“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson. Most people go through life searching for other people to connect with. After all, the need to be with others is not unusual; we are social beings. So why does it seem that some humans thrive being alone? Perplexing, but not when you delve …
Many of us deal with multiple mental health issues. For example, people undergoing addiction treatment may be struggling with co-occurring disorders. Someone with one or more mental health disorders may also need to seek addiction treatment. Substance or alcohol dependence and mental health issues can and do co-exist, more often than not. Fortunately, treatment is …
“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” ~ Hermann Hesse. We all need a retreat, a sanctuary, and that stillness in our lives, if only for a few brief moments a day. Holistic wellness applies to physical and mental health, and we …
We all have relatives and friends who overshare, over-indulge, over-compensate, and overstep our privacy boundaries. Overstepping may sometimes thwart our personal growth and recovery. Nonetheless, we love our friends and family and need them in our lives. Our loved ones can provide encouragement, empathy, and other support when needed. It is essential to remember that …
When a Friend or Loved One Interferes With Your Recovery Read More »
“Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” – Aristotle. Aristotle knew how to spin a thought! And he was so on point. Humans seek happiness; that is what we do. Sadly, some of us must overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles on our journey toward bliss. However, you …
When the Pursuit of Happiness Seems Elusive, Can Therapy Help? Read More »
Are you preoccupied with the thought of your next gambling adventure? Have you spent money on gambling instead of paying your bills? Did you lie about your gambling habits? If so, you may be a compulsive gambler. Some people can do all of those things and still be able to control their gambling the majority …
Earl Wilson once said, “A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking.” There is nothing quite like getting away from it all, is there? You may love, hate, or tolerate your job, but no matter the perspective, getting away is most likely a cherished goal. For good …
Why Vacations Are So Important to Our Well-Being Read More »
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) are trauma disorders. There are similarities and differences between PTSD vs PTSI.
Find out if you may have bipolar disorder with our bipolar disorder self-test. SoCal Mental Health’s guide can help with bipolar disorder education.
We can learn a lot from our seniors. But, of course, some of us are already seniors. We can attest to that firsthand because our grandparents taught kindness, respect, storytelling, empathy, and many other worthwhile lessons at a young age. Today, many of our elderly are cast aside as insignificant and useless. Many are homeless …
The Elderly: Forgotten, Dismissed, and the Associated Mental Health Issues Read More »
A Seattle native, Nick has lived in Southern California for 4 years. Having overcome years of addiction, Nick’s success story and positive outlook on life help inspire others to greatness. He now uses his life experience to aid those battling mental illness and addiction. For Nick, watching others win in life is a great joy. Today, Nick has a passion to maintain his physical and emotional health. An avid gym-goer, snowboarder, and skateboarder, Nick sees every new day as an opportunity to live life to the fullest. Nick practices meditation and chooses to live a life of gratitude and help show others the life that they are capable of living. He utilizes his experience of creating the life he’s always wanted, and executing to help those who are lost find comfort in that they aren’t alone.
Preston Durnford carries an unmatched level of passion and dedication to help others. His commitment to showing others the beauty of life and the depth of their potential allows Preston to become a partner in each client’s life both during and after a client’s stay at SoCal Mental Health. Of course, his ability to inspire greatness in others has come about only after facing his own tribulations. While Preston’s passion for life is truly contagious, his desire to live a beautiful and productive life only came about after he walked away from addiction and the mindset that came with it. After freeing himself from the shackles of addiction, he lost his father to suicide and his brother to a fentanyl overdose. These tribulations were incredibly hard on Preston, but he held strong with his mental health and spirituality during what he calls it, “his precious time on this planet.” Today, he uses his life experience as the fuel in which to help others struggling with mental health and addiction. With now publishing his first book, building multiple other successful businesses, and always living life to the fullest, he empathizes and connects with his clients on a level that not only inspires others to be the creator of their own stories, but to teach others the way to becoming their own best friend. His passion and excitement for helping those struggling continues to inspire those around him.
Hello! My name is Emma Durnford and I am excited to be part of your next journey. Passionate about anything outdoors and travel, I am always looking for my next adventure. I am a licensed skydiver, avid hiker and climber and enjoy learning anything that allows me to grow and face my fears. Being in nature, meditation and yoga have really helped me to stay center and grounded. All of this has been a journey, a discovery of myself. But where I am at today is not where I have always been.
