Addiction Therapists in Playa Del Rey, CA.

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.

I specialize in helping people who are struggling with addiction. I provide a safe, empathic environment that will enable us to build a trusting relationship that you can come to depend on instead of dependency on a substance. Through our relationship, you can learn to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors so that you can learn how to tolerate and regulate them without a substance.

I specialize in working with internet, video game, cell phone, social media, crypto and porn addictions. These process addictions have acquired a power over you that is difficult to break. I take a multi-faceted approach to helping you experience the change you desire. I use Motivational Interviewing to help you solidify your desire to change, I utilize abstinence based strategies and methods to help you establish and sustain sobriety, I help you learn how to replace these addictions with real relationships and interests that foster real relationships and I support you in identifying or establishing a natural support network that helps you to maintain and sustain the new changes in your life

We become addicted to certain behaviors when painful feelings about ourself cannot be recognized or expressed, and therefore unprocessed. Caught in these unrecognized feelings that never get understood, behaviors of accommodation take hold and keep us trapped. Therapy is a process of recognizing these emotional patterns leading to a personal empowerment to speak what one really desires and needs. This process breaks the addictive patterns.

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.

I prefer to steer well clear of the term "addict." Addict is a word that carries the power to define people in a way that does not reflect their own wishes nor come close to reflecting the totality of their lives. My approach is first to recognize the power, and the allure, of the many substances available for abuse. I will be curious to learn about your journey and relationship with substances, and how you hope to see your relationship in the future.

Don't know if you're an "addict"? Are you SURE you are? Whether someone just accuses you of addiction or you've been around the recovery block a few times, you'll find qualified and understanding help at CCRG. But nobody REALLY understands you? Try us! You'll find real understanding and patience, skill and knowledge, motivation and support. Would all that help? Call us and let us help.

I believe that as we grow up we are shaped by our relationships; this starts from the time we are little and continues for the rest of our lives. Through these relationships we are also shaped by society. In being shaped we create various meaning from our experiences as well as receiving and giving instructions on how to live. When we form new relationships of any kind, this gets challenged; coming together and finding a path forward that celebrates all involved is the key to success. Sometimes this gets stalled through unspoken expectations and anticipated or unanticipated pressure related to shame. Lets explore this!

Does it feel like sex or a substance is out of your control? Maybe it feels compulsive, it's the fix for sadness, hurt, anger and stress its also what you’ve used to increase your joy, peace and good feeling. Whether you call it addiction or just problematic, you're reading this because you're hoping things could be better. I'm here to tell you they can be. Together we will work to understand what's really going on and get you to a place where you feel a sustained sense of goodness. If you're ready--let's connect. I'd love to meet you and see how I can help.

Are you struggling with addictive lifestyle behaviors around food, exercise, gambling, shopping or sex? If so you may feel like your out-of-control. A part of you may know you have to stop this behavior or your life will be a mess, but you can't seem to do it. Are you filled with broken promises to yourself to change? So why not get help? I use a task-centered approach to behavioral addictions. It is a structured path that leads to recovery. It is a step by step approach that has helped others change their lives. Do the tasks and get better. It is simple but not easy. Don't wait until it is too late. If your ready to change then give me a call.

If pornography is out of control in your life, or feels like an unhealthy habit, or addiction, I offer therapy specifically intended to help you understand your dependance upon porn, why it's so difficult to stop using, and how you can take your life back and experience freedom. If pornography has become a problem in your relationship, I help couples understand the role pornography serves, how to build empathy and understanding between one another, and how to fill the needs pornography serves in a more fulfilling way.

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.

I believe in a harm reduction model for addiction. I spent years in a clinic dealing with 50 clients, who were addicted to alcohol, opiates, cocaine, crack, and various prescription medications. Clients and I collaborated in finding the motivation to change. Every addict has entertained the thought of quiting. What we do in session is engage you in "change talk" expand on it, and reinforce it. Once the motivation for change is there, learning more positive reactions to triggers can begin. We will deal with self-esteem issues and possible traumas that may have led to self-medication. 12-Step programs are effective in relapse provention. Remember, you are not alone.

