Socal Mental Health

Meet James Cunningham!

Breathwork is effective and powerful practice that we use with our clients at SoCal Mental Health to reduce stress, increase clarity of mind, and even help heal physical ailments. It is a simple yet powerful technique that can be of great benefit to many.

The breath is an essential tool for human beings to tap into higher states of consciousness and deeper levels of self-awareness. It can be used to restore balance and harmony to both the body and mind.

When we start to focus on our breath, we begin to move out of the “thinking mind” and into the body. We may begin to experience a sense of relaxation and a greater sense of well-being.

Breathwork is also very effective in releasing held tension, stored emotions, and blocked energy within the body. By being conscious of our breath, we can access and release old patterns of behavior or mind sets that no longer serve us and are keeping us stuck in the past.

At SoCal Mental Health, we offer guided breathwork sessions to help our clients find a sense of peace and calmness. We have various techniques available, so it is important for each individual to find the right type for them and their needs.

SoCal Mental Health can accommodate a variety of co-occurring conditions, including substance use disorders, as well as several other co-morbid medical conditions. Some of the most common substance use disorders that we see with primary mental health clients are: benzodiazepine use, alcohol use, methamphetamine use, op**te use, and ma*****na use.

While we cannot detox clients in our care, in most cases we are able to admit clients that have been medically cleared for admission to a residential program, and finish a medication taper for clients that require specialized mental health care. To learn more about our program, please visit our website linked on our page!

We are deeply grateful for all who attended our holiday networking event, showcasing a sneak peak of our newest location in Fullerton. We look forward to working alongside all of you to help those with mental illness and/or substance use disorders find high quality treatment!

Sarah is a licensed vocational nurse, 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. To learn more, please visit our website linked on our page!

Meet Tamlyn Lee, our director of professional relations and one of our therapists at SoCal Mental Health! After earning her bachelor’s degree in psychobiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and working for nearly a decade in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, she decided to focus her career on mental health and wellness. Tamlyn completed her master’s degree at Touro University and is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. She has experience working with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Tamlyn previously worked at a co-ed sub-acute detox facility as well as an inpatient treatment hospital that specialized in assisting patients who struggle with co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders. She comes to SoCal Mental Health with a strong desire to change lives and help clients become the best version of themselves. To learn more about our program, visit our website linked on our page!

SoCal Mental Health provides primary mental health residential treatment to client’s suffering from mental health conditions that inhibit their ability to function independently. However, we are able to work with clients that have co-occurring secondary substance use disorders. This would look like a client that has either recent or longer-term sobriety that is exhibiting symptoms of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, thought disorders, personality disorders, and / or trauma. Furthermore, our medical director, Dr. Lawrence V. Tucker, is double board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine, and our clinicians all have experience working with both mental health conditions and substance use disorders. To learn more about our program, please visit our website linked on our page!

SoCal Mental Health operates multiple primary mental health residential treatment facilities in Orange County, California. We are licensed by the California Department of Social Services as a social rehabilitation program [SRP] for short-term crisis stabilization, and certified by the California Department of Health Care Services. Our level of care is one step below psychiatric inpatient hospitalization, and our maximum length of stay is 30 days per the state license. To learn more about SoCal Mental Health, and the multitude of amenities we provide our clients, please visit our website linked on our page!

SoCal Mental Health provides primary mental health residential treatment to client's suffering from mental health conditions that inhibit their ability to function independently. But what differentiates SoCal Mental Health from primary substance abuse treatment centers, or even dual diagnosis treatment facilities? Firstly, SoCal Mental Health is licensed by the California Department of Social Services for short-term crisis stabilization residential, and certified by the Department of Healthcare Services, Mental Health division. The primary mental health residential license is classified as a community care license, classified as a social rehabilitation program. We are required to adhere to different standards than traditional substance abuse treatment models, focusing on treating mental health symptoms, with or without co-occurring substance abuse. To learn more about our program, please visit our website linked on our page!

Erin Vivian is one of our group facilitators specializing in physical movement and exercise. Erin combines multiple different exercise modalities to tailor an exercise regiments for our client's specific needs. She utilizes weights, resistance bands, medicine balls, and other equipment to target key areas of the body for physical health, as well as improved mental wellbeing. Cross-sectional studies show that regular physical activity is associated with better mental health and emotional well-being. Studies also show a direct correlation between physical activity and reduced risk of developing a mental disorder. To learn more, please visit our website linked on our page!

Laura Paulsell is our yoga, mindfulness, and meditation instructor here at SoCal Mental Health. She utilizes a combination of different movement therapies, mindfulness practices, intentional breathing methods, as well as meditation strategies to relieve symptoms of several mental health conditions. From easing anxiety, elevating mood, increasing mental clarity, to relieving chronic stress, yoga has been shown to have a strong correlation to decreasing symptoms of mental health conditions. Laura also includes aspects of sound healing therapy in our yoga sessions such as: singing bowls, violin, ocean drums, and more to give our clients a tailored yoga experience. For more information, please visit our website linked on our page!

Meet our Medical Director - Dr. Lawrence V. Tucker.

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 pharmacological management of psychiatric disorders and addiction medicine. He 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 in Desert Storm. Dr. Tucker’s experience ranges from working for the County of Los Angeles with the department of mental health and jail systems, the Federal Veterans Administration Medical Center, to the private sector managing inpatient and outpatient hospital systems. 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. To learn more about Dr. Tucker, please visit our website linked in our bio!

Meet our Chief Clinical Officer! 👏

Who is Gil Carmona?

Gil Carmona is a seasoned licensed clinical social worker serving as SoCal Mental Health's chief clinical officer. His administrative and program duties entail being the administrator/program director on record for community care licensing and, in addition, directing the clinical programs for both the crisis short term residential and the transitional residential programs.
Gil brings a wealth of behavioral health experience spanning over 30 years in the industry. He is hands on. You can find Gil supervising therapist interns, providing family therapy for clients and their families ( along with the primary therapist), providing inservice training to staff and interfacing with the client's to help them accomplish their mental health stability and recovery.

Such an amazing turnout at Golf Classic this year!

We can’t wait to see what’s next!