Top addiction therapists in 94404: San Mateo, CA.

To live authentically and fully, we must have access to our feelings. In short, this means that we can identify, articulate, express, and finally take appropriate action on them. Addictions, while there is a vast continuum in type and intensity, block full access to our feelings. It is our feelings and our ability to effectively manage them (without addictions) that enable us to connect deeply with ourselves and others. They are our "internal compass" allowing us to discern various parts of ourselves as well as our choice in relationships. Therapy is the ideal place to process feelings and learn how to manage them without addictive substances and behavior.

I work with a lot of people who are in recovery, who may or may not be in an addiction support program such as 12-step programs. All addictions are attempts to regulate the nervous system. Nervous systems get dysregulated as the after-effect of unresolved trauma. Being a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, I use the tools of SE to help clients learn to regulate their nervous systems so the constant unconscious drive to use in order to get relief from anxiety and depression dissipates.

In addiction (and codependence) treatment sessions with me, you will gain real hope, effective help, and powerful healing for your unwanted compulsive behaviors. By better understanding the triggers and warning signs of your addiction, you will be more prepared to deal effectively with cravings, achieve abstinence, and maintain sobriety. Learning from me about other addiction treatment resources will give you options for additional support as needed. I will also teach you valuable relapse prevention skills so that you can stay calmer, create more satisfying relationships, and live more fully. I also offer intervention services. Call me with any questions or to schedule an appointment.

I am always saying “addiction is an attempt to solve a problem”. My question towards people who struggle with addiction is “what problem were you/are you trying to solve?” Let’s look at the pain and the struggles that led to the addiction and keeps the addiction going. Let’s see what we can uncover when we lift up the rock of addiction and look underneath it. We will also talk about what happens to the brain during addiction and during recovery. I am here to walk with you on this journey and support you through this. I want to help you so that you can experience more peace and serenity in your life.

The famed physician and author encourages us to ask not, 'why the addition' but 'why the pain?' In our society we have the ability to turn to a multitude of substances and behaviors to numb and avoid pain, many of which are not only socially acceptable but encouraged. The brain despises pain. and will do all sorts of things to not feel pain. So how do we help you navigate the painful emotions that lay beneath your use and/or behaviors? Somatic Experiencing is a somatic trauma intervention that can help us to build a foundation from which you learn not only to bear the pain but to process it, let it go and welcome in something new and different. What would you like to welcome in?

I am an addiction specialist. I have spent over a decade working with those suffering from addictions to sex, drugs, alcohol, food, & gambling/spending. I will help you to learn about the roots of your addiction, what underlying thoughts and feelings trigger your addiction and how to manage your life as a recovering person. You are not alone and I am here to help.

I am very experienced in supporting those with addiction or substance use issues, whether you are seeking support with gaining or maintaining abstinence or support to cut down your use, or to better understand your relationship with substances, I can help you. I provide a safe, nonjudgmental place to explore these issues and I will support you wherever you are at in your understanding of your substance use. I also provide treatment for process addictions, such as gambling, and internet/social media addiction. Gaining insight into your relationship with substances or these addictive behaviors and learning to practice skills to maintain change can help you to lead a fuller and happier life.

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.

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.

Addiction can be a powerful force that can quickly take over your life and can lead to many negative consequences. Trying to understand your addiction(s) and the underlying reasons that led you to this way of coping can be the beginning of more control and management of these behaviors. It can be difficult to look at behaviors that have caused harm, hurt and shame. Together we can work through this process and I will support you throughout.

Addiction is a treatable illness. All that is required is that you want to stop using the substance(s). Therapy can help you overcome your addiction. Not all people fit into the AA model, although all people could benefit from the support. Even without the 12 steps, I can help you think about your cravings and your triggers so we make a plan to help you stop using - and stay stopped.

Most of the clients I see in my job as Mental Health Clinician for Solano County have a diagnosis that includes substance abuse. I believe that substance abuse can be overcome through various behavioral and psychotherapeutic approaches and I readily apply these techiques to my treatment plan. I also rely on the assistance of outside groups such as Alcoholics Anonoymous and NA. Sexual addiction is an area of importance in our society and I can work with people who are preoccupied with self-destructive sexual behavior, too.

Addictions are highly entrenched behavioral patterns that seem to take on a life of their own. I view addictive patterns as ways that parts of ourselves are trying to fill unmet needs, search for comfort, relieve stress/tension and sometimes to express a powerful urge to be independent or defiant. In addition to encouraging group supports such as AA/NA, I use body awareness to help us identify triggers and to allow them to act out/ express themselves in sessions. This lessens the likelihood that they will be acted in the world- and fills in the unmet needs. I also teach ways of grounding in our body, and holding a strong stance, so that we can contain the urges when they arise.