Addiction Therapy in Los Angeles

Recovery doesn't look the same for everyone.

Deciding to seek therapy for substance use isn't always straightforward. Some people come in knowing they want to stop using completely. Others aren't sure they're ready for abstinence, but they know their relationship with alcohol or drugs isn't where they want it to be. Some have been in recovery for years and are trying to understand the anxiety, trauma, or relationship patterns that continue to show up long after they've stopped using.

There isn't one story that brings people into addiction therapy, and I don't believe there should be one path through it. One of the things I appreciate most about this work is getting to know the person beyond the substance. While alcohol or drugs may be the reason someone reaches out, they're rarely the whole story. Often, they're one way of coping with emotional pain, trauma, anxiety, shame, grief, loneliness, or experiences that have felt too overwhelming to carry alone.

Rather than assuming what recovery should look like for you, I want to understand what you're hoping will be different.

My approach to addiction therapy

Before becoming a therapist, I spent years working in addiction treatment, and substance use continues to be one of the areas I'm most passionate about. Over the years, I've worked with people at many different stages of recovery. Some were entering treatment for the first time. Others had years of sobriety and were navigating relapse, rebuilding relationships, or learning who they were without substances. I've also worked with people who weren't interested in abstinence but wanted to reduce the impact substances were having on their lives.

Some people thrive within an abstinence-based model. For others, a harm reduction approach creates enough safety and flexibility that meaningful change becomes possible. My role isn't to decide which path you should choose before getting to know you. It's to help you explore your goals, understand your relationship with substances, and determine what recovery means in the context of your own values and life.

Abstinence and harm reduction

One question I hear fairly often is whether I practice from an abstinence-based perspective or a harm reduction perspective. The answer I give is that I work with both. For some clients, complete abstinence feels like the safest and healthiest choice. Together we might focus on relapse prevention, emotional regulation, rebuilding trust, creating structure, and developing a life that supports long-term recovery.

For others, therapy begins from a different place. Maybe you're questioning your substance use but aren't ready to stop completely. Maybe you've had difficult experiences in treatment that left you feeling judged or misunderstood. Maybe you're curious about changing your relationship with substances but want a space where you can be honest without worrying that you'll be told what to do. In those situations, I often use a harm reduction approach. That means we become curious about the role substances are playing in your life, explore what needs they're meeting, identify ways to reduce risk, and work toward goals that feel realistic and meaningful to you.

I don't believe people make lasting changes because someone else tells them they should. I believe change is more sustainable when it grows out of self-understanding and autonomy. It is important to build a therapeutic relationship where you don't have to hide parts of your experience.

Looking beyond the substance

One of the reasons I enjoy addiction work is because I rarely see substance use in isolation. Many of the people I work with are also living with anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, perfectionism, relationship challenges, or experiences of shame that long predate their substance use. Sometimes alcohol or drugs become a way to quiet an overactive mind, or help someone feel more confident socially. Sometimes they numb painful memories. Often, they've simply become the way a person has learned to cope.

While reducing substance use may be one goal of therapy, I'm equally interested in helping you understand what made those coping strategies necessary in the first place. As we develop healthier ways of responding to difficult emotions and experiences, many people find that their relationship with substances begins to change naturally.

An integrative approach

Every person who walks into my office brings a different history, different strengths, and different goals. That's one of the reasons I practice integrative psychotherapy.

Depending on your needs, our work may incorporate psychodynamic therapy to explore longstanding patterns, CBT to identify unhelpful thinking patterns, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to build psychological flexibility, mindfulness and somatic interventions to strengthen emotional regulation, or EMDR when trauma continues to play a significant role in recovery. I don't begin with the question, "Which therapy model should I use?", I start by asking "What does this person need right now?"

Therapy with me

If you're worried about being judged, you're not alone. Many people have had experiences where they felt shamed for their substance use or pressured into a treatment approach that didn't feel right for them. That's not how I work.

I believe honesty grows in environments where people feel safe enough to tell the truth (even when that truth is messy). I'll ask questions, offer observations, challenge you when it feels clinically appropriate, and celebrate the progress you're making.

Addiction Therapy in Studio City, Santa Monica, and throughout Los Angeles

I provide addiction therapy, substance use counseling, and recovery support for adults and adolescents in Studio City and Santa Monica, serving clients throughout Sherman Oaks, Encino, Valley Village, Toluca Lake, North Hollywood, Burbank, Brentwood, West Los Angeles, Mar Vista, Venice, Culver City, Marina del Rey, and surrounding communities. I also offer virtual therapy throughout California.

Whether your goal is abstinence, moderation, harm reduction, or simply understanding your relationship with substances, therapy can provide a place to explore those questions without judgment and at a pace that feels right for you.