Online Therapy for Alcohol Use in California

Blackburn Clinical Services offers one-on-one online therapy for drinking concerns by secure video for clients located in California, whether your goal is to cut down or to stop. The Concierge Outpatient Program adds more support with no groups, as an alternative to IOP. Our only office is in Los Angeles. Psychiatric care can be arranged. Call (888) 870 7405 or email info@blackburnclinical.com.

Who is online therapy for alcohol use for?

You do not need to hit a crisis or accept a label to work on your drinking. People come to this from many different starting points: a nightly bottle of wine that used to be a glass, weekends that now need recovery days, drinking to switch off after work, blackouts that worry a partner, or several attempts to cut back that did not hold. Some meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder, which clinicians rate as mild, moderate or severe. Others simply know they want to change.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism notes that many health care professionals and programs have offered telehealth alcohol treatment for years, by phone or video (NIAAA). Video care lets you work on drinking without taking time off for a long drive, and you can keep sessions going through travel within California or a move.

Is it safe to stop drinking on your own?

Not always. After a stretch of heavy drinking, NIAAA explains that the body can go into a painful or even potentially life-threatening process of withdrawal, with symptoms that can include nausea, rapid heart rate and seizures, and it advises seeking medical help to plan a safe recovery (NIAAA Rethinking Drinking). Outpatient detox can help: virtual detox is possible for those who qualify. It starts with an assessment by an addiction specialist physician to determine whether an outpatient level of detox is safe; if it is, clients located in California meet with the care team by video, with in-person support as an option. Higher-risk withdrawal, such as severe alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal or a history of seizures or delirium tremens (DTs), needs in-person medical care. Use this checklist before you stop:

• ☐ Do you drink heavily most days, or start drinking in the morning?
• ☐ Have you had shakes, sweating, nausea, anxiety or a racing heart when you cut back or went a day without drinking?
• ☐ Have you ever had a seizure, confusion or hallucinations when stopping?
• ☐ Do you also use sedatives, sleep medication or other substances?
• ☐ Do you have liver, heart or other health conditions, or take medications that interact with alcohol?

If you checked any box, talk with a medical provider before stopping, and tell us on the first call. Therapy can start alongside medical care once you have a safe plan.

What does therapy for drinking look like by video?

Care starts with an assessment of how much and how often you drink, what drinking does for you, what has happened when you tried to change, and what else is going on, such as anxiety, depression, grief or relationship strain. Then you and your therapist set a goal together. For some people that is stopping; for others, cutting down first. NIAAA suggests talking with a health professional to decide which makes sense for you.

Sessions are one-on-one with a licensed therapist, from a private space while you are located in California. Work often includes:

• Mapping triggers, such as time of day, people, stress and boredom, and planning for them in advance.
• CBT and DBT skills for cravings, intense emotion and the urge to drink to cope.
• ACT approaches for living by your values when drinking would be easier.
• Relapse prevention planning, so a hard night becomes information rather than a reason to give up.
• Repairing trust at home, including family sessions by secure video if you want your partner or family involved.

If drinking sits alongside anxiety, depression or other substance use, see our page on virtual dual diagnosis care. In Los Angeles, our alcohol use disorder treatment page covers in-person care.

When does weekly therapy need more support?

When drinking keeps winning despite weekly sessions, or after residential treatment, the Concierge Outpatient Program adds structure without a group schedule. Clients typically take part in 3 to 5 hours of focused one-on-one work a week. By video, that can include individual therapy, family sessions, psychoeducation on relapse prevention and relationships, and coaching and case management. It is an alternative to IOP, not an IOP, and hours change with clinical need. See the virtual outpatient program page for how it works.

Can medication help with drinking?

For some people, medication is part of treating alcohol use disorder. Psychiatric care can be arranged and coordinated with your therapist; we explain how when you call. Withdrawal care is a separate medical question, covered in the checklist above.

When is outpatient care not the right level?

Outpatient care fits people who can stay safe at home between sessions. A higher level of care may be safer if withdrawal could be dangerous, if you have tried outpatient care and drinking keeps escalating, if home is not a safe place to recover right now, or if drinking comes with thoughts of suicide. If you are in crisis, call or text 988. We will tell you honestly after the assessment if we think you need more than we offer.

Who do we see?

We see adults across California by video, including professionals and executives (see executive outpatient care), people stepping down from residential treatment, and clients in San Francisco, Sacramento and the rest of Northern California. We do not have offices outside Los Angeles. Family members worried about someone’s drinking can read how to talk to a loved one about drinking or drug use.

How does payment work?

Blackburn does not take or bill insurance. We are an out-of-network practice and provide superbills for reimbursable services. See fees and insurance and our private pay guide.

Questions about online therapy for alcohol use

Can I get help for drinking online in California?

Yes. One-on-one therapy for drinking is available by secure video for clients located in California. Our only office is in Los Angeles.

Do I have to quit completely?

Not necessarily at the start. You and your therapist set the goal together, whether that is stopping or cutting down first, and revisit it as you go. If withdrawal could be dangerous, a medical provider should be part of that decision.

Do you offer alcohol detox by video?

Yes, for those who qualify. It starts with an assessment by an addiction specialist physician to determine whether an outpatient level of detox is safe. If it is, clients located in California meet with the care team by video, with in-person support as an option. Severe alcohol withdrawal, or a history of seizures or delirium tremens (DTs), needs in-person medical care. If you might have withdrawal symptoms, talk with us or a medical provider before you stop, and call 911 in an emergency.

Is the Concierge Outpatient Program an IOP?

No. It is a one-on-one alternative to IOP with no groups and no hour requirements. Most clients take part in 3 to 5 hours a week.

Can my spouse or family be involved?

Yes, if you want them to be. Family sessions can be part of care, by secure video for clients located in California, and we share information only with your written permission.

Is medication available for alcohol use?

Psychiatric care can be arranged and coordinated with your therapist. We explain how when you call.

Do I need a referral?

No. Call us to schedule an assessment. No diagnosis or referral is needed.

Get started

Email info@blackburnclinical.com or contact us. More on video care: telehealth therapy in California. Blackburn Clinical Services, 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

In an emergency: call 911. For suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, call or text 988.

Sources

• NIAAA: Telehealth options for alcohol treatment
• NIAAA Rethinking Drinking: To cut down or to quit
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline