Photo of Taylor J Smith, Marriage & Family Therapist in 94025, CA
Taylor J Smith
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
Menlo Park, CA 94025
As a therapist, I want to work with people to help them to get unstuck. There are a lot of different ways one can be stuck, physically (pain), emotionally, socially, professionally, with a substance and many others. Like spinning your tires when stuck in the mud. It is the wrong thing to do, but it is the easiest thing to try when you are alone. Getting unstuck most times requires some help. That is where therapy can come in handy. Please contact me for a brief consultation to see if I can be the right person to help you.
As a therapist, I want to work with people to help them to get unstuck. There are a lot of different ways one can be stuck, physically (pain), emotionally, socially, professionally, with a substance and many others. Like spinning your tires when stuck in the mud. It is the wrong thing to do, but it is the easiest thing to try when you are alone. Getting unstuck most times requires some help. That is where therapy can come in handy. Please contact me for a brief consultation to see if I can be the right person to help you.
(650) 727-1966 View (650) 727-1966
Photo of Veronica Calkins, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in 94025, CA
Veronica Calkins
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified Verified
Menlo Park, CA 94025
A Licensed Psychotherapist specializing in trauma, crisis, grief, anxiety, depression, and relationships. Veronica provides an empathetic and caring environment to work through challenges without judgment. Veronica obtained her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Applied Developmental Psychology and Master’s in Social Welfare at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is trained in CBT, DBT, and family and couples therapy. She is also certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and the administration of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Deep-Brain Theta Stimulation.
A Licensed Psychotherapist specializing in trauma, crisis, grief, anxiety, depression, and relationships. Veronica provides an empathetic and caring environment to work through challenges without judgment. Veronica obtained her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Applied Developmental Psychology and Master’s in Social Welfare at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is trained in CBT, DBT, and family and couples therapy. She is also certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and the administration of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Deep-Brain Theta Stimulation.
(562) 268-0957 View (562) 268-0957
Addiction Therapists

What is the best therapy for addiction?

Addiction treatment will be tailored to the individual. People seeking help for addiction—whether with a psychotherapist, in an outpatient clinic, or in a residential program—should expect to engage in multiple types of treatments, sometimes including medication. For anyone recovering from addiction, avoiding situations in which one has typically used a substance is essential, as is the support of close connections. Since substance use disorders tend to co-occur with underlying mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression, those must also be addressed as part of any recovery plan.

How long does therapy for addiction take?

There is no set timeline for recovery from addiction. Patients and their families should expect the work to last several months, if not longer. Residential treatment programs may be based on a stay of 30, 60, or 90 days, with continuing work after release, but only about 1 percent of people are treated in such facilities. Ceasing use is just the first step; therapy to help maintain abstinence and effect behavior change must follow. The process of recovery, neuroscience has shown, involves brain cells recovering the capacity to respond to natural sources of reward and restore control over the impulse to use. Another definition of recovery is restoring voluntary control over one’s substance use and retaking all of one’s previous responsibilities.

How effective is drug addiction treatment?

Substance use disorders are treatable and remission is achievable for many who seek recovery; by some estimates, more than three-quarters of people who become addicted to alcohol or drugs recover. But that success rarely occurs quickly or on a set timeline; relapse is not only common, but many therapists and clinicians view it as a normal part of the process—not always a sign that a person has returned to addiction, but a signal that their treatment should be adjusted to help them regain control. Overall, research suggests, five years after the end of substance use, one’s risk of relapse is no greater than that of others who had not faced addiction. Other experts believe that complete abstinence is not the only measure of recovery, and that, through effective treatment, many people can learn to control their use.

How can you get addiction treatment for someone?

The most important factor in recovery from addiction is widely understood to be an individual’s commitment to change. For that reason,“interventions” in which friends and family gather to urge or force someone to begin immediate treatment often backfire; even when such efforts do lead someone to begin treatment, they may be less likely to stay than those who are self-driven. Still, family members can play an important role in supporting an individual who seeks help and can take part in family therapy as one element of a loved one’s treatment.