I moved to California from a small town in the Midwest after my parents divorced. With these challenging and abrupt life changes, things started spiraling out of control. As a teenager. I started dating a verbally abusive boyfriend who would hit me, kidnapped me, and introduced me to drugs and violence. I allowed that relationship to damage my self-esteem and self-worth. It was his arrest that woke up me. (I cannot be mad at 17-year-old Emma for not knowing better and have forgiven myself since.) Not too long after, my father, grandfather and new boyfriend passed. Overwhelmed with these losses, I left the country for a year, traveling and working abroad.
Regaining my own peace and claiming my life is something I am proud of. And I would love to share my experience with you. This is why I became a certified life coach, reiki healer, and yoga teacher. Through this process, I learned my strengths and weaknesses, and that knowledge has given me the power to make more healthy choices and healthy relationships. Now, I am engaged to the love of my life and living a healthy, balanced life. Of course, there are struggles, but with the tools I have learned, they don’t knock me down like they did before. And, my own self-discovery will never end. Can’t wait to meet you!
Sarah is an LVN, currently registered with BVNPT licensing board since 2012. Over the last decade she has worked in various nursing specialties including travel nursing for tech companies. The last few years Sarah worked in the substance use disorder and mental health field, where she recognized her passion for mental health nursing. Her goal is to provide exceptional, personalized, and compassionate care, changing the stigma of mental health care one person at a time. Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge to SoCal Mental Health, and attends to each of our client’s with individualized care.
Sarah was born and raised in Seal Beach, California. She knew from a young age that she wanted to help people who were hurting in a myriad of ways, and decided to pursue nursing school. Sarah has a passion and heart for helping those struggling with mental health conditions after a personal experience with her family and mental health. She is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside our clinical and medical staff to bring the best possible care to our clients.
Gina Gardea brings SoCal Mental Health a wealth of experience in the treatment industry. She not only holds a bachelor’s in psychology & Human Development, CADC III drug and alcohol studies, but also a Master’s in Clinical Psychology where she focused her studies on cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, violence, abuse & trauma, addictive behaviors and Psychotherapy for families and couples. She is currently completing her hours towards licensure for Marriage and Family therapist (LMFT), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and plans to obtain an Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) certification in the near future. With her M.S. in Clinical Psychology, years of experience in the industry, and her own personal recovery, Gina is able to help clients learn the tools they need to resort to healthy coping mechanisms, rather than unhealthy ones
Gina currently lives in Orange County and has her own personal recovery that is grounded on Faith and her relationship with God. She carries a passion to help others who struggle with mental health, addiction and trauma. Gina emphasizes compassion and empathy to serve those who are less fortunate. Gina is also a professor who teaches drug and alcohol studies at an online University. In her free time, she loves to roller skate, she played roller derby for 12 years, and now enjoys street, beach, and skate park roller skating.
With more than 10 years of sobriety and work experience in the mental health and substance abuse industry, Kristen brings an unprecedented passion and dedication to her work. She is on the board of directors for a local women’s homeless shelter and is passionate about ending the stigma of mental health. Kristen has a vision to end homelessness through the work of local resources and philanthropy groups by sharing her own story of homelessness. Another one of her passions is training and developing new people in the field.
As the Program Director at SoCal Mental Health, Kristen uses her personal experience and compassionate approach to ensure a positive client experience from the first day. She has a passion for providing the highest level of care to every client she comes in contact with and continues to walk alongside them when they don’t believe they have the strength to do it on their own.
Dino Vinci is the Lead Behavioral Health Technician for Socal Mental Health. Dino is a certified RADT and assists to ensure the program operations run smoothly. He has worked in multiple residential treatment centers for the past two years including experiences of primary mental health and primary addiction. Dino has own personal experience of addiction and mental health met with years of sobriety, which influences his drive and compassion to help others who are still struggling with mental health issues and addiction.
Jacob’s passion to help those who struggle with mental health disorders comes from his own personal experience witnessing his father struggle with mental health issues and crippling alcohol addiction. Unfortunately Jacob’s father was not able to find sustainable recovery, but Jacob has been able to use this experience to give him purpose and deep-found calling to help those find long-term recovery. When Jacob had the opportunity to join the SoCal Mental Health team, he pledged that he would never give up on anybody who was seeking help.
