Encino · San Fernando Valley · Los Angeles
Co-occurring trauma is unresolved trauma carried alongside a substance use disorder, where substances became the way the nervous system regulates itself. New Spirit Recovery treats trauma as part of dual-diagnosis addiction care in Los Angeles, for adults whose trauma history accompanies a substance use disorder.
New Spirit Recovery helped me when I was detoxing hard for about a week. The staff were kind to me the whole time. When I thought about leaving early, they helped me slow down and choose recovery instead. By discharge I was grateful I stayed, and Iâm doing better now.
New Spirit Recovery has changed my whole life. They gave me a second chance to rewire my life and live a new one. The staff is caring and genuine, and the director and operations director guided me through the program. They set me up for success and I canât thank them enough for saving my life.
New Spirit Recovery was beneficial to my recovery. Here I learned tools to help me manage my emotions safely, journaling and breathing have been amazing tools I picked up while here. All the staff were incredible and patient. I am grateful to have come here and actually use the tools suggested.
This program teaches you how to set realistic goals and become a better version of yourself, with all the tools to start building a new foundation. The therapist and case manager give each client an individualized, tailor-made treatment plan. Serene surroundings, a private chef, daily groups, and weekend outings.
The staff is amazing. I was completely unable to detox on my own and find the right path. The food and facilities were amazing, and I found my way again. My mom and I go to church together again now. Thank you all so much.
CA DHCS licensed treatment · most admissions within 24–48 hours
Not sure where you stand?
Signs of unresolved trauma and addiction include difficulty feeling safe or settled without a substance, strong reactions that seem out of proportion to the moment, trouble trusting people, and numbness where feeling should be. Trauma from childhood often shows up this way rather than as clear memories. Our dual diagnosis program uses trauma-informed care throughout.
Not all trauma produces a diagnosable disorder. Prolonged or repeated adversity, particularly in childhood, shapes how the nervous system handles stress long before any substance is involved. Adverse childhood experiences raise the risk of a substance use disorder substantially, and the connection is often invisible to the person living it.
This self-check reflects what our clinicians look for at intake: whether substances are doing the work of self-regulation, whether safety and trust are hard to reach, and whether the pattern predates the substance use. Answer the six questions, then talk the result through with our team.
This 6-question self-check is a private screening tool, not a diagnosis. It runs entirely in your browser and nothing is saved or sent. A clinician confirms what it means. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
Ten minutes, a few questions, and a real answer about your coverage. Someone picks up at any hour, including this one. You will not be asked to explain what happened.
How the pattern forms
Unresolved trauma shapes substance use by leaving the nervous system tuned for threat. Chronic activation makes calm hard to reach on its own, and a substance that produces it reliably becomes indispensable. The substance is doing the work of regulation rather than providing pleasure, which is why willpower alone rarely touches it.
Adverse childhood experiences include abuse, neglect, household instability, and loss. Complex trauma differs from a single incident because it is repeated and occurs during development, so it shapes the baseline rather than disrupting an established one. Many people do not label any of it as trauma.
A nervous system that developed under threat stays ready for it. That shows up as difficulty settling, disproportionate reactions to small triggers, trouble trusting, and numbness that alternates with overwhelm. None of it is a character problem, and none of it responds to being told to relax.
Substances that reliably produce calm, distance, or numbness become load-bearing. This is the distinction that matters clinically: the use is regulating a nervous system rather than chasing a high. Removing the substance without building another way to regulate leaves a gap that pulls people straight back.
Without treatment the pattern recreates itself in relationships, work, and repeated cycles of use and abstinence. Trauma-informed care interrupts it by treating safety, choice, and control as clinical requirements rather than courtesies, and by building regulation skills before asking anyone to give up what has been doing that job.
Difficult material often surfaces when substances stop, which is why this work is done with support. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, any time. Support is available in Spanish and via ASL. Call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
Why people choose this one
Trauma-informed care means predictable routines, explained decisions, and genuine choice wherever it exists. Sean O’Neill leads trauma-informed program design across the organization, so this shapes how the day runs rather than sitting in a policy document.
Somatic work, distress tolerance training, and meditation programming build the capacity to stay steady while difficult material surfaces. That capacity is built alongside trauma treatment rather than as a gate in front of it, which is what the current evidence supports.
