Anger Management

A Substance Abuse Program (ASAP)

Cognitive Therapy Program (Change for Life)

Domestic Violence Treatment Program (DVTP)

Parenting Skills Training

Sex Offender Treatment Program

Anger Management Program

This 14-week court approved anger management group therapy addresses the following issues:

• Anger Management
• Cognitive Distortions
• Healthy Relationship
• Constructive Communication
• Healthy Boundary Setting
• Power and Control Issues

The cost is $25 per session.

For initial appointment and more information please call :

Barbara Pizzarello LCSW, BCD, Executive Director at:

This is a Court Approved Level Two Domestic Violence-Substance Abuse Program       

This 52 week program addresses chemical dependency and family violence in a comprehensive curriculum. In an effort to prevent substance abuse related domestic violence and to address the large gap between those two fields of treatment, ASAP addresses both issues in this unique program. Drug and alcohol education, domestic violence prevention, relapse prevention, stress reduction, anger management, communication issues, and healthy boundary setting are the primary foci of this track.  

The 52 week Court Approved Level Two Domestic Violence program includes:

Intake and Assessment

• Health screening Questionnaire
• Psychosocial Assessment
• Alcohol/Drug Assessment
• Identify primary problems related to alcohol/drug abuse
• Appropriate referrals to community resources as determined throughout the program

Group Counseling

• Psycho-educational groups meet once a week in a safe, clinical, non-judgmental and confidential environment.
• The 52 week Curriculum is continually tailored and tied into each group member’s needs.
• ASAP group leaders are also experienced Court approved Domestic Violence group facilitators

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• ASAP out-patient program requires complete abstinence from alcohol and illicit drugs.
• ASAP refers for Court mandated random alcohol/drug screening and comprehensive laboratory drug testing.
• ASAP outpatient program provides services at fees that are affordable.

Change for Life

A 26-week Morality and Empathy-Based Cognitive Therapy Program.

This program is designed for people who have anger management issues and who want to change their lives for the good.  This also is tailored for the person who has been convicted of a first time violent crime and who is in the probation or parole system.

The Change for Life program includes:

• Anger Management
• Assertiveness Training
• Empathy-Building
• Defeating Self-Destructive Behaviors
• Connecting with Emotions
• Dealing with Criticism
• Stress Reduction
• Recognizing Abuse
• Time Management
• Socialization Skills
• Power and Control Issues
• Values Clarification
• Positive Attitude-Building
• Cognitive Behavior Change
• Self Esteem Building
• Constructive Communication
• Relaxation Techniques
• Respect for Self and Others
• Forgiveness
• Role Playing

The Change for Life Program will give you the tools to make the necessary changes and look at new ways of:

• Thinking
• Acting
• Feeling
• Growing
• Succeeding

A Helping Hand Counseling is offering you the opportunity to change the problem areas in your life and turn them around so that you can have….

• A better life
• A fuller life
• A more satisfying life

              ….. A Changed Life.

A Helping Hand Counseling’s Change for Life program may administer and monitor:

• Beck Depression
• Inventory (BDI)
• Beck Anxiety Index (BAI)
• SARA
• Values Inventory
• Enneagram
• Forgiveness Inventory

The program will use some or all of the above named measures and will conduct research to evaluate the level of change due to the intensive intervention in this program.

The intake assessment will include a complete evaluation to assess the need for possible medical and/or psychiatric intervention.

A Helping Hand Counseling will make ongoing individual therapy available to Change for Life participants if indicated.

Assistance will be available for clients who may have difficulty reading the material.

Our goal is to assist clients in obtaining positive life skills that will allow them to reintegrate and become productive members of society.

For initial appointment and more information please call :

Barbara Pizzarello LCSW, BCD, Program Director at:

(858) 279-6721

Domestic Violence Treatment Program

This is a 52-week cognitive therapy based, psycho-educational, Court and CPS approved Domestic Violence Treatment Program. Groups are scheduled Tuesday through Saturday, with day and evening groups available.

Therapy available in the following languages:

English – Male Groups

English - Female Groups.

The cost is $25 per session.  

For initial appointment and more information please call :

Barbara Pizzarello LCSW, BCD, Program Director at:

(858) 279-0220

Parenting Classes

This 12-week Court approved Parenting Skills class address the following issues:

• Healthy Parenting
• Stages of Development
• Positive Parenting Skills
• Age Appropriate Discipline
• How to Listen to Your Child
• How to Talk to Your Child so that Your Child Will Listen
• Healthy Boundary Setting

Call for specific group times call (858) 279-6721.

 Sex Offender Treatment Program-
A Cognitive Containment Collaboration Model

Our Program Includes:

About Sex Offender Treatment:

A Helping Hand Counseling’s Sex Offender Treatment Program is cognitive therapy based. We are committed to working collaboratively with Probation, the Courts, the Polygraph Examiner, Victim's Advocates, and other professional agencies to ensure the highest level of community safety available. The Sex Offender Treatment Program holds to the Adult Treatment Standards adopted by the County of San Diego Department of Probation in June 2003.  This Containment/ Collaboration Model is used in order to increase community safety and to reduce and monitor the various stressors which may lead to recidivism.  Each person, whether voluntarily in the program or referred by the Courts, Probation or Parole, is expected to abide by the same standards.

Our ongoing commitment to the team-approach with the Department of Probation, Psychiatrists, Substance Abuse Programs, and Polygraph Examiners allow us to provide state of the art treatment for those suffering from sexual addictions, as well as those defendants convicted of a sexual offense.

Each client will attend weekly psychoeducational group therapy with the focus on restructuring their thinking patterns and on learning-appropriate behaviors.

The components of the program will include:

• Relapse Prevention
• Denial Phase
• Identifying Risk Elements
• Addictive Cycle
• Pre-Assault/Assault Cycles
• Abuse Cycle
• Sex Role Stereotyping
• Power & Control Issues
• Victim Empathy Training
• Taking Responsibility for Offenses
• Cognitive Distortions
• Assertiveness Training
• Managing deviant sexual arousal
• Autobiography
• Values Clarification
• Sex Education
• Breaking the Offense Chain
• Social Skills Building
• Personal Victimization-Trauma
• Healthy Relationship Building
• Aftercare Groups
• Referrals as Indicated for Medication Management

Assessment Tools Used:

* Each client will complete a series of homework assignments and will be required to comply with all probation requirements.

Initial Assessment Fee - $525

Weekly Group Fee - $40

All fees are to be paid at the time service is rendered.

Separate fees will be charged for quarterly STABLE 2007; for report writing; for psychiatric evaluation; medication management; individual therapy; couples therapy; and medication.  Some or all of this may be covered by the client’s insurance.