Twelve step and its alternatives
12step.org and CoDA list meetings by area. If the twelve-step frame isn't for you, SMART Recovery takes a different approach.
Where Else to Look
There is plenty I do not do, and some of it needs a particular kind of clinician or program. This page is here so that a no from me is not the end of your search.
This is not an endorsement of anyone. I'm not paid for sending people here and nobody pays to be on the page. Licenses and programs change.
If You Need Someone Right Now
Call or text 988. It's the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, it's free, and it's answered around the clock. If someone is in immediate physical danger, call 911 instead.
Where I'd Send You
Medication and psychiatry. I do not prescribe. That is a psychiatrist’s work. WellPsyche is in network with most major plans apart from Medi-Cal. Brain Health USA is another option. Ask them which insurance they take.
OCD. General talk therapy can make OCD worse. It needs exposure and response prevention from someone trained in it. NOCD offers that treatment. Ask them which insurance they take. The International OCD Foundation keeps a directory of trained clinicians.
Psychological testing. Formal testing is a different license from mine. JNK Assessments, on the Westside, does psychoeducational and forensic evaluations.
Eating disorders and nutrition. This work usually needs a team, including a registered dietitian alongside a therapist. Joyful Therapy Group runs a virtual intensive outpatient program and free support groups. The National Eating Disorders Association can help you find the rest of the team.
When someone is hurting you. Couples work is not safe while violence is still happening, so this comes first. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is free and answered around the clock, by phone, text and chat. Peace Over Violence runs a Los Angeles hotline, with counseling and legal advocacy.
Higher levels of care. When weekly therapy is not enough, the next step up is an intensive outpatient or residential program. Canyon Santa Monica runs an in-person IOP. Resolutions, in Santa Monica, offers in-person and virtual.
If Cost Is the Deciding Factor
I do not take insurance, and for a lot of people that settles it. It isn't a reason to stop looking.
El Centro de Amistad has offices in Canoga Park and San Fernando and takes most insurance, including Medi-Cal. Your own plan's directory is the other place to start, and it will show you who is in network near you. Many group practices keep associates and interns who see people at a lower fee while they build hours toward licensure. That is a good option, not a lesser one.
Groups and Recovery
Finding a therapy group
The Group List is a long-running directory of therapy groups across Los Angeles, organized by what each one is for.
Cancer, for patients and families
Cancer Support Community runs free groups, counseling, yoga and mindfulness, and it includes the people caring for someone as well as the patient.
Veterans and military families
Operation MEND at UCLA treats PTSD and anxiety by telehealth and accepts TriWest and TriCare.
Therapy in Spanish
Doing this work in your second language is harder than people expect, and there is no reason to. True Living Therapy Center has Spanish-speaking clinicians, and El Centro de Amistad above is a bilingual community practice in the Valley.
Still Not Sure?
Call me anyway
If you're not certain which of these you need, a short phone call will usually sort it out, and it costs you nothing. I'd rather spend fifteen minutes pointing you somewhere useful than have you give up on the search.
Call or text
(310) 692-4114