When looking for help with serious issues and to ensure you are getting the best care, always look for the highest level of certification. At Serenity Trauma Healing Center, we offer award-winning trauma treatment programs in Malibu, California, and are state- and JCAHO-accredited.
Whether you are seeking treatment for trauma, including addiction, abuse, anxiety, depression, PTSD or other significant challenges, you can have confidence in your choice, as we provide evidence-based trauma healing services with an individual experience for each client. These include various forms of trauma psychotherapy chosen and tailored to each person’s unique needs. Traumatic experiences, including a single life-threatening event or recurring trauma, can have a lasting impact with negative effects on your life long after the threat is gone.
Our outpatient treatment center helps adolescents and adults in Southern California through a range of therapeutic services, designed to help them reconnect with the world and restore a sense of safety. We also help deal with the physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms of trauma. These can vary greatly from one person to another, which is why a personalized treatment program is so important in bridging the connection between trauma and recovery.
Our Services
OUTPATIENT PROGRAM
This 6-hour-a-day intensive trauma treatment program is designed for clients who have completed a drug and alcohol or eating disorder treatment program, are transitioning from a psychiatric hospital, or are simply looking for an alternative to residential treatment and wish to experience a highly individualized and structured clinical program to address the trauma. Clients enrolled in this program may commute from their residence or live in a local sober living house.
Day Treatment Program
A 5-hour-a-day program custom designed for clients who have experienced traumatic events, completed a drug and alcohol or eating disorder treatment program, or are transitioning from a psychiatric hospital. If you’re simply looking for an alternative to residential treatment, we provide a highly individualized and structured clinical program to address the trauma. Clients enrolled in this program may commute from their residence or live in a local sober living house.
Intensive Outpatient Program
This program provides a more immersive type of therapy for those who require additional psychological support, which is offered in a supportive and caring environment. It is also less intensive than the Day Treatment Program. The IOP allows clients to maintain their daily commitments while recovering from PTSD symptoms or mood/anxiety disorder.
Customized Outpatient Program
Customized Outpatient Program clients who do not need intensive treatment can receive individualized care with less time commitment. Individuals receive the trauma treatment they need to address specific issues on a routine schedule so they can maintain their daily activities while having access to our full range of services. This program can be offered as little as once or twice a week.
Family Program
At Serenity Trauma Healing Center, we understand the impact that trauma and mental health disorders may have on your family. Our Family Program is designed to incorporate family members into therapy sessions. Often family members do not know how to assist a person who is struggling with the aftermath of a traumatic event. Despite their best intentions, they may even act in a counterproductive manner and, as a result, feel helpless. The Family Program educates the family about trauma, and gives the family and client tools and coping skills.
Pain Management
Pain Management is about easing the suffering of the physical pain caused by sudden and prolonged exposure to traumatic experiences and improving quality of life. Effective management of chronic pain frequently requires the coordinated efforts of an experienced management team. Our Pain Management team includes medical doctors, chiropractor, licensed psychotherapists, massage therapists, movement therapist, and muscle activation specialist.
Our mission is to help adolescents and adults, who are suffering due to trauma, to re-establish a sense of safety and connectedness in the world by providing multidisciplinary therapeutic services. Serenity Trauma Healing Center is an outpatient treatment center that provides integrative psychological services in Southern California, at a convenient location right near the picturesque coast of Malibu. Read more
Therapies We Offer
We strive to help as many people as possible recover from trauma and deal with its aftereffects. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one approach that is often used. Our strategy, a variant known as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), helps patients build the skills needed to overcome negative thinking, develop more positive behaviors, and improve their relationships.
An advanced form of trauma therapy, brainspotting aims to access areas of the brain often not at the center of awareness. Traumatic memories often have associated eye positions. By identifying these, trauma can be diagnosed and treated with this psychotherapy approach. Other approaches to trauma treatment we use include Somatic Experiencing, which focuses on releasing survival energy to restore self-regulation, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy that focuses on the body by integrating sensorimotor processing with cognitive and emotional processing.
Our team is also skilled in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) used in the treatment of PTSD. Using mindfulness, we can help individuals become more aware of their thoughts, emotions, body, and environment to cope with stressful situations. From advanced modern therapies such as neurofeedback therapy to the Emotional Freedom Technique to the use of visual art, breathwork, acupuncture, massage, movement, and physical fitness, our approaches address trauma healing from various angles.
Awards
Dr. Joanne Mednick and the staff at Serenity Trauma Healing Center are proud of the high quality of care they deliver.
They have been singled out and honored by many groups including:
Serenity Trauma Healing Center Receives Best of Palisades Award
The Pacific Palisades Award is given to businesses that exemplify excellence in the community.
Serenity Trauma Healing Center Receives Best of Palisades Award
The Pacific Palisades Award is given to businesses that exemplify excellence in the community.
Dr. Joanne Mednick of Serenity Trauma Healing Center
Receives 2015/2016 Professional Woman of the Year Award
Dr. Joanne Mednick of Serenity Trauma Heling Center
Dr. Joanne Mednick honored as a Hero in Recovery i San Diego, CA
Dr. Joanne Mednick of Serenity Trauma Healing Center
Dr. Joanne Mednick received the Strathmore’s Who’s Who Worldwide Woman of Distinction Award
Testimonials
“Personal responsibility in your road to recovering from trauma is a gift. This place gives you tools to make yourself whole again. What a wonderful thing. And Joanne Mednick is a compassionate wonderful healer. She’s brilliant.”
- Kathy
“I was a skeptic at first. But after the first week, I was able to open up and start to reconnect with society as well as myself. I thought it would never be possible to “feel” again.”
- Mike, USN Ret.
“The loving and compassionate care of the therapist at Serenity changed my life. Thanks to Serenity, I learned to love myself and to take care of the little girl inside of me. I would suggest Serenity to whoever is willing to improve their quality of life through self -love, self-forgiveness, and self empowerment.”
- Selene
Meet Dr. Joanne Mednick of Serenity Trauma Healing Center in Pacific Palisades
Voyage LA: So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. Dr. Mednick: Having been a therapist for over 20 years, I have had the opportunity to work with and study many types of issues that my clients have experienced. Over that time it became quite clear to me that…
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Serenity Trauma Healing Center is state- and JCAHO-accredited to provide a multitude of proven psychotherapy services to clients with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our programs include weekly evaluations and start at two weeks long but can continue for timeframes recommended by our licensed experts. We accept many insurance plans. To discuss your situation and learn more about our treatment options, contact us immediately online or at the numbers below.