Alcohol Use Therapists in California

Hello, I am Susie VanDyke, and I love working with PTSD, trauma, alcohol use, and substance use issues. I especially enjoy working with veterans, first responders, their families, and anyone going through difficult times. I graduated with a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2008 and have over fifteen years of experience in various mental health and hospital settings, with a concentration in military and first responders. I love helping people improve their lives and want them to feel better as quickly as possible. I enjoy helping people who are feeling hopeless about their situations because of tough circumstances.

My name is Lara Curry. I'm a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I've helped people struggling with anxiety, depression, alcohol use, relationship issues, and relapse prevention. I employ EMDR, Family Systems, Psychodynamic, Trauma-focused, and Solution-focused brief therapy modalities. I assume anyone seeking psychotherapy genuinely desires to help sort out the difficulties in their lives. I try to work as a co-investigator to understand the issues and help explain how they evolved and how to resolve them in an informal, caring partnership with my clients.

I am a licensed clinical social worker in a private practice in San Francisco. My psychotherapy practice is primarily focused on helping people who are struggling with the effects of trauma, relationship stress, depression, anxiety, substance use and addiction. I have expertise in working with people who have a current or past history with drug & alcohol use and recognize that substance use may result from different psychological, social and biological factors that are unique to each person.

If you were to put together a list of the most important people in your life, who would be on your list? We all live in relationships and when we are not in harmony with them this can cause anxiety, sadness, confusion, low self esteem and worth. Our core relationship is with our self. I invite you to take the journey inward, to explore, and learn how to bring out your greatest potential.

Are you feeling stuck or desperate? Do you feel like there is something blocking you from moving forward in life? My hope is that clients leave therapy knowing their strengths and having the tools to tackle future challenges. Whether that is to empower them to find new solutions to old problems, a better way of managing their anxiety or depression; or a whole new way of being in relationships. We all need to feel empowered in our own lives but often find road blocks that keep us from reaching our potential.

Your growth as a person comes from a non-judgmental environment, where you are free to be yourself. My goal will be to have an unbiased viewpoint to help you navigate your life changes, trauma, and daily stressors. You deserve to be met where you are rather than forcing changes you may not be ready for. Creating an open and trusting environment is what I strive to create for my clients to grow to their fullest potential, while making therapy an enjoyable process! I love to joke around with my clients as I believe humor can relieve the tension and discomfort that can come with the therapy process.

Life can be difficult, and we all find ourselves at times struggling with difficult thoughts and feelings. Past traumas or current stressors can leave us feeling anxious, depressed, or disconnected from ourselves and others. As a psychotherapist, I provide a compassionate, safe, and non-judgmental space for clients to explore with curiosity their feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and how they serve them and where they would like to bring in change.

Living with intense and debilitating feelings may leave you with a sense of overwhelm, hopelessness, and anger. You may have conflicts in your relationships, hold resentments, or try your best to manage with unsuccessful ways of coping. Do you have a hard time feeling safe or heard in your relationships, or trusting your intuition? You deserve a safe and supportive relationship to heal the impact of life. I help highly emotional and high conflict persons manage their intense emotional experiences, understand the causes, and learn alternative ways to cope so they can navigate life and relationships with greater satisfaction.

I love helping adults from all stages and walks of life to understand the things that are holding them back in order to find ways through them. After recognizing underlying barriers, we can work towards fully realizing your strengths and adjusting certain behaviors and thoughts to see things and be yourself in a healthier way. In our first session together, we'll complete an assessment focused on exploring your past and present, current challenges and strengths, and specific problems that you hope to overcome. We'll discuss your specific goals for counseling as well as my recommendations for treatment to move towards those goals.

Imagine what it would be like to have enough space inside to feel anything and be OK with it. To not get thrown around, to not feel like you are sinking or drowning, and to maintain your balance when things get tough. To be calm when you normally would get angry. To find moments of joy when it seems like everything is negative. While it may not feel like it right now, change is possible. You can do something about your feelings of anxiety or depression, drug or alcohol use, OCD, eating disorders, etc.

Does your child have really BIG feelings? Do they worry constantly? Are you seeing more tantrums or anger? Maybe you're going through a divorce or a recent traumatic event & want some extra support for your child. What about your teen? Are you noticing changes in their behavior or mood, but unsure of how to connect or help? Are you concerned about drug or alcohol use? Self-harm or school struggles? Have they mentioned thinking about suicide? I’m here to help. If you are worried about your child and are seeking an experienced therapist who specializes in working with kids & adolescents you've come to the right place!

Is there something stopping you from living a fulfilling and valued life? You likely have some thoughts about what these barriers (something’s) are, and yet, navigating around them has been to no avail. Powerful emotional experiences, and or, old behavioral patterns can be unrelenting, new ones can be scary, or appear too far off in the distance to effect meaningful change, and still you are motivated to try something new such that value, meaning, or an improvement in your quality of life is returned.

Something doesn't feel right, but you can’t quite figure it out. Or, you know exactly what you'd like to change, but you're not sure how to get there. You feel exhausted, overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, burnt out, sad, or lost. You feel like you're having the same issues happen over and over with people you care about. You're not alone in feeling hopeless, I believe “the answers” already lie within you and I'm here to help you find them. With a little help and exploration, we can all create meaningful change in our lives.

"I see things differently." I see you fully able to achieve your goals. I see you as one who likely needs a non-judgmental place to talk about things: your future goals, how drug/alcohol use, etc fits w/that future, & how you see yourself getting there: abstinence, sober curious. moderation. I'm a collaborator, one who's committed to listening deeply & providing a space to talk about anything, for individuals/families/all. I am not a therapist; my main focus is on today & tomorrow though we may visit the past. And I follow the science of change & addiction; it shows there's no one way to recover/change & that's great news!

Struggling with addiction & feel rehab isn’t an option? Want to adjust your relationship with a substance instead of being told you must quit? Leaving your family, job, school or responsibilities for an extended period of time is not always needed to get yourself healthy & on track. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, I know the challenges of this lifestyle. Being caught in the cycle of addiction is hard...feelings of anxiety, guilt, & shame. You may have tried cutting back or stopping on your own, only to find yourself engaging in the same unhelpful pattern. I specialize in moderation & abstinence based approaches.

Dr. Suzanne Graupner Pike is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified gambling counselor. She has been a Universapsychologist since 1981. Dr. Pike received her BA in psychology and sociology from the University Evansville, her MA in clinical psychology from Ball State University, and her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Temple University. Her professional experience includes private practice and providing direct treatment services to out-patience mental health and addiction treatment programs.

Since each client is unique, my therapy approach is designed just for you and your specific needs. Research has shown a correlation between Mental Health and Physical Health, so an approach addressing both could lead to the ultimate therapeutic results. A holistic approach will best serve you in dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, and emotional relationship issues. This is what I specifically do.

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) graduating cum laude from California State University, Fullerton with a Masters Degree in Counselling and a BA in Psychology. I am the Clinical Director and C.O.O. at California Behavioral Health in Palm Springs where I have developed the Clinical Program utilizing all Master Level Therapists who work with our residents. The program is founded on evidence-based treatments such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies which focus on the uniqueness of every client who is using substances to cope with deeper issues.

My career in the helping professions started in 1997 at a residential program in San Francisco working with adults with substance use issues and co-occurring mental health disorders. This launched a long road of determination to attain a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work in 2008 and then a Master’s in Social Work in 2010. I obtained my Clinical License in 2015. Throughout my educational years and afterward, I worked with many different populations such as children, teens, TAY, former foster youth, homeless youth, adults with mental illness, homeless adults, and those arrested for alcohol and/or drug related offenses.