Trauma is held physically as much as narratively. Somatic therapy, acupuncture, and sound bath work run alongside talking therapy, reaching what conversation on its own does not.
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The path through
Co-occurring trauma and addiction are treated with trauma-informed dual-diagnosis care: medically supervised withdrawal where needed, then trauma-focused therapy delivered alongside substance use treatment, supported by regulation skills from somatic work and distress tolerance training. EMDR is arranged with an outside specialist where indicated.
| Level of care | Medical oversight | Typical length | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical DetoxStart here | 24-hour nursing, physician oversight | 7–10 days, extending to 21 where medically necessary | Withdrawal from alcohol or benzodiazepines needs medical management |
| Residential Treatment | On-site clinical staff, physician oversight | Often part of a ~35-day course | Medically stable, with the anxiety disorder treated alongside the use |
| Step-down (PHP / IOP / OP) | Scheduled clinical contact | Varies by plan | Returning to daily life while anxiety treatment continues |
We deliver medical detox and residential treatment at our own facilities. Step-down care is arranged through a vetted network we coordinate on your behalf. As a trauma-informed recovery center in Los Angeles, we keep the same clinical team with you from intake through discharge planning, so trust does not have to be rebuilt each week.
Small enough to know your name
Co-Founder
Author and recovery specialist. Created the Rewired curriculum, ten modules that run here and nowhere else.
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Clinical Director
Licensed since 2018, dual mental-health and substance-use background. Oversees clinical programming across all properties. Twenty-four years in recovery himself.
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Director of Nursing
A Licensed Vocational Nurse since 2020 with extensive behavioral health and substance use experience across detox and residential settings
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Clinical Psychologist
Clinical supervisor and a professor at California Lutheran University. Works across sites on crisis management and treatment planning.
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Program Director
Directs day-to-day operations and client care. Seven-plus years in the industry, five in management.
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Operations Director
Handles the logistics that make admission possible, including travel and transport from LAX or Burbank.
Read full bioThe question everyone asks first
What you pay depends on your plan: your benefits, deductible, copay, and coinsurance. Most PPO plans cover trauma-informed dual-diagnosis treatment when it is medically necessary. Anyone quoting a price before reading your policy is guessing.
Coverage varies more than people expect, and is routinely better than assumed. We check your benefits for free and tell you exactly what we find, whether or not you come here.
We do not accept Medicaid, Medi-Cal, or Medicare. Cash pay is available; ask an admissions counselor what that looks like.
Veterans: we hold a VACCN/TriWest contract. Mention it when you call. Verify insurance.
Real people, real recovery stories
Reviews published by clients and families on Google, where our average is 4.8 out of 5.
These are unpaid reviews posted publicly on Google by individual clients and families. They describe those people’s own experiences, which vary; they are not a promise of any particular outcome, and no one was compensated for them.
Looking for trauma rehab near you?
Our trauma and addiction treatment program runs from Encino, with additional residences in Tarzana and Northridge. We admit from across the Valley, greater Los Angeles, and nationwide.
Common questions
Trauma and addiction describes unresolved trauma occurring alongside a substance use disorder, where substances regulate a nervous system shaped by threat. The two are treated together, because removing the substance without building other regulation leaves the original problem untouched.
Trauma-focused therapy addresses the traumatic material itself rather than only its consequences. Approaches include trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, and EMDR. In addiction treatment it runs alongside substance use treatment once withdrawal is medically stable.
Withdrawal is stabilized medically first for safety. From there, trauma treatment and substance use treatment run together rather than one after the other, supported by regulation skills from somatic and distress tolerance work. Support continues after residential treatment ends.
No definitive ranking exists. Research most consistently points to the three adverse childhood experience categories: abuse, whether physical, emotional, or sexual; neglect; and household dysfunction such as violence or a parent’s substance use. Combat and adult interpersonal violence are further major sources.
No single therapy suits everyone. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, and EMDR all have strong evidence. Somatic approaches help where trauma is held physically. The right choice depends on the trauma type, current stability, and personal preference.
Most major PPO plans cover trauma-informed dual-diagnosis treatment when it is medically necessary. Cost depends on your benefits, deductible, and coinsurance. We verify your coverage free. We do not accept Medicaid, Medi-Cal, or Medicare, though cash pay is available.
