Addiction therapists & psychiatrists in El Cajon, CA

I believe every person is unique with their own story to tell. Working with people is my passion and I bring every tool I have learned both professional and in my own life to meet a person's goals in therapy.

My name is Joey Ritkes (he/him). I have been working as a mental health therapist for over five years. My practice has primarily been specialized in working with LGBTQ+ youth. However, I have worked with couples, families, emerging adults, and adults from all backgrounds. I am a client-centered therapist who enjoys working collaboratively with my clients to meet their goals.

I genuinely like people, have always love to help ,

Will take my clients through the therapeutic process, with empathy and care for their experience in therapy to be a positive one.

Hey there—I'm Mika, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who's here for real talk and real support for adults and teens right here in Southern California. I've spent years helping people work through tough life events like trauma, addictions, ADHD, burnout from high-pressure jobs, anxiety, depression, and rocky relationships. What I love most is seeing folks step into their strength and build the life they want—I'm here to walk that path with you, no judgment, just genuine care.

I have been drawn to this work for as long as I can remember. I earned my Masters in Social Work at Loma Linda University and spent years inside child protective services and the custody system, where I saw how much pain families carry and how little space they are given to heal it. I became a licensed clinical social worker in 2012 and opened my own practice in 2021. Along the way I trained in EMDR, DBT, Internal Family Systems and somatic work, and I taught social work at the graduate level. That mix shapes how I sit with people today. I am not interested in managing symptoms and calling it progress. I want the people I

work with to feel genuinely different in their own bodies and in their own relationships.

I have 15+ years of experience working with individuals and couples who have experienced trauma, both directly and indirectly. My specialty is those going through a loss, suffered emotional trauma, or are victims of violence. Unaddressed individual trauma can often lead to anxiety, depression and difficulties in developing / maintaining loving relationships. Couples can struggle with unhealthy patterns of communication and need alternative tools to better understand each other. With a warm, collaborative, and evidence-based approach I support clients facing issues such as anxiety, grief, life changes and relationship challenges.