Addiction Recovery Therapy in Orange County, California

Addiction can involve substances, but it can also show up in compulsive behaviors, anything that temporarily shifts your internal state and then leaves you with more consequences. The common thread is usually relief followed by regret, and a nervous system that doesn’t feel steady without the pattern.

• Alcohol or substance use that feels difficult to control
• Using to manage anxiety, numbness, grief, anger, or trauma responses
• Cycles of bingeing, restricting, or compulsive eating behaviors
• Compulsive sexual behavior or pornography use
• Gambling, shopping, or other impulse-driven patterns
• Chronic relapse cycles or a sense of “I always end up back here”
• Relationship strain, secrecy, or loss of trust connected to use
• Shame, self-criticism, and feeling disconnected from your values

If the pattern is tied to trauma, dissociation, or hypervigilance, trauma-focused work may also be part of the path. You can learn more about that lens here: Trauma & PTSD Therapy.

Many people have tried to “white-knuckle” their way through recovery, only to feel like they failed when the nervous system eventually overwhelms. In this work, we slow down and get curious about triggers, protective parts, and the underlying emotional load the behavior has been carrying.

I integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS) to work with the part of you that uses, the part that judges, and the part that’s trying to survive. Somatic work helps you notice the body cues that come before craving or impulse. And CBT can support practical shifts: thought loops, risk situations, and relapse-prevention planning.

If your recovery intersects with anxiety or mood symptoms, we can also address those directly: Anxiety Therapy and Depression Counseling.

Recovery is not just stopping a behavior. It's building a life your system can actually tolerate being present for. In therapy, we focus on skills, insight, and emotional repair that support long-term stability.

• Identifying triggers and the nervous-system states that drive use
• Reducing shame and building self-compassion without minimizing impact
• Developing realistic coping strategies for stress, grief, and conflict
• Strengthening boundaries and repairing relational patterns
• Relapse-prevention planning and early-warning signal tracking
• Rebuilding routines, motivation, and follow-through
• Clarifying values and creating a steadier sense of direction (see Intentional Living Coaching)

I work with adults and teens who are navigating substance use, compulsive patterns, or recovery. Some clients are actively using and unsure what they want yet. Others are sober but feel emotionally raw, anxious, or stuck in shame. Therapy meets you where you are, without forcing a label.

• Adults seeking support for alcohol, substance use, or compulsive behaviors
• Teens and young adults navigating experimentation, dependency, or high-risk patterns
• Clients in early recovery who feel flooded, fragile, or emotionally exposed
• Those returning after relapse who want to rebuild without shame
• People healing the relational impact of addiction (adjunct support may include Family Therapy or Couples Counseling)

Sessions are a mix of practical support and deeper pattern work. We’ll clarify what you want from recovery, what situations increase risk, and what your nervous system does under stress. We’ll also build a plan for the moments when the impulse hits, because that's where change has to be usable.

If you're also working with a physician, psychiatrist, treatment center, or a recovery program, therapy can be a complementary layer of support. SAMHSA offers additional resources for finding treatment and understanding recovery. In therapy, the focus is on helping you integrate insight, emotional repair, and relapse-prevention strategies over time.

Addiction recovery therapy is available in-person in Mission Viejo. Clients often come from Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, and Aliso Viejo.

For clients outside Orange County, or for those who prefer privacy and consistency, online therapy is available anywhere in California through secure telehealth.

• Private pay practice
• Superbills available for out-of-network reimbursement
• Free 15-minute phone consultation

If you're considering change but feel unsure, or you're tired of starting over, a free 15-minute phone consultation is available. We can talk about what’s happening, what you’ve tried, and what kind of support would be most stabilizing from here.

If you are in immediate danger or need urgent support, please contact 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you need crisis support, you can also call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.