Substance Use Therapists in Poway, CA

Hello! I'm Michele and I'm very glad to meet you. I am a licensed social worker specializing in substance use disorders, psychiatric/mental health disorders, and the treatment and recovery process. Together we will walk the road toward your recovery, health, and healing. I believe in You! With each session, my hope is that you will leave with less turmoil, fear, and hurt; and more understanding, motivation, and hope than you entered with.

I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 18 years of experience treating people with relationship, stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, adjustment, and substance use difficulties, and who would like better tools to reach their goals and improve their lives. I use a combination of cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness, and supportive therapy to give individuals, couples, and families better ability to enhance healing, growth, and connection. Our thinking impacts our feelings, and our feelings impact our behavior.

I provide nurturing, compassionate and supportive therapy to individuals, families, including military personnel. I work with adolescents and adults dealing with anxiety, depression, life transitions, trauma, issues of self-worth, substance use, grief, loss, and self-harm. I recently ran an intensive outpatient program for people with acute mental health issues in a hospital based environment, and enjoy working with this population as well.

With a warm and empathetic approach, my hopes are to create a safe and non-judgmental space for you to explore underlying causes of addiction. Together we will create personalized coping strategies for a healthy tomorrow. My passion lies with teens and young adults who struggle with substance use as I relate to this population on a deep level.

You may not feel it or believe it right now, but you truly are the expert in your own life. Are you a parent worried about your child, or stressed and overwhelmed in relationships, not feeling like yourself, juggling it all and trying to keep it together? I’m here to help. My professional experience is based on over 15 years of working with individuals and families suffering from anxiety, substance use, grief, loss, depression, and trauma. I’ve dedicated my life and career to helping people navigate strenuous life situations while showing them that there is hope and a solution for everything.

I am a Licensed Psychologist in LA, CA. I believe therapy is not a sign that something is deeply wrong with you personally, but sometimes we reach a stuck point (emotionally or mentally) and we do not know why, therapy helps uncover those stuck points to get you back on track. I have a deep interest in helping individuals gain perspective and other tools to navigate life's challenges, I focus on the doing the mental and heart work to ensure you are equipped to live at your highest potential.I utilize an eclectic approach therapy that allows me to draw from various forms of treatment to fit the needs of each individual.

Each of us has a unique purpose to live in this world and through varied experiences we become disconnected from this inspiration. I'm dedicated to helping my clients rediscover their sense of self and guiding them towards a path of healing and resilience. In sessions we will join together so that you can reconnect to your purpose and live in an embodied way. I specialize in working with families, couples, and individuals who have been impacted by severe mental illness, substance use, intergenerational trauma, grief, identity confusion, disappointment, and feelings of powerlessness.

I like working with individuals, couples, or families who are motivated to examine patterns in their thinking or behavior for positive change. I enjoy working in a collaborative manner where there is an active exchange and where my client is open to feeling some discomfort for change - no pain/no gain. I believe that we are all capable of change through insight and that our upbringing can result in both good and bad habits that are flexible as long as we are conscious. I enjoy bringing in spirituality/meaning of life discussions to further my clients self awareness and growth.

Addiction is not a problem to be fixed, but rather a person. I have worked with many people with various addictions and realize that addressing one problem from one perspective is not enough. I specialize in getting to know a person first and then helping that person heal from past hurts, learn skills for problem-solving, improve communication, build strong relationships, practice ways to manage strong emotions, learn to slow down and change their harmful or intrusive thoughts, draw from their faith for strength, develop strong support systems, and with all this, hope of long-term recovery can become reality.

Even in the best of times, anxiety and depression can take away from the joy of life that we all deserve. In times of struggle and transition, loneliness and confusion are natural responses to changing tides. My goal in entering into a therapeutic relationship with you is to support you through the ebbs and flows of life by-focusing on alleviating depression, anxiety, relationship stress, low self-esteem, and other issues that get in the way of a fulfilling life. Well-being is the natural state of existence and I can assist you accessing the potential goodness that you have within you. Life can be different!

I am an LCSW therapist located in Poway California. I specialize in EMDR therapy, PTSD, domestic violence, children's play therapy, grief and loss issues and self esteem building. I see individuals, couples, families and have group therapy sessions. I am committed to helping individuals, couples and families develop the relationships they desire among other people and themselves. My office is a safe place to begin the process of change and help people learn the tools needed in order to make the desired changes.

My work is based on the belief that by working together, we can improve the quality of your life. Many of my clients are in stressful life situations that have caused them to turn to such destructive behaviors as misuse of alcohol and drugs, over-eating, or over-working. Many haven't learned how to communicate in a way that promotes satisfying relationships. Within a safe, non-judgmental environment where you are truly listened to, we'll work together to help you understand how some of your behaviors and thoughts may not be serving you well.

Understanding ourselves and our lives can be difficult. On the one hand, we may be prone to a sea of critical internal or external voices which make self-examination torturous. On the other, well-meaning people in our lives may be so eager to validate us that we are never quite able to face ourselves honestly. So, counseling is essentially about receiving the support to work creatively with all of this noise long enough to allow change to happen in and through you. The only way to do this to let someone get to know the real you. If we can do that, therapy can be a deeply authentic, radically human, even life-changing encounter!

My background was in the creative arts, and I use that often in my relationships with clients. My concentration is on neural-plasticity (which is basically the science of how the brain can change old thinking patterns with practice.) I think the combination of creativity and science makes for good therapy, while warmth and humor make for a great relationship. Initially, I work with depression and anxiety, generally taking a "family systems" approach. In other words, how your upbringing and early experiences impact your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors today.

As a Marriage/Family therapist and Educational Psychologist I assist individuals, families, couples and children overcome difficulties and begin the process of change in a safe, supportive environment. I specialize in Behavioral Issues, PTSD, relationships, parenting, effective communication, grief and loss, ADHD and Life Transitions. I help the whole person within their family, social environment and community. As a therapist and person I am committed to helping my clients create their journey through life in a positive, affirming manner.

My passion is to help families, marriages and individuals know personal and relational healing. I believe that we all have unique life experiences that shape who we are and how we connect with others. Sometimes these experiences do not foster compassion or the ability to connect with those you love in the way in which you desire. I understand this; it is part of my story, too! I hope to join you in the process of healing to not go it alone.

Things in life aren't going how you want? Are you stressed all the time? Maybe you feel sad, mad, or lost, and others don't understand. Sometimes life looks okay from the outside, but it doesn't feel that way. Has your relationship changed and you're not sure how to fix it? I'm here to help! Let's look at what you want, what you need, and how we can work together to help you move toward making your life satisfying. I enjoy helping people work toward making their lives more content, more fulfilling, and characterized by happier relationships. Feel free to reach out for a consultation to see if I seem like a good fit.

Hello, my name is Mark Dominguez, LMFT. I treat a wide range of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, addiction, and relationship issues. I use a person-centered approach, which is about providing a space for both of us to get to know each other in a genuine and holistic way. I also employ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. My approach to therapy is to form a relationship that is both positive and restorative. I served several years in the military, and I have worked with families in the foster care system, so I know how difficult trauma can be for us all.

My name is Marianna Aguilar, and I'm a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist 139892. My goal as a therapist is to help my clients learn how to improve their daily functioning and overall quality of life. I enjoy working with individuals, adolescents, couples, and families. My areas of focus are trauma, depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and everyday life stressors.