Dr Joanne Barge Offers Los Angeles Outpatient & Individualized Addiction Therapy

Jan. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- Dr. Joanne Barge, a licensed psychologist in the Los Angeles metro area, is APA (American Psychological Association) certified in the treatment of substance abuse. She is now available to help you create your personal individualized plan to help you detox, sort out relationship issues, and create a healthy environment for yourself, all without the cost and loss of privacy associated with inpatient therapy.

Because addictions are often associated with other mental health problems and/or environmental issues that can trigger dependence on addictive substances such as alcohol and drugs, inpatient rehabilitation has become the norm for treatment. The underlying logic for inpatient treatment was the need to take the patient away from the environment that created, supported or contributed to the problem(s). In recent years, the media has fed the idea that it is the only way to get treated.

Inpatient rehabilitation is expensive and requires an extended time commitment away from home and work. Because of the expense and reality that Insurance companies will not always cover this type of treatment, many of these inpatient facilities have shut down.

In addition to the prohibitive expense and time requirement of inpatient rehab, there is often a stigma attached. Many addicts cannot afford the time away from work or family, and also would prefer to keep their problem quiet.

Fortunately, outpatient programs work just as well for most people, especially when an individual is able to work with a specialist who, after careful evaluation, tailors a plan specifically for his or her issues. Most people do not have to go to a detoxification facility either. There are now medications that help the average person detox in the safety and privacy of their own home.

Dr. Barge has been quoted as saying "Rehab is often not a necessity but a luxury." Many people were helped before the in-patient movement began.
In the Los Angeles metropolitan area, she is just a phone call away from the help you might need for an addiction. Her outpatient addiction therapy will follow a very similar course of treatment to what is offered to an inpatient. She will guide you through the detox process, will suggest that you attend group sessions for support, and if married or in a relationship, will work with you and your family in relationship counseling. As a psychologist, she will help you to identify the triggers and problems that contributed to your addiction in the first place.

If you need help now, call Dr Barge at (310) 472-1399 or email at drjbarge@gmail.com. She can help you create a healthy environment for yourself that will foster your new independence from substance abuse at a lower cost, and in the privacy of your own home.

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Dr. Barge is a licensed psychologist, a licensed marriage and family therapist and APA Certified in the treatment of substance abuse. Her philosophy regarding treating patients is "It is really a joy to be a part of the process of discovery, new found freedom and finding solutions and happiness."