Addiction Therapy

Addiction, whether to substances or behaviors, can feel like being trapped in a cycle you desperately want to break but can't seem to escape. At Hasbrook Therapy, we understand that addiction isn't a moral failing or a lack of willpower. It's a complex condition that often develops as a way to cope with pain, trauma, or overwhelming emotions. We provide compassionate, evidence-based treatment that addresses not just the addictive behavior, but the underlying wounds driving it.

Understanding Addiction

We work with clients struggling with both substance addictions (alcohol, drugs, prescription medications) and behavioral addictions (gambling, gaming, pornography, shopping, eating disorders, or other compulsive behaviors). While the specific addiction varies, the core experience is similar: a behavior that once provided relief or pleasure has become destructive, yet feels impossible to stop.

Addiction affects every area of life. It damages relationships, impacts work or school performance, compromises physical health, and creates a cycle of shame and secrecy. Many people with addiction have tried to quit on their own multiple times, only to relapse and feel even more hopeless. If this describes your experience, you're not alone, and there is hope.

Our Approach to Addiction Treatment

At Hasbrook Therapy, we take a trauma-informed, holistic approach to addiction recovery. Research shows that most addiction has roots in unresolved trauma, chronic stress, or attempts to manage painful emotions. Simply stopping the addictive behavior without addressing these underlying issues rarely leads to lasting recovery.

We utilize Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which recognizes that addiction serves a purpose in your internal system—usually protection from overwhelming feelings or experiences. Rather than fighting against the addicted part of yourself, we help you understand what it's trying to protect you from. As we address the underlying pain and help you develop healthier coping strategies, the addictive behavior naturally loses its grip.

For clients with trauma histories, we offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to process traumatic memories that may fuel addictive patterns. Many people turn to substances or compulsive behaviors to numb trauma-related emotions or escape intrusive thoughts. EMDR helps your brain reprocess these memories so they no longer carry the same emotional weight.

We also incorporate somatic therapy and mindfulness approaches that help you develop body awareness, tolerate uncomfortable emotions without turning to addictive behaviors, and reconnect with your authentic self beneath the addiction.

What Recovery Looks Like

Recovery isn't just about abstinence, it's about building a life you don't need to escape from. In our work together, we'll focus on understanding the function your addiction serves, healing the underlying pain or trauma, developing healthy coping mechanisms, rebuilding damaged relationships, processing shame and self-judgment, and creating meaning and purpose beyond addiction.

We work collaboratively with other treatment providers as needed, including psychiatrists for medication management, residential treatment programs, support groups like AA or NA, and medical professionals managing physical aspects of withdrawal or recovery.

Individual vs. Group Support

While we provide individual therapy for addiction, we strongly encourage participation in peer support groups (12-step programs, SMART Recovery, or other recovery communities) alongside our work. Individual therapy addresses the deeper psychological and trauma-related roots of addiction, while group support provides ongoing accountability, community, and shared wisdom from others in recovery.

Is It Too Late?

No matter how long you've struggled or how many times you've relapsed, it's not too late. Recovery is possible at any stage of addiction. We've worked with clients who are considering making a change, those in early recovery, and those managing long-term sobriety. Wherever you are in your journey, we can help.

If addiction has affected your family, we also offer family therapy to heal relationships and help loved ones understand addiction as a disease rather than a choice.

Located in Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano, serving all of Orange County.