Adam Swanson, LMFT

Adam obtained his Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State
University of Long Beach, a program known for fostering creative, yet clinically sound
approaches to mental health treatment. He has gained clinical experience in a variety of
settings, starting first in the non-profit sector working primarily with children and their families,
before transitioning into the field of addiction recovery for adults, as well as obtaining
postgraduate training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Throughout his career, Adam has
remained passionate about being a force for positive change both for his clients, as well as for
the clinical teams he has led as a Program Coordinator and Clinical Director. He has played a
primary role in the development of specialized treatment programs such as an outpatient
program for first responders suffering from addiction, has worked closely with school
psychologists in the Huntington Beach Unified School District in their efforts to provide early
intervention for students at risk for addiction, and continues to provide clinical supervision to
multiple teams of associate therapists who are gaining hours toward their licensure.

In his own practice, Adam is utilizing his experience in working with adolescents and their
families, combined with insights gained from years in the addiction recovery field to create a
unique approach to helping individuals navigate the difficult terrain of dysfunctional
relationships. After years of treating the “problem” child or spouse in a relationship, it became
clear to him that just as much attention, if not more attention needed to be given to the family
member who found themselves entangled in the problems of someone they loved. While the
term “codependency” is almost commonplace in the context of addiction, it can develop in just
about any relationship in which two or more individuals become dependent upon one another to
an unhealthy degree. Adam has found that while upbringing and relationship history certainly
play an important role in the development of codependent tendencies, it is often the introduction
of a life stressor experienced by one individual in the family/couple that can lead to the
development of such relationship patterns. Examples of such stressors are: an increase in drug
use, job loss, diagnosis of illness (either physical or mental), domestic violence, unmet financial
needs, poor academic performance, report of problem behavior at school, etc. Problematic
relationship patterns often develop in a slow, subtle manner which is why it can be so difficult to
identify until it feels almost too late to do anything about them. Fortunately, Adam has found
success in taking an individualized approach to solving relationship problems. This is not to
discount couples or family therapy, as there is proven efficacy to these modalities. It is just to
bring heightened focus to the individual who’s suffering often flies under the radar, and to help
them gain the self awareness, self confidence and fortitude to make the positive changes they
deserve to see in their lives.