“The family has a central role to play in the treatment of any health problem, including substance abuse. Family work has become a strong and continuing theme of many treatment approaches, but family therapy is not used to its greatest capacity in substance abuse treatment. A primary challenge remains the broadening of the substance abuse...Read More

Seeing a loved one overcome their addiction and finally lead a healthy and productive life is a dream come true, isn’t it? You’ve fought the uphill battle of addiction right alongside them…maybe by refusing to give them money for drugs or alcohol. Maybe you held your ground when they lashed out at you in anger....Read More

Have you ever heard of “Ayahuasca?” You may have already…it’s a popular search term here in Northern California. Also known as “Yage,” it’s a uniquely powerful hallucinogen. So powerful that some insist it’s a priceless medicine, not any sort of drug. However, that perception masks the very real risks of the substance. What does ayahuasca...Read More

We’ve heard it for decades. “Don’t smoke while pregnant! It’s dangerous for the baby!” But they mean smoking cigarettes. What about marijuana? It’s said to help curb morning sickness. As well as the aches & pains that come with pregnancy. If it helps the mother with all those, it can’t be all bad, can it?...Read More

We’ve all seen a movie or TV show documenting someone’s spiral into addiction. Losing things on the way down—jobs, friends, significant others, their health, and of course, money. But addiction costs more than that; it also has other, less visible costs. Some are temporary, like the friend who left months prior reappearing to help you...Read More

Early Prevention and Detection are Key to Combating Teen Addiction Just about every teen spends time on social media these days. It’s mostly harmless…but there’s a disturbing parallel to social media use. Teens who spend a lot of time on social media are much more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol. How much more? 5...Read More