Addiction Counseling in Orange County CA

Addiction can quietly take over your life. You may find yourself hiding how much you use, feeling ashamed after you act out, or promising to cut back and then slipping into the same pattern again. Relationships, work, and self-respect all begin to suffer.

Do you feel like addiction has taken over your life, affecting your relationships, work, and self-worth?

Addiction is not just about substances or behaviors. It is about how you have learned to survive pain, stress, trauma, and unmet needs. Over time, what started as a way to cope can begin to control you instead.

You might recognize yourself in some of these experiences:

Using drugs or alcohol more often or in larger amounts than you planned
Hiding or minimizing your use from people close to you
Feeling out of control with gambling, sex, pornography, or relationships
Struggling with shame, anxiety, or depression tied to your behavior
Wanting to stop or cut back but not knowing how

You are not weak or broken. Addiction counseling gives you a place to look at what is really happening without judgment and to take practical steps toward change.

Counseling for drug and alcohol addiction in Orange County

Drug and alcohol addiction is a chronic condition that affects your brain, body, and relationships. For some people in Orange County, treatment begins in residential or intensive outpatient programs. For others, weekly counseling is the first and most realistic step.

I often work with people who are:

In early recovery after residential or outpatient treatment and need ongoing aftercare
Not able to attend rehab but ready to take their use seriously in therapy
Unsure whether their drinking or substance use “counts” as addiction and want an honest place to explore it

Together we will:

Clarify the role substances play in your life and what you are trying to manage or escape
Identify triggers, high-risk situations, and warning signs for relapse
Develop practical strategies for staying sober or reducing harm
Address underlying mental health issues such as trauma, anxiety, or depression
Connect you with appropriate support groups (AA, NA, PA, SMART Recovery, Refuge Recovery and others) if that fits your path

My approach to addiction counseling in Orange County is compassionate and direct. I am not here to shame you. I am here to help you see your patterns clearly and support you in making changes that actually work in your real life.

Trauma, mental health, and EMDR

Many people living with addiction also carry unhealed trauma, grief, or ongoing mental health challenges. These experiences often drive the urge to numb out or escape.

In addition to talk therapy, I use approaches such as CBT, Narrative Therapy, and Contingency Management. When there is sufficient stability in your recovery, we may also consider EMDR therapy in Orange County to address trauma that continues to fuel addictive patterns.

We will decide together, at the right time, whether EMDR is appropriate. It is not something to rush into, and it is not a replacement for building a solid recovery foundation.

Disordered drinking and “gray area” alcohol use

Many people struggle with disordered drinking that does not look like the stereotype of “alcoholism.” You might be highly functioning, doing well professionally, and still rely on alcohol to get through stress, social events, or difficult emotions.

You may notice that:

You drink more than you intend to on a regular basis
You feel anxious about cutting back or “needing” a drink to relax
You tell yourself it is not a problem because you have not hit a dramatic “rock bottom”

In counseling we take a harm reduction and curious, non-shaming approach. With mindfulness, education, and honest reflection, you can begin to:

Understand how alcohol affects your body, mood, and decisions
Experiment with new boundaries around when, how, and why you drink
Develop other ways to regulate emotions and manage stress
Practice real self-care instead of using alcohol as your only coping tool

This work is about changing your relationship with alcohol, not about forcing you into a label before you are ready.

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Let’s take the first step together. Call so we can schedule a consultation.

The road to recovery

The relationship you form with your therapist is one of the most important parts of healing. My mission is to create an atmosphere of non-judgment, compassion, and clear feedback so that you can look at your life honestly and still feel respected.

Recovery rarely moves in a straight line. There may be setbacks, ambivalence, or moments when you are tempted to give up. Therapy is a place to talk about all of that openly, learn from it, and keep moving toward a life that feels more like you.

Addiction counseling in Los Alamitos and Costa Mesa

I provide addiction counseling in Orange County by appointment at both of my offices:

Los Alamitos Office: 5212 Katella Avenue Ste 103B, Los Alamitos, CA 90720
Costa Mesa Office: 3001 Red Hill Ave #216, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Clients come from nearby communities such as Irvine, Orange, Tustin, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Anaheim, and Newport Beach. Online sessions are also available within California.

You do not have to figure this out alone

If part of you wants help and part of you wants to stay the same, that is exactly the kind of conflict we can work with. You do not need to be “ready forever” to start. You only need to be ready to have an honest conversation.

Let’s take the first step together. Call (714) 388-6457 so we can schedule a consultation and see whether addiction counseling with me is a good fit for you.

From my offices in Los Alamitos and Costa Mesa, I offer addiction counseling and recovery-focused therapy in Orange County, CA and online across California.