, we will work towards identifying triggers or times when you feel most vulnerable to your addiction. We'll process through underlying issues and develop feasible steps for you to resist temptations and replace them with constructive and healthy ways of coping. Whether it's internet addiction, pornography, substance abuse, binge eating- you do not have to let your addiction consume you any longer.

Addictions are ways people have learned to cope and regulate difficult and painful feelings. My approach is to teach you how to talk about and process the underlying emotions which fuel your addiction, and find alternative ways of coping. No matter what the addiction, it can distract you from important relationships in your life and keep you from being the person you know you can be.