Jacob was born and raised in Mission Viejo, CA where even as a young kid, he pushed the boundaries of recreation when racing dirtbikes. Today, you can now find him jumping out of planes, surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, or enjoying almost any sport that includes an adrenaline rush. His passion for enjoying recreational sports and the natural highs of life aligns with the SoCal Mental Health commitment to help their clients enjoy life along their recovery journey.
My career spans over 30 years of professional work in the behavioral health arena. I have served in various administrative and clinical roles entailing direct service, management and supervision, administration, consultation, staff training, product design/development and implementation.
My passion, purpose and lifework have been and will continue to be to help marginalized populations such as those afflicted with the disease of mental illness and/or drug addiction find their place, speak their voice and master their specialized needs to engage and reenter their home community living as independently as possible.
I am delighted to serve as the Administrator/Program Director of SoCal Mental Health’s short-term crisis and transitional residential social rehabilitation programs serving the dual diagnosis, co-occurring disorder population of adults coping with primary mental health challenges and secondary substance abuse problems. We offer a novel perspective of incorporating therapeutic recreation to achieve well-being and mastery of life skills to build character, confidence and self-reliance.
I have worked in the Mental Health and Substance Abuse industry for almost 10 years. I have worked my way up in various roles, from Executive Assistant, Compliance Assistant and Administration Office Manager. I have a strong work ethic and have been referred to as “Superglue”, “Quarterback and “Consummate Taskmaster”. I helped obtain licensing for the first Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospital in Orange County, one of only 7 facilities in Orange County at the time. I just celebrated 10 years of sobriety on 7/26/2021. I also have a passion for compassion. I enjoy sharing my experience, strength and hope with others and giving back. I love inspiring and encouraging people to be their personal best! My faith is what sets the standard for my moral compass and work ethic. I have dealt with some issues from my past that involved severe trauma and what has helped me to become the person I am today, is the different types of therapy from CBT, DBT and EMDR etc. I truly believe mental health is most important in self-care and I believe these therapies have been instrumental in transforming my life today.
Lawrence V. Tucker, M.D. is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Addiction Medicine, practicing in pharmacological management of psychiatric disorders and addiction medicine. Dr. Tucker attended UCLA for his undergraduate degree, where he obtained a B.S. in Physiological Sciences. He then attended UCLA School of Medicine for his Medical Degree and performed his residency in Psychiatry and Neurology. He has been in leadership roles since 2006 and is a Certified Physician Executive. Prior to attending UCLA, Dr. Tucker served in the United States Marine Corps, Infantry, and served in Desert Storm. Among the long list of accomplishments, Dr. Tucker feels most accomplished with his blended family of 5 children and his wife of over 13 years. Dr. Tucker has had extensive experience within the county of Los Angeles department of mental health and jail systems, State mental health systems, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as well in the Federal Veterans Administration Medical Center, where he established the first suboxone clinic within the VA system nationwide. This clinic decreased the ER utilization of chronic opioid users as well as decreased the number of morbidities, mortality and overdoses. Dr. Tucker also has experience in the private sector managing inpatient and outpatient hospital systems. In 2016, Dr. Tucker established the first Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospital with the American Addiction Centers located in Orange County. This is the first CDRH that has been established in the state of California in over 20 years. In addition, Dr. Tucker has a private practice in Newport Beach CA. His paradigm of treatment is that he: “Treats a person Not a Diagnosis”. He uses a holistic model and incorporates sobriety, exercise, diet, therapy, supplements, as well as psychopharmacological therapies
Courtney is currently a therapist and case manager for SoCal Mental Health. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Social Work at the California State University of Fullerton in 2020 and is a Registered Associate Clinical Social Worker. Courtney made the decision at the young age of 16 to become a Clinical Social Worker in mental health. This decision stemmed from her personal experiences with family members suffering from mental health issues. Those experiences solidified her passion to pursue a career which also included her goals of lessening the stigma of mental illnesses and working towards increased public awareness. Courtney has worked in the mental health field for the past four years.
Her concentration has been working with mental health and dual diagnosis clients in both residential and hospital environments. Courtney is passionate about assisting primary mental health clients in a residential treatment setting providing easily attainable crisis intervention. Her continuing desire is to minimize the necessity of inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations as well as establishing long-term recovery and psychiatric stabilization.