Addiction Therapists in Hacienda Heights, CA.

Addiction is complex and encompasses many entities. One of them is the participation in an AA program, another one the therapist. I can help on the therapeutic side, as addiction is often connect to underlying trauma. We will work through the trauma and the tools needed, while AA provides the tools required for sobriety. It's an ongoing process, providing growth and stability over time.

Clients grappling with addiction often feel a profound injury to their confidence, trapped in a cycle that seems insurmountable. In my therapy process, you will discover a compassionate and understanding environment where the underlying reasons for addiction are not only identified but addressed with clear, actionable solutions. My approach emphasizes the your unique experience, helping you to rebuild self-trust and confidence. Through personalized support and long-term management strategies, clients will find empowerment in their journey towards recovery, regaining control, and hope for a healthier future.

There are many kind of addictions....chemicals....gambling....adultery....sexual...pornography....internet. These addictions often serve to "mask" intense emotions felt by an individual. The addiction serves, at least for the moment or hour to allow one to "escape". Obsessive Compulsive behaviors follow, often by the decline in quality of life. Working with a professional therapist will allow you to talk about your life, your emotions, your unresolved issues. This journey of discovery can lead to a better self image, better relationships (since addictions are "instead" of people) and better health.

I believe that addiction is one of the most misunderstood mental health issues in society. Addiction is not an individual problem but rather a spotlight into what is wrong within a family system. My approach is to help you understand that addiction is your attempt to gain reconnection to your authentic self and others as well as a way to find meaning within life.

Addiction can ruin lives. Whether it is a substance (like alcohol of drugs) or a behavior (like eating or gambling) it stimulates that part of or brain that is the reward center and makes us feel pleasure. Humans, not surprisingly, like all animals, seek pleasure and avoid pain. We can get addicted to such a degree that we lose sight of the important things in our lives; our family, friend, job etc. Anything and everything can get side-lined by our addiction. Breaking free can be hard, it can involve many attempts and yet the rewards are enormous. I don't have the magic bullet but I can walk alongside you and help you on the path to recovery and sobriety.

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.

I strongly believe that the first step in overcoming an addiction is to feel supported in a safe and comforting therapeutic environment. Without trust, it is nearly impossible to address the issues, including shame, that so often accompany substance abuse. My approach is to help my clients learn to identify the thoughts and beliefs (often negative thoughts about themselves and their lives) that lead them to turn to drugs or alcohol. Treatment helps the client unlearn old patterns of behavior and to learn new ways of coping with situations and thoughts that may have led them to use substances in the past.

Addictions are a complicated area of work. Often the specific addiction is a symptom for much deeper discontent and shame. Along with the physical body addiction, many times the psycho-emotional issues have been present for a long time. Gaining insight and understanding to these usually very early aspects of oneself can be a useful life long tool in recovery and maintaining that recovery.

Battling an addiction is one of the hardest hurdles to overcome because you basically have two enormous issues to work through. You have the addiction, which is an overpowering urge to engage in a particular activity despite it’s negative consequences and then you have the issue underneath that you’re attempting to cope with by means of the addiction. Therefore, my approach is to work with the client on reducing the addictive behaviors so we can explore the root cause of it. Obviously elimination of the addiction is the goal, but sometimes just slowly reducing it is enough to begin work on the underlying cause. Benefits of this would be gaining back your control over your life.