The long-term goals for working with addiction consists of improving the quality of life for clients by maintaining ongoing abstinence. Therapy assists clients in identifying the negative ways that using has impacted their lives. Treatment consists of educating client's about the disease, decreasing resistance and denial, finding ways to obtain sobriety, identifying triggers for relapse, and finding social and emotional support to overcome their addiction. My approach is to assess the type and severity of the addiction and provide my clients with referrals necessary to help them in the journey for recovery.

I work with individuals navigating addiction through a compassionate, nonjudgmental lens. Whether it's substance use, disordered eating, or compulsive behaviors, I help clients explore the underlying emotional and relational patterns that fuel their struggles. My approach integrates mindfulness, parts work, and trauma-informed care to support both accountability and self-compassion. Together, we work to reduce shame, build healthier coping tools, and reconnect with what truly matters. Healing from addiction is possible, and you don’t have to do it alone.

If you're battling an addiction, know that you're not alone. My sessions offer a supportive environment to explore the triggers and underlying reasons behind your addiction. We'll work together to develop healthy coping mechanisms to manage cravings and build relapse-prevention strategies. This might involve exploring past traumas, managing stress, or identifying alternative ways to cope with difficult emotions. My goal is to empower you to take control of your life and build a future free from addiction.

The benefits of Addiction Counseling and Treatment are manifold. Too often individuals are controlled by substances in their life and don't feel free to make their own choices. People can be addicted to everything from drugs, to caffeine, to shopping, to gambling, to alcohol, etc. Addiction counseling is about understanding the need one may feel to be attached to a substance. Counseling focuses on developing other coping skills to manage ones' life without depending on a substance to get through each day.

I specialize in hypnosis and meditation to help you on your journey towards recovery. These methods have great benefits for overcoming compulsive behaviors and replacing them with positive habits. Through counseling, you can find support, discover coping strategies, take steps to prevent a relapse and gain insight into creating and repairing healthy relationships. Together, we can create a safe environment for you to develop a healthy routine and stay on the path of lasting recovery.

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.

Addictions are beyond our understanding. Together, we can walk through the path of your life to help make sense of what you are trying to relieve through addictive behaviors. Whether your addiction is chemical, eating, sexual, pornography, gambling, or internet/gaming related, I can help you understand why you are making the choice of avoidance, even though it doesn't feel like a choice.

Addiction is a mental health condition and I treat addiction by a multi-pronged process predominately from a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) model. I help my clients understand the reasons they use a substance or engage in an addictive behavior, teach them skills regulate their emotions and tolerance distress that might otherwise lead them to engage in their addiction, and address any underlying issues that contribute to their addiction. I also help clients with with concerns about their substance use or compulsive behavior to avoid developing addictions.

Addictive behavior is a way to not feel underlying pain. It is a cycle that has undesirable consequences and continued pain. Learning how to break free from the cycle and learn new coping skills will help you soothe your pain while working through it. This will allow you the stop the addictive behavior. I offer a whole person and supportive environment in addition to referrals to assist in treating addiction.

The transition to young adulthood can be an intense time where teens may become overwhelmed by new feelings. Self-medication through drugs or alcohol is often an attempt by sensitive young people to regulate or avoid uncomfortable feelings. Since individuals who are at high risk of becoming addicted often feel emotionally disconnected from the people in their life, my work focuses on helping my clients create more meaningful connections with their family. I also work with young adults who have completed rehab and are interested in finishing the emotional growth process that got derailed while they were using drugs as a teenager.

Addiction can be a tricky and slippery issue to deal with due to its nonlogical nature. I know this from personal experience because I dealt with with addiction issues before becoming a psychotherapist. It is this combination of personal and professional experience that makes me uniquely qualified to help people recover from this particular issue. With the aid of tools like EMDR CBT and guided visualizations I can help you overcome this issue and heal from the issues that drive it. Additionally, I can provide tools, coping skills, and other resources to help you manage particular issues while I’m helping you heal.

My evidence-based treatments will help you to stop uncontrollable behaviors and obsessions that feel secretive, shaming, and abusive. Our sessions will focus on giving you the tools you need to stop these painful and troublesome patterns and move on to your blissful life! I provide individual therapy to support my clients with: Alcoholism Prescription and non-prescription drug abuse Sex addiction Gambling and trading addiction Shopping addictions I welcome the uniqueness of each patient who comes through my door!