Discover Our Mental Health Solutions
Align Your Mind, Transform Your Life
Explore our comprehensive mental health services designed to support your well-being and empower your journey.
Compassionate Care for Adults
Personalized Mental Health Services
At Align Brain Health, we are committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based mental health care tailored to adults across California. Our approach is designed to be clear, accessible, and personalized, ensuring that each patient receives the support they need in a welcoming and professional environment.
Our Mental Health Services
Psychiatric Evaluations
We conduct thorough assessments to understand your mental health needs and develop a personalized treatment plan.
Medication Management
Our team carefully monitors and adjusts medications to ensure they are safe and effective for your unique situation.
ADHD Treatment for Adults
We offer specialized support to improve focus, organization, and daily functioning for adults with ADHD.
Telehealth Services
Secure online visits for convenient access to care from your home.
Follow-Up Appointments
Ongoing support to track progress and make necessary adjustments.
Affordable Care Options
Important Safety Notice
Emergency Care Disclaimer
For your safety and well-being, please note that Align Brain Health does not provide emergency care services. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or having thoughts of harming yourself or others, it’s vital to take action right away.
Conditions We Treat
Mental Health Focus
ADHD
ADHD is a brain-based condition characterized by issues with attention, impulse control, and activity levels. While it often appears in childhood, it frequently persists into adulthood, affecting various aspects of life such as work, school, and relationships.
Symptoms & Types
Symptoms must be persistent and more disruptive than what is typical for a person’s age. There are three primary presentations:
- Inattentive Type: Characterized by forgetfulness, disorganization, and difficulty sustaining focus.
- Hyperactive-Impulsive Type: Characterized by restlessness, constant movement, and acting without thinking.
- Combined Type: A mixture of both inattentive and hyperactive symptoms
Causes & Diagnosis
Origins: There is no single cause, but factors include genetics, brain chemistry, premature birth, and prenatal exposure to toxins.
Diagnosis: Requires a clinical evaluation involving interviews and rating scales. Symptoms must be present for at least 6 months. Many adults are diagnosed later in life after recognizing long-standing patterns.
Treatment & Outlook
ADHD is highly manageable through a multi-faceted approach:
- Medical: Stimulant or non-stimulant medications.
- Therapeutic: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and coaching.
- Lifestyle: Establishing structure, routines, and healthy sleep habits.
Anxiety Disorders
Unlike normal, mild stress, Anxiety Disorders involve intense, persistent worry or fear that disrupts daily life. These conditions cause ongoing distress and physical symptoms that can be debilitating without support.
Common Types
There are several specific forms of anxiety, each with unique triggers:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Chronic, excessive worry about everyday things.
- Panic Disorder: Sudden episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms (panic attacks).
- Social Anxiety Disorder: Deep fear of judgment, embarrassment, or social interaction.
- Specific Phobias: Irrational fear of specific objects or situations.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive rituals.
- Agoraphobia & Separation Anxiety: Fear of specific places (often where escape is difficult) or being apart from loved ones.
Roots & Symptoms
Anxiety arises from a complex mix of factors including genetics, brain chemistry, personality traits (like perfectionism), and past trauma.
Key Symptoms to Watch For:
- Mental: Constant worry, difficulty concentrating, or avoiding triggering situations.
- Physical: Restlessness, muscle tension, racing heartbeat, nausea, and sleep disturbances.
Treatment & Management
Anxiety is highly treatable. Recovery usually involves a combination of:
- Professional Care: Therapy (specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Exposure Therapy) and medication (antidepressants/anti-anxiety meds).
- Lifestyle Changes: Regular exercise, mindfulness practices, and healthy sleep hygiene.
- Support: Education and group therapy to reduce isolation.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder is a mental health condition characterized by extreme shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. These fluctuations range from emotional highs (mania) to lows (depression).
Types & Variations
There are three main classifications based on the severity and pattern of episodes:
- Bipolar I: Defined by at least one manic episode (may or may not include depression).
- Bipolar II: Involves depressive episodes and hypomania (a milder form of mania).
- Cyclothymic Disorder: A chronic condition involving mild mood swings lasting for at least 2 years
Causes & Treatment
- Origins: The disorder stems from a mix of genetics (family history), brain chemistry/structure, and environmental triggers like stress or trauma.
- Management: Treatment is usually multi-faceted:
- Medication: Mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, or antidepressants.
- Therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychoeducation, and family-focused therapy.
- Lifestyle: Maintaining structure, regular sleep, and stress management.
- Advanced Care: Treatments like ECT are available for severe cases
Depression
Major Depressive Disorder is a common but serious medical condition that negatively affects how a person feels, thinks, and acts. It is distinct from temporary sadness or grief; it is a persistent state that impacts daily functioning and quality of life.
Root Causes
Depression is rarely caused by a single factor. It typically arises from a combination of:
- Biological: Imbalances in brain chemicals like serotonin or dopamine.
- Genetic: A family history of depression.
- Environmental: Major life changes, trauma, chronic illness, or side effects from certain medications
Key Symptoms
Symptoms range from mild to severe and can include:
- Emotional: Persistent sadness, emptiness, feelings of guilt/worthlessness, and a loss of interest in hobbies or activities once enjoyed.
- Physical: Chronic fatigue, changes in appetite (weight loss or gain), and sleep disturbances (insomnia or oversleeping).
- Cognitive: Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or recurring thoughts of death or suicide.
Treatment & Management
Depression is highly treatable through a combination of approaches:
- Therapy: Psychological counseling such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy, or psychodynamic therapy.
- Medication: Antidepressants, most commonly SSRIs or SNRIs, to help balance brain chemistry.
- Lifestyle: Regular exercise, healthy sleep hygiene, and stress management techniques.
- Support Systems: Connecting with loved ones or joining support groups to combat isolation.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD is a mental health condition characterized by a distressing cycle. It involves obsessions (recurring, unwanted thoughts) that drive a person to perform compulsions (repetitive behaviors) in an attempt to reduce anxiety.
Roots & Risk Factors
OCD arises from a combination of biological and environmental factors:
- Genetics: A family history of the disorder.
- Biology: Imbalances in brain chemistry (specifically serotonin) or brain activity.
- Environment: Trauma, chronic stress, or major life changes.
- Personality: Rigid thinking patterns or perfectionism.
Treatment & Management
While OCD is a chronic condition, it is highly manageable with specific treatments:
- Therapy: The gold standard is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a specialized form of CBT designed to break the cycle of compulsion.
- Medication: Antidepressants, specifically SSRIs (e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline).
- Advanced Care: For severe, treatment-resistant cases, options like Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) are available.
Get the Care You Deserve
If you’re struggling, help is available. We’re here to listen and support you every step of the way.