Addiction Therapists in Pacific Palisades, CA.

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.

If you are in a relationship and find that substance use, drinking, gambling, infidelity, pornography, or any other behavior is driving a wedge between you and your partner, we can help. When there is a breach in the relationship and the priority of the partner is dropped, we can help you to repair. Together we will explore how to engage your partner without threat. We will help you to build roads to reduce the influence of the intruding behavior that threatens trust and intimacy.

Addiction is a chronic, relapsing, progressive brain disease. Addiction is an attempt at self-repair. Addition comes in forms of substances, chemical dependency or process addictions such as sex, internet, gambling, eating and more. Of the most talked about is alcohol and drug abuse, or substance abusers. Substance abusers are unable to use their feelings as signals and guides in managing or protecting themselves against the instability and chaos of their internal world. All treatment of addiction is a time dependent process. Effective addiction treatment is in treatment strategy. The first stage of treatment is abstinence to the later stage of treatment which is prevention from relapse. Currently most addition treatments are in three step...(view profile to read more)

I view addiction as the compulsive overuse of a self-prescribed stress management tool. The addiction may be to a person, activity, or substance. But regardless of how addiction manifests itself, the goal is to understand what the client gets out of it, and find healthier, sustainable ways to manage their stress. But regardless, but in addiction counseling is to assess the compulsive behavior, so I can understand where it comes from and what keeps .

Seeking treatment for alcohol and/or drug addiction is a courageous undertaking. I have 20 years experience treating patients who suffer from alcohol and addiction from cocaine, heroine, crystal methamphetamine, marijuana and prescription medication addictions. Individuals often have an underlying symptom of depression and anxiety for which alcohol and drugs provide some relief. I integrate psychotherapy and encourage participation in AA, NA or other 12 step programs to provide additional support for sustaining sobriety. Many patients often abuse alcohol and drugs and wish not to use the 12 step programs or desire complete sobriety. Psychotherapy can be beneficial in decreasing abuse.

Do you find yourself struggling with using relationships as a way to escape real life? You don’t have to be a relationship “addict” to have a pattern in relationships that ends badly each and every time. Maybe it is time to start to learn about who you really are and what you really need from a relationship. Only after you learn that can you start to choose and nurture a healthy, fulfilling, lasting relationship.

My work at a residential drug treatment facility for three years complements my 25 years of experience as a psychotherapist. In addition to substance abuse and codependence issues, I support individuals with sexual compulsivity issues. I refrain from labeling this as an "addiction" per se, as does ASSECT (American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists). Treatment may sometimes involve significant others and family, as all are affected.

Any Unresolved issues from your past can lead to more serious disorders such as an alcoholism, drug addiction, sex addiction and others. We will go beyond the symptom of the addiction you are experiencing and treat the underlying cause and possible unresolved psychological trauma. This will help you restore your sense of control and reduce the poweful hold that any the addictive behaviors have on you.

I work with many individuals who have either identified themselves as having addiction problems or are still in denial that they have problems with addiction....either to substances or to certain destructive activities. Either way, I work with them so that they have a realistic understanding of the destructive consequences of their actions as well as an empathic awareness of the underlying self-destructive attitudes or beliefs (or life experiences) that may have led to their addictions. Addicts need support to deal with their addictions. There is no one way to get this support, but it is vital that addicts know that they they do need support...group support and psychotherapeutic support.

The world of addiction treatment has a tendency to skew towards the identification of the client with his/her addiction. Just as other mental health concerns, I believe that addiction is a problem that does not define the person but rather reflects a segment of experience that has the tendency to take precedence over various aspect of life. Addiction is often co-conspiring with other dominant forces such as shame and blame, thereby pressuring clients to be silent and hide under it's control. I find that an important step to dealing with addiction is to find out how it operates on a person's life, to understand it's tactics and what it is trying to take away, what it has to gain.

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.

Are you abusing, addicted, or not sure? Are you concerned about substances (alcohol, pot, cocaine, meth), behaviors (sex, porn, computers, gambling, spending, cutting), or both? Together, we can see if these issues are really a problem for you. If you’re having problems in these areas, we can sort it out and deal with it. Some people benefit from 12-step programs, and others don’t want them. I can work either way. Together, we’ll see what triggers you, how you deal with them, what works, what doesn’t, what situations affect your using and not using, and how this ties in with your earlier life. We’ll see what helps you to cope, where that works and doesn’t, and what other options might be.

Addiction is often stigmatized in our society and struggles with addiction can carry a great weight of shame. I can help you understand the dynamics of addiction and create meaningful change without the judgment with which it is so often associated. Addressing addiction requires care and understanding, and I can provide you with that as we navigate the process of working through this issue that can be so impactful